Marie, the baguettes, hurry up!

Sam and I machining the mold for
the carbon fiber fuselage lay up.

During a stake conference in Livermore a few years ago, a recently converted member of the Spanish branch bore her testimony in her native language. Fortunately, for most of the congregation who didn't understand Spanish, a young woman was translating. She was probably in her mid-teens, and I imagined that she had grown up in the US but with Spanish speaking parents. I think I was unkind later as I expressed dissatisfaction at her translation.

Tiny lizard sun bathing on the back
porch.

The woman who bore her testimony talked about the bitterness and the darkness that filled her soul before she found the gospel. The young woman's translation: "I felt really bad before I found the gospel." The testimony went on, explaining the emptiness, despair, and hopelessness she felt going through life. Translation: "She felt really bad."

I think I didn't feel mean chuckling about the poor translation with others afterwards because it was truly a bad translation. Those who didn't know the true meaning behind the convert's words were given a fuzzy image of what that woman had been going through.

Recently, the bishop in our ward issued a challenge to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. Going through it a little faster than usual, something stuck out to me while reading 1 Nephi 17. In the past, I would share select verses of this chapter with people to compare Nephi's perspective of his blessings in the wilderness to that of his brothers who only saw trials.

Observe Nephi's pairing of blessings with trials:

1 And it came to pass that we did again take our journey in the wilderness; and we did travel nearly eastward from that time forth. And we did travel and wade through much affliction in the wilderness; and our women did bear children in the wilderness.
2 And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men; and they began to bear their journeyings without murmurings.

6 And it came to pass that we did pitch our tents by the seashore; and notwithstanding we had suffered many afflictions and much difficulty, yea, even so much that we cannot write them all, we were exceedingly rejoiced when we came to the seashore; and we called the place Bountiful, because of its much fruit.

A few minutes before egg harvest.

I've heard it said that the reason behind the frequent repetition in scripture is because that was the way to emphasize ideas. Given that this chapter is full of verses outlining trials and blessings, and that Nephi mentions a quantity of trials incapable of being written, I'm wondering what exactly he went through, and if I could even understand it if I knew.

In the last year or so I've been frustrated a few times when trying to express myself to people. Sometimes I just keep things more or less to myself. When I don't, I often hear myself and I sound like that young woman trying to translate depth of emotion that I understand natively into the English language.

Then here's Nephi trying his best to tell me how hard things were for him and I just turn the page and hope there's not an Isaiah chapter coming.

It's like there's some sort of communication barrier that sets the cap at 98%. The last 2% is always the hardest. That's why they leave it in the milk.

Squash and quesadillas because
I love you.

So I'm trying to be more compassionate. Maybe people are doomed to never fully understand each other, but they can get a lot closer if they try harder. I'm also recognizing that coupled with my trials are immense blessings. Even so many that I could not list them here. I have a wife who loves me truly and fully, and I feel a happiness in that which alone makes up for everything else.

$3 Boo-ritos at Chipotle. No we didn't get sick

Those of us who have testimonies of Jesus Christ have hope in the atonement, something that is free and which encompasses and surpasses all our needs. I could go on and mention all the tender mercies Mer and I have received as we confront our challenges, but in the end my truest feelings of gratitude would just end up lost in translation, leaving here a fuzzy image in their place.

Trying to get the right lighting for our fundraiser picture.

Still not right