Windows to the soul

     Body language is one of the subtle ways a human being broadcasts sincere feelings. But it's not the only nor the most accurate means to "read" a person. Years ago, we were introduced to a man who was paralyzed the neck down after a simple but tragic fall. He could not utilize body language because his face was the only part of him he could voluntarily change. He could speak just fine and we spent many hours visiting with him wanting to give him positive things to focus on and loving attention.
     Every day when I work in the temple, I am in close contact with lots of people, many of whom I don't know and most of whom will smile in a friendly manner. There is a connection which occurs with many of them, especially when I am administering sacred ordinances, that touches me deeply and I can see it touches them as well. I often feel a great deal of love from and toward someone else even a stranger, simply by looking into their eyes. It has been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. You can tell quite a bit about a person by looking them directly in the eye. You can see if they are angry or preoccupied or sad or excited or really happy. They don't have to cry or yell or grit their teeth or use any part of their body. On the other hand, if you are feeling a distracting emotion, it's more difficult to discern someone else's feelings. If I want to try to "hide" my feelings, I will very purposefully look down so as not to allow someone else to look into my eyes.
     It is no secret that I have been fascinated by what mankind has been learning about the functioning of the brain. It is so true that the brain contains who you are. Your body language may reveal your reactions but it is the thought in your brain that causes your body to display anything. We may refer to what's in our "hearts" but it's actually your brain that processes and chooses feelings- anything from love to hate and everything in between. Each human being has a "tabernacle of clay" which is a carbon based container generally with two arms, two legs, a head, and all sorts of things going on inside. But the brain is where everything is generated and processed. But what instigates your brain process? If you have ever been near a "brain-dead" person, you can sense they "aren't there". The Lord says, "For man is spirit." (D&C 93:33) Also, a favorite scripture of mine (D&C 131:7-8), "There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes; We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter." Our eyes are connected to our brain directly through the optic nerve. Most of the time we consider only what data is entering into our brains through our eyes but perhaps there is a means of communication we have not yet completely understood that allows our brain (which is where who we are resides) to send out information. The Lord has also said, "The spirit and the body are the soul of man." (D&C 88:15) We are spiritual infants for the most part. We are in the process of figuring out exactly who we are and far from comprehending our potential. The most important thing we need to do during our mortal life is CHOOSE who we want to be when we "grow up". As a prophet once said (Alma 34:32-34), "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors. And now.... I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed. Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world."
     Now this doesn't mean you are eternally doomed if you have not yet overcome some weaknesses or faults. It just means that you need to choose during mortal life whether you want to work at being like our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, ............. or not. If you do, then you simply acknowledge your imperfection and gratefully accept the sacrifice on your behalf offered by our Savior. Then we show our love and gratitude by no longer justifying our faults and sincerely trying to be like Him and following His commandments which means we have to sincerely make an effort to know just what those commandments are. The choice is simple, yes or no, but then the hard part is continuing on the chosen path or otherwise known as "enduring to the end."