Zeniff is described a few times in Mosiah as overzealous–eager to excess. His objective was to regain the Land of Lehi-Nephi. Probably not a bad pursuit. But he wanted it so much that it seems to have clouded his judgement; he covenants with King Laman that he would be allowed to possess the land. But, in retrospect, Zeniff realizes that it was the “cunning” of King Laman that yielded this agreement.

Maybe Zeniff should have thought it through a little more. Had he done so, he may have realized, “Hey, this is way too easy.” “Hey, this guy’s name is Laman; should I trust him?” But, he wanted it so bad that he let his emotions displace his logic.

When we are making decisions, we have to be careful that overzealousness, or any emotion for that matter, does not cloud our judgement.  Complete personal revelation comes to us in a package deal: to our heart and our mind. 

When Joseph Smith was translating the Book of Mormon, his scribe, Oliver Cowdery, desired to take a crack at it. The Lord gave Oliver instructions on how to translate in Section 8 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Verse 2 is instructive on how the Lord speaks to us:

“Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.”

It can be hard to make a decision that is life-changing. Should I take this new job? Should I move here or there? Should I marry this person? Should I go back to school right now? 

It can be hard to know how to proceed in certain situations. How can I find forgiveness from someone I have wronged? How should I discipline this rebellious child? How can I improve this relationship? What can I do for this person who does not want my help?

This has always helped me when seeking direction: it should make sense and it should feel right. If the two aren’t present, then I seek a different direction. Now there is a caveat I should point out: making sense/being logical does not necessarily mean I understand it.

Moving to Pittsburgh was such an experience for me.

When I was deciding where to take a post-graduate fellowship opportunity, most of my options were out West by our families. However, a series of events led me to seriously consider Pittsburgh. It made sense on paper and was a logical career move. On the other hand, our families were in the West. Family is important and we wanted to be close to them–that was a righteous desire. There were options in the West that also made sense and were logical. The key was that Pittsburgh also felt right. None of the others did. I didn’t understand at he time why Pittsburgh was where we would most benefit. But, after eight years and looking back, I can see it now.

Had I let the emotions of wanting to be close to family cloud my logic, I am sure things would have worked out for us, just as they eventually did for Zeniff’s people. But, I would have missed out on so many positive experiences and growth opportunities. 

I am grateful for the twin revelatory receptacles of heart and mind. They have me on the correct course.