The desire of your heart

Consistent with the thoughts in my last post, I have not fully fleshed out my thoughts for this post. I have a rough sketch and will likely ramble a bit as I am typing. Hopefully, this unpolished feel will make for a more inviting environment to start a discussion in the comments section.
The background for this post is the reading of the Gospels in the New Testament. I noticed, since I was able to read large chunks at a time, that there are many people who flock to the Savior to be healed of their several ailments. So far as I could recall, those who then chose to remain with or follow after Christ were the exception, not the rule. That is, most people came, were healed, and left. Certainly, many of them "noised abroad" what they had seen/heard/experienced, but I would think that the greater opportunity would have been to remain with the Savior and learn of Him.
So, prompted by that, here are some thoughts.
A quick scan (certainly not exhaustive) of the scriptures shows that "desire" is rarely pluralized, especially in phrases such as "the desire of your heart(s)". One possible exception is Alma 41:3, but that might be pluralized because it is talking about many people who are not united in their desire, so they each have their own desire, hence desires.
One instance, which has become prominent in my mind, is DC 137:9 (there is a mirror verse in the BoM that I cannot find at the moment) where the Lord says he will judge all men according to the desire (singular) of their heart.
So, if you only get one desire, what is yours? What is your single greatest desire? This is kind of like the game we all played as children where we would ask each other what we would wish for if we found a genie. Except, now you only get one wish, and it has eternal ramifications.
Solomon, when asked this question of the Lord, answered that he desired an understanding heart so that he could righteously judge Israel (1 Kings 3:5-14). John and 3/12 Nephites asked to continue to move forward the Lord's work on the earth until He should declare it complete (3 Ne 28). 9/12 and 11/12 asked that, when their time and labors were done, if they could speedily join Christ in His kingdom (presumably, they still have labors to perform).
Christ asked Bartimaeus (Mark 10:50ish) "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?" Bartimaeus indicated he wished to be healed. He was on of those who then followed the Savior.
Are there times where we become so focused on the trial at hand (something great like a palsy, blindness, etc, or something more subtle - envy, jealousy, pride, greed, smallness of spirit) that our greatest desire becomes, like so many who were healed of the Savior, not realizing the enormity of the potential blessings He offered, to simply have this burden removed. Just as those who are healed and depart miss out on the greatest of possible blessings, I think that when we seek only to have our burdens removed, we are missing out on the growth, learning, refinement, and blessing attendant with trials and afflictions. This seems to be consistent with President Eyring's address "Mountains to Climb". I think sometimes, our personal, "mists of darkness" are generated by myopic, egocentric thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, those thoughts and feelings are born of the natural man; eventually we will have to overcome them, difficult as it may be.
What are some better questions we can ask, while in trials? Certainly, each of these questions would be more difficult to ask sincerely, but I think that means that greater "work" is done, greater faith exhibited, greater meekness/submissiveness demonstrated, and consequently, greater blessings bestowed. Some possible questions include "What wouldst Thou have me learn/become through this trial?" "How may I use this experience to bless and lift others?" "What aspect of myself art Thou seeking to refine through this trial?" And, as the people of Alma in Helam, "Would thou please strengthen me that I may bear this burden?"
Sometimes, it is hard indeed to ask these questions in faith. In my experience, Heavenly Father is ever willing to answer the question "What aspect of my life wouldst Thou have me improve next," or variations thereof. There are always innumerable areas for improvement, but I have found that He is quite willing to help in prioritizing them. Sometimes the order is quite obvious! :)
Thankfully, most of us are not perpetually ground and worn down without relent. I have found, also, that there is a ready answer for the question, "Whose burden may I lighten, whose life might I bless?"
I am not sure I have made my point, but I think it clicked for me. What is the greatest (or only!) desire of your heart? Do your thoughts, words, and deeds reflect that desire, or are you trying to serve two masters? ;)
Feel free to open up discussion in the comments.

resumption, hopefully

I really liked the idea of this blog when I first thought of it. I still really like the idea. However, it doesn't seem to have gotten off the ground.
At first, I blamed the scope of what I wanted to post. I have a 1/2-written post about something in Genesis (where did the time go?!), which I abandoned because it was taking too long to write.
Later, I just blamed not having enough time.
I have a little more time now, and I am going to write some modestly-scoped posts about thoughts I have as I go through the New Testament in preparation for next year. I'll tell you what, it sure reads a lot faster than the Old Testament. I started on Monday (the day after seminary graduation, the first day the students can start working on the goals for the next curriculum year), and I have completed Matthew and am almost done with Mark.
I have a thought that I would like to flesh out in a post. Hopefully it will happen, but I don't think it will be tonight.

Passover, one year later

Numbers 9 marks 1 year from the time Israel left Egypt. As such, it is again time for the Passover.
It is interesting to me that there were some people who were unclean, but wanted to participate. The Lord made provision for them and for people who were travelling during Passover - a "make-up" day, as it were, was to be held one month after the main Passover. This was for those who were unable to participate in the main Passover. In contrast to those who keenly felt their inability to participate is the warning the Lord gives to those who are otherwise able, but yet abstain from the Passover. The declaration "that man shall bear his sin" seem especially poignant in this instance. The Passover was the feast which was most obviously and clearly tied to the atonement. Refusing to participate in the Passover would logically be refusing to participate in the atonement and so "that man shall bear his sin."
For us, we commemorate the Passover weekly in the sacrament. Do we exhibit the same yearning to be able to participate in the sacrament, lamenting our situation if there is some uncleanness that prevents us, rejoicing in the cleansing power of the ordinance and attendant covenant, and shunning the damnation attendant to willful, unnecessary abstention?
During the Passover, a lamb was slain to cover (the Hebrew word most often translated as "atone" in the O.T. can literally be translated as cover) the sins of Israel. Modern Israel has been commanded to offer up a broken heart and a contrite spirit (3 Nephi 19:20 among others). Is this the manner in which we approach the covenant designed to remind us of the salvation the Lord has wrought for our souls? Do we enter each Sabbath day with eagerness, thankfulness, meekness, and humility?

Abomination of Desolation

The topic of the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel came up in class. It seemed to be unfamiliar to most of the students. I was going to pull together a number of scriptures on the topic, but I found that the Bible Dictionary had already done a characteristically fantastic job. (Bible Dictionary entry)
I figure that about covers it for now.

Broken Covenants

In class, there was a question and brief discussion on what was meant when the Lord indicated that even after all the punishments prophesied in Leviticus 26 that the Lord woudl remember His covenant to fulfill it.
Why would He keep a covenant with unrepentant Israel?
Frankly, He wouldn't. There are promised that He made to Abraham regarding his posterity, which the Lord will keep because Abraham continued faithful, but the covenants made with the children of Israel would be in effect only in the case of faithfulness and obendience.
However, the children of Israel would not always rebel against their Lord (see 2 Ne 30:2-8). And when they return, He will be there, waiting, right where He has always been (consider the story of the pickup truck driver and his wife).
Contrast this with any contract you may enter into with man. Can you think of anyone these days who would be willing to honor a contract in full, without significant fines/fees/repurcussions? Can you think of a contract, which can revert to its original condition after having been violated? To me, it is further evidence of the love and mercy of a loving Heavenly Father.

Inaugural Post

The purpose of this blog to to provide a place where I can share some items that didn't make it into class. I hope something may be of use to someone. Perhaps we will be able to start a few conversations. Perhaps it will fail before it starts. I guess we will have to wait and find out.