Humbly Receiving Interpretations From a Prophet of God

Today in Gospel Doctrine class we had a wonderful lesson on Daniel's interpretation of the Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Neb. for short).  I love how a Sunday School lesson can make me think of so many interesting things and give me special insight for my own life.

What I thought was so interesting about the story was its parallel to that of Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream.  In both cases we have:
1) A dream given to the most powerful person in the prophet's realm
2) The receiver desires an interpretation and goes to his trusted wise men of the world: magicians, astrologers etc
3) His wise men do him no good, and he is introduced to a prophet of the Lord
4) The prophet tells him that interpretations don't come from him, they come from the Lord
5) The interpretation is given
6) Each listened, humbled themselves and gave respect to God.

I love how this story applies to us in this day. Not so much that I have dreams or that those dreams of Pharaoh and Neb. are important to me, but more about how our prophets today help us navigate the misinterpretations of the world. We live in an age of instant communication.  This is great but it can sometimes cause great reactions warranted or not,  We live in a time where many things are being revealed, some easy to understand and others not.  We have been blessed in our lives as members of this "instant message" generation to have prophets of God and the gift of the Holy Ghost to help us navigate it. One day all will be revealed and I guess I will likely struggle with some of that too.  Until then, I am doing my best to be as Pharaoh and Neb. and listen to my prophet; to be humble and receive what they say as God's interpretation.

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ as I understand it and I am happy to continue to apply it in my life. There is so much more to be revealed and I look forward to humbly discovering what the Lord has in store for me even if it is quite different from what I currently imagine it to be.

Ever grateful for a living prophet,

Let him enter. He's with me

Some years ago I stumbled onto a Choir concert in the city of Chichester, England.  I had decided to drive to this city because I had seen the cathedral there in the evening and I thought it might be interesting to see it during the day.  It is very large and beautiful.  To my surprise, I found a large festival happening.  It was a festival of choirs, and on this day was the final performance in the cathedral itself.

I parked the car and walked to the cathedral.  I stood outside the entrance and listened to the choir.  It was beautiful but I could only really hear when the door opened to let people in and out.  The concert was sold out and I didn't have a ticket so I just stood there in the long portico and enjoyed the feeling.

As I was standing there, an older woman came out for a smoke.  She stood there smoking and so I struck up a conversation with her.  First, I told her how much I loved the music.  Then, I told her where I was from and how long I would be in England.  I told her that I loved this festival.  I must have said all of the right things because she was so pleased.  It turned out that her husband was the choir director and this was his big performance.  I was excited for her and complimented her and her husband on the sound.

She asked me if I wanted to come inside and really experience the choir instead of just hearing it muffled.  I said "Of course! But I don't have a ticket and I am too late because it is sold out"  She said that would not be a problem.  "Oh?" I said, "How is that?"  She said "Well, you will be my guest."  "But I still don't have a ticket and I need a ticket to get it", I said.  She said, "Now you just follow me and don't say a word to anyone as we go in.  You just let me handle it".  As we went in. I was stopped at the door with her and she said: "He's with me! Let him enter".  That was all it took.  She had the clout I needed to get in.  Now I could really experience the sound, the ambiance and spirit that came from the choir. After the concert, I met her husband and thanked them both for the performance.  I was so pleased that I could come in.

Fast forward 15 years and I find myself on this day contemplating the scene again.  All it took was the right person to say: "Let him in, he is with me" and no special preparation was required to enter.  I was able to enter because of her.  This is very similar to what it will be like for us after this life when we desire to the enter Heavenly Father's kingdom.  None of us has a ticket to enter on our own.  We are and will be worthy to enter because Christ will be there vouching for us.  He will be there saying: "Let him enter, he is with me".  He earned the right to say those words by his great sacrifice for us and we are forever blessed by it.

I bear testimony that this is true.

Heart, Might, Mind and Strength?

Heart, Might, Mind and Strength?

Recently, I have been pondering the words "heart, might, mind and strength" as related to D&C chapter 4.  In verse 4:2 we read:

"2 Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day."

