The smallest part which I feel

Early in the Book of Mormon, Nephi expressed frustration with the challenge of putting his thoughts into writing. He was more comfortable with speaking, noting that "when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men" (2 Ne 33:1). I've never quite understood why Nephi seemed to believe that the power of the Holy Ghost couldn't perform the same service for written words; I have very many times felt that it has for me.

Communication is a fascinating concept. We start with a thought or a feeling or a belief. In order to convey one of those abstract items to another person, we usually formulate it into words, either written or spoken. Then we hope the recipient can "decode" those words into a thought or belief similar to ours.

Some thoughts are relatively easy to translate into words: my name is David, this is a car, today is cloudy. We're pretty sure the meaning of those statements is being received by a listener. But other things, perhaps the more abstract and complicated ones, are not so easy to communicate.

There are at least two challenges in the process of communication: the originator's ability to put his thoughts into words, and the recipient's ability to receive and translate the words into the proper mental images or understanding. We often assume as the originator that the message "gets through," when that's often not the case — as someone once quipped, “I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant” (attributed to Robert McCloskey).

Hence Nephi's hesitance about putting thoughts into writing. He apparently felt that the immediate feedback of a direct spoken conversation instead of a written record helped give the assurance of proper communication. And perhaps more importantly, the presence of the Holy Ghost as a communication aid gave a better chance of success in the process.

A similar frustration was expressed by Ammon later in the record, which is the title theme of this blog: "Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel" (Alma 26:16). Ammon knew that his heart contained things he would have difficulty expressing in words; but he was willing to try, and we are blessed by what he did share.

One more recent example of the principle, from Brigham Young:

"I long for the time that a point of the finger, or motion of the hand, will express every idea without utterance. When a man is full of the light of eternity, then the eye is not the only medium through which he sees, . . . nor the brain the only means by which he understands. When the whole body is full of the Holy Ghost, he can see behind him with as much ease, without turning his head, as he can see before him. If you have not that experience, you ought to have. It is not the optic nerve alone that gives the knowledge of surrounding objects to the mind. . . . I shall yet see the time that I can converse with this people, and not speak to them. . . . "
(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 1:70–71)

And so, this blog will be my attempt to convey some of the thoughts of my heart. I don't expect to be able to do that very well, but I believe I will benefit from the attempt. And with the Spirit's blessing to assist, I hope it might do some good for some reader somewhere down the line.