For the most part, serving with all your "heart, might, mind and strength" means simply to give all you have in your service to God. If this is done we are given the promise that we will stand blameless before God.

The question I am pondering is: "Is there is there a difference between might and strength that could help me better understand myself and what I need to do to align my will to God's?

It might also be interesting to show the process I went through to come to my conclusion.  So here goes.  I investigated the following:

1. What are the dictionary meanings if these words?
2. What is the origin of this phrase in other scripture or contemporary writings?
3. What is the context it is used in?
4. Is there any other special meaning I can interpret from it?

Dictionary meanuings
It seems that in the way these words are used that they are nouns.  That being said, I know from doing a lot of crossword puzzels that you have to consider the verb and other forms also. Depending on the dictionary, the nouns might and strength mean the same thing.  In other dictionaries, the word "might" implies power or capacity to wield power, whereas "strength" is a state of being strong or being able to resist being broken. Considering other forms of the word "might" we get: "may, to be able to, can, will".

Origin of the this phrase in scripture
There are several similar passages in the Bible of this idea.  These are:
1) Deuterononmy 6:5 uses: heart, soul and might
2) Christ recites part of the Shema in Mark 12:29-30 and uses: heart, soul, mind, strength
3) Lawyer speaks to Christ in Luke 10:27 and uses: heart, soul, strength and mind
4) Scribe speaks to Christ in Mark 12:33 and uses: heart, understanding, soul and strength

I found some research about the Greek words used in the New Testament.  This table is interesting to see the comparison of the Greek words in the New Testament and the Greek word translated from the Old Testament.  In addition, there are many translations of Deut6:5.

	Kardia (heart)	Psyche (soul)	Dunamis (power)	Dianoia (mind)	Ischus (strength)
Deut 6.5 (LXX)	X (some vss)	X	X	X (some vss)
Matthew 22.37	X	X		X
Mark 12.30 (Jesus)	X	X		X	X
Mark 12.32 (scribe)	X			X	X
Luke 10.27 (lawyer)	X	X		X	X

I'm not too worried about the exact translation but I am interested in it if it leads me to some additional insights.  If I choose Mark's version of the Savior's words as the best to consider then in Mark 12:29-30 I see that He uses: heart, soul, mind and strength.

What is the context it is used in?
The context is the Shema Yisael a prayer said night and day by the Jews to show their conviction to God.  This is the context that Christ recited it also in Mark and is consistent with His words in the Doctrine and Covenants sections 4, 59 and 98.  The conviction is basically simple: give all you have in your service to God for He is the one true God.

Is there any other special meaning I can interpret from it?
Ok,  So I know that the verse (D$C 4:2) means that if I want to embark in the service of the Lord, I need to give "my all" to the work, so that I can be found blameless in His eyes.  How about other insights?

I am particulary interest in the difference between might and strength.  Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Might as a subjuctive form of the verb "to be able to" extends its form to include one's state of mind, such as opinion, belief, purpose, intention, or desire.  Eventhough the subjunctive is not used in English much, other languages like French use it often.  So if I consider "might" to be intention or desire I can also consider it to be like the noun"Will".  "all my might to God" could mean "all my will to God".  Now I have something more insightful: Heart, Will, Mind and Strength
2. Might as "what we might do"; our possibilities
3. Strength is power unfocused. Might is the application or focus of that power.  Each of us has been given strengths and weaknesses from the Lord,  Applying them for good purposes is surely what He would have us do.
4. Strength is like faith and Might like action.  We can't effectively act without faith, and faith is dead without action.  In the same way, might is inneffective without strength and strength without focus is powerless.
5. In an 1991 Education week talk on the subject Chanucy Riddle says the following about might. "Might is trail we leave in our path, the wake of our boat."  Might is thus the result of the strength we use.

Summary

I like the idea of thinking about "might" as being the application, focus or result of the strengths and talents He has given us.  If we serve Him with all of our might and strength, we are promising that through our "will", the strengths and talents He has given us will be turned to His purposes.

#ShareGoodness #Seminary

Enjoying General Conference

General Conference will be here in another week.  I love conference.  One of the things that I like to do is take notes on what inspires me (what I need to work on).  I often do this through twitter. It gives me a chance to tweet what I care about, and promote conference at the same time.

My tweets consist of three kinds: Direct quotes, Inspired thoughts and Funny comments or retweets. I either quote the speaker directly, by putting his/her name at the beginning and then use quotes (e.g. #Ldsconf ElderOaks "Whoever ...), or more often I put their name and the word inspired after it and then write what I am feeling (e.g. #Ldsconf Elder Hallstrom inspired: Like the scriptures...).  Often these inspired ideas provide important things for me to concentrate on until next conference. I think having to whittle an idea down to 140 characters (twitter's max) helps me discover the real grain of truth Heavenly Father is trying to teach me.  I always use the hash tag #Ldsconf so that others can see my tweets also.  My twitter client is busy searching for that hash tag and from time to time I use the search results to remind me of the exact quote instead of rewinding the DVR.

In addition, I sometimes just write funny things or retweet them. I love punny hashtags. These hash tags don't really promote anything but they add a little fun to the tweet and hopefully get them viewed a little more. Here are some of my tweets from last conference. I look forward to learning what I need to work on this time also. Hope I also see you on twitter. #TilWeTweetAgain @gmasters

Some of my tweets from April 2014 Conference

#Ldsconf ElderScott "Mature obedience is the Savior's obedience.

#Ldsconf ElderZwick inspired: Jumping off life's ride due to limited vision is a greater risk than riding it out w/faith. #LordsAtTheWheel

#Ldsconf - #MyConferenceTools
Chrome browser, Tweetdeck extension and Snacks

#Ldsconf ElderOaks "Whoever excercizes priesthood authority should forget about their rights and concentrate on their responsibilities"

#Ldsconf Elder Hallstrom inspired: Like the scriptures, listening to conference does nothing for me unless I act on the message.

#Ldsconf ElderHallstrom; We need to be priesthood men..humble, teachable and meek

#Ldsconf ElderRidd inspired:Educating my desires will make them my allies - I need to train them where they should lead me. #SoulTrain

Retweet: @bmast39 Each click has meaning...unless it's Buzzfeed #ldsconf

#Ldsconf ElderRidd On the internet "...endless loops of triviality" - Is he talking about twitter?

#Ldsconf ElderUchtdorf - “Those who serve others will not sleep through the Restoration.”

#Ldsconf ElderUchtdorf inspired: Am I a Rip Van Winkle, sleeping through the restoration? Will I be able to say that I labored for it?

#Ldsconf ElderUchtdorf: "Addictions are so much easier to prevent than to cure"

#Ldsconf ElderUchtdorf inspired: I guess I need to give up the Netflix server to be someone else's server. #PriesthoodServers

Retweet @dannyras Hey European Mormons. Baseball is like cricket but fun. #ldsconf

#Ldsconf ElderEyring inspired: Personal training by worthy PH holders prepares us to be like Christ. Is my example worthy to train others?

#Ldsconf ElderEyring inspired: Here is a talk I need to watch again and again. #PrivatePractice

#Ldsconf PresMonson inspired: "Sin is flagrantly on display" - Am I window shopping?

#Ldsconf PrsMonson inspired: "The call to courage...is not limited to the battlefield" - #SpiritualMarines #Oorah

#Ldsconf PresMonson: "Be the same person you are in the dark as you are in the light"

#Ldsconf PresUchtdorf inspired:
Its hard to count your blessings when you can't perceive them.

#Ldsconf PresUchtdorf inspired:
How much complaining would I do as a pioneer? Guess this is why we can't see into the future. #PioneerSUVs

#Ldsconf PresUchtdorf inspired:
Waiting on rainbows of joy and ignoring the rain of trials keeps us from noticing the growth we are making.

#Ldsconf PresUchtdorf:
"Endings are not our destiny... they are interuptions"

#Ldsconf SisStevens inspired:
What are my life's Goliaths keeping me down? Am I a common Israelite being crushed or a David overcoming all

#Ldsconf Every time Elder Bednar speaks, someone in my household brings up Lego man.

#Ldsconf ElderStevensen inspired: 83 years in this life is 2 Hrs in Gods time.
#TwoHoursToBeAKing

#Ldsconf ElderBednar inspired:
The Lord spoke in parables, our apostles speak in parables. I should to learn to communicate in parables.

#Ldsconf ElderBednar inspired:
Spiritual traction is a function of my load of worthiness. Am I loading life w/opportunites to prove myself?

#Ldsconf ElderBednar inspired:
Until I am worthy to do it on my own, I can borrow Christ's worthiness. #ForeverInDebt

#Ldsconf PresMonson inspired:
Am I focusing so much on what I need that I miss helping another and missing what will bless me. #NearSighted

#Ldsconf ElderPacker inspired:
What would the Savior tweet?  Would I follow Him? Do I follow Him? #WhisperedTweets

#Ldsconf ElderWalker inspired:
If your steering runs true, it takes a lot less effort to stay on course. #StayTrue

#ldsconf ElderPerry inspired
Teamsters use a horse's bit & blinders to control it. Am I using simple things to focus my mind on the path?

#ldsconf I wonder how long it took Elder Teh's copy of Word to learn to not correct the spelling of his name. Teh Teh Teh

#ldsconf ElderAidukaitis "One should not roam through garbage" - no matter how good it may smell.

#ldsconf ElderAidukaitis inspired: The fruit of garbage is a rotten smell.  The fruit of sin is a rotten soul.

#ldsconf ElderAidukaitis inspired: Searching God's truth takes more effort than searching the internet. Prayer is God's version of Google.

#ldsconf ElderChristofferson inspired: The resurrection proves the existence of Christ as a god - and that means everything #OneWay

#ldsconf Only 181 days until the next General Conference

#ldsconf PresMonson: “As we ponder the messages we have heard, may we resolve to do a little better than we have done in the past.” - I Will

#ldsconf God be with you 'tll we tweet again

#ldsconf Loved conference!

#ldsconf ElderTeh “There is no end to what the world has to offer, so it is critical that we learn to recognize when we have enough."

#ldsconf ElderPerry “Today’s complexity demands greater simplicity.” - Twitter over blogs!

#ldsconf Corbridge “Opposition, criticism & antagonism are companions to the truth.” - As resistance is to the workout #NecessaryRoughness

Starting Out - Navigating in a low signal environment

Starting Out

Starting a blog seems to me like a daunting task.  Not because creating the blog is difficult; the steps being:
1) Log in to gmail
2) Go to www.blogspot.com
3) Click the "New Blog" button

No.  The daunting part is wondering if I actually have enough to say that anyone but me would really care about.  So I am just going to plod along and pretend I am doing a blogging version of a #Selfie.  If someone likes it they will return.  If they don't, they won't.  Seems pretty simple.  So what am I worried about.  Here goes:

Let me start out by saying that I am Mormon (a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint - LDS) and that this blog will be mostly about thoughts and actions that I have in my life.  The fact that I am Mormon will probably influence what I write, but if you are not Mormon please realize that you will probably agree with a lot of what I am saying.  I am NOT a spokesman for the Mormon church but I am a spokesman for myself.  I like analogies and so you may find some of what I post thought provoking and interesting to you.

Navigating in a low signal environment
Like most of us, I am trying to navigate my way through life with a limited battery, too few bars and a GPS that seems blocked from time to time.  Unfortunately, it is my limited personal worthiness that keeps my battery low and pushes me off course when trying to receive heavenly inspiration, I am grateful for the times He boosts the signal and other times when friends and #HomeTeachers loan me their batteries to help get me back on course. I hope I can do the same for others.  I love the Savior and I try to do what I think He asks of me.  #ImAMormon