Satan's Viruses, Introduction

I really enjoy computers, and I have definitely found the Internet to be a way to enhance my computer experience. The only problem with using the Internet is that there are frequently malicious pieces of software, or malware, designed to lower the quality of a computer or even to put them in some kind of harm's way. I was thinking the other day about Satan and the way he tries to get at us with temptations and then trap us with the effects of sin, and I suddenly realized that there are many similarities between computer viruses and the temptation to commit sin, and bam! Instant blog idea.

However, I started writing this "instant blog idea" and found that there were just too many similarities and that I could never include everything I wanted to and still write a post that was short enough to hold your attention. So I now am trying to split this idea into a series of posts, similar to what I did with thermite. Stay tuned for information on malware, why it gets written, what kinds there are, and what we can do about it. With every post there will be a piece of the analogy between malware and sin, and hopefully you'll leave this series more protected, mentally and spiritually, from the wiles of hackers as well as Satan.

Time Flies on Wings of Lightning

I like music. Not nearly as much as some of the people I've met (including my awesome brother), but I like the interesting methods that artists use to fascinate the mind and tickle the ears. Some especially important songs are hymns, or sacred songs, and I've decided to repeat what I did in a previous post and start with one of them.

Boom! Lightning, there for a brief moment.

Improve the Shining Moments is a hymn encouraging us to, simply put, improve our use of time. The second verse begins with the words found in the title to this post, and contains great wisdom in poetic form. Looking back on my life, I can say that time really has felt like it has flown by incredibly fast. Like the message of the hymn, we should not sit idly by while we could be improving our futures, others' days, or the world's destiny. While there is always a chance that things could get better on their own, the only way to affect that change is by being involved and changing what you can.

It is easy to look back with regret and say "I wish I had [done something different]..." but this reminds me of a saying, which I can't find the original due to its popularity; "the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today." Yes, it would have been better to have done a few things differently in the past. I wish I had applied myself more in school, to have tried more activities and to do my best more often. I can't change that, but I can change what I'll do next time such as striving for excellence in college, being active in class and outside of class, and not letting my past worry me more than pushing me to do better today.

Fortunately our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do not judge the way man does (1 Samuel 16:7). They will judge us with perfect justice and mercy, considering the difficulties we've suffered through as well as our actions, our desires, and our faithfulness. One parable that explains this is the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). I like to notice that despite some laborers only working for one hour, they still received the same pay at the end of the day. I then compare this to our individual lives, that if at the end of the day we are laboring we will receive the same reward as those that have been laboring from the beginning of their lives. It is not too late, for you, your neighbor, me, anybody! My testimony is that you can change your life with the Book of Mormon. Try it out!

Pride's Many Faces

Pride is a tricky thing, something that most of us have in some form or another and gets in the way of so many important parts of the gospel. A prideful person will resist correction, be offended easily, and lack the guidance of the Holy Ghost, among many more consequences. What makes pride worse is that it can sneak up on us, seeming to be something harmless or even good. I know that I've had problems with pride more than any other thing, and that as I look closer at the things I'm doing wrong I recognize an element of pride in every single one.

A pride of lions. Clever, eh?

So, what is pride, and how is it so invasive? Pride is the placing of your will above that of another, or it is the thinking that you are more something than somebody else, or it is the thought that you can do something and get away with it. Pride is potentially many more things, but because I'm an imperfect philosopher I'm limiting myself to something I can handle. If we were perfectly humble, we'd obey God perfectly because we would realize that we are next to nothing without help. If we weren't prideful, we'd not be depressed at our shortcomings because we'd know ours are not the worst and we can all receive help as we need it. If we humbled ourselves, we would not be trapped by sins because we would realize that we are not entitled to stray from the righteous path.

I'm the sort of person that likes to categorize things and say more with less (not that I'm all that great at it). I've thought about pride a little bit recently, and I've recognized pride in my foibles that I need to overcome. It is because of pride that we are asked to "become as a little child" (3 Nephi 11:37), who is humble enough to obey the Father's corrections. As we correct our prideful tendencies, seek ways to humbly follow Christ, and seek His help through prayer we will become better people, of this I am confident.

One thing to be cautious with this topic is being too submissive to too many things. A certain amount of "pride" in righteous things, or happiness to do something in front of others, can help us make good choices, and resist the influence of people we do not want to follow. I've known people that through righteous pride have struggled through difficult times in order to accomplish important goals, and having pride in family members can brighten their day. Humble yourself to the Lord, and be stubborn to those that oppose him.

One request that I have for you is to humbly consider several things: the Book of Mormon, our message about the Restoration, and then meeting with missionaries. I cannot say this enough, because even sharing it constantly isn't enough, but I know that this is the truth and that you can know too.

Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven

Have you ever seen or heard of somebody doing something ridiculously difficult, weird, or otherwise some kind of sacrifice? For instance, as a missionary I am basically sacrificing two years of my life, and two years that are normally highly productive for today's youth. However, there is also a saying that serving a mission is not a sacrifice because of the bountiful blessings received because of my service. Today I want to share my opinion on sacrifice and what it really means.

Painting of Joseph Smith Jr.

First, I'd like to talk about Joseph Smith the prophet. He went through many trials, and he undoubtedly sacrificed many things, from comfort to safety. The church he helped found, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, now honors him for the work he did and his worthiness to be the first prophet of this dispensation. One of the ways we do this is through the hymn Praise to the Man, from which this post gets its title. I feel that what Joseph Smith did was a great sacrifice, and because of his courage and call as a prophet we are all able to partake of the "blessings of heaven." I also feel that the idea of sacrifice can extend into our lives so much farther.

We gain nothing on this earth without some element of sacrifice. When we earn something, we sacrifice time, money, and sometimes more to receive that something. I know that many people that view things differently, preferring to view earning something as just that. In this regard, I disagree with them without wanting to change their point of view. Instead, I think that realizing everything we do is a sacrifice of some sort, either through lost time if we choose to relax or lost energy if we choose to work or some similar sacrifice, will help us make better decisions as we look forward at the consequences. We need to choose consequences, not actions, and we have been given advice on what actions have the best consequences through the prophets and the scriptures. I encourage you to seriously consider learning what they have to say and applying their teachings to your life. Ask me a question, or ask missionaries to visit you.

Geeks and Games

So I've been writing a blog as a missionary for about two months, with a blog title including three G words. I've talked about the Gospel and the restored Church several times, but I have yet to cover Geeks and Games as the title warrants. Today, I hope to fix that partially by talking about myself and my thoughts.

The reason I chose the name for my blog that I did was because I thought it described me rather well. When asked what I did for fun before my mission, I often say that I was a computer geek. I like computers, working with them, and playing games on them. I know how to take a computer apart and I can fix several problems that come up under regular use. I've used a computer enough to be frustrated at slow methods other people use and I try to use every shortcut I can find. I consider myself a geek, and I do not take offense at the term. Part of my geekiness includes playing computer games of various sorts, including old school DOS games like Master of Magic, newer games such as Portal, and stranger games like Dwarf Fortress. All the while I've developed my own abilities and joys, including wrestling for high school and my current call as a missionary, neither of which are "normal" geek things to do.

That is what an in-game dwarf looks like, that
little guy on the right. Amazing graphics, right?

I am an odd individual, and I enjoy my oddness. I do not limit myself to others' expectations, and I try not to limit myself to my expectations. Improvement is the way of life, and the way we become more like Jesus. It is natural to want to be perfect right away, but it is also natural to not be perfect at all. Since this is the case, we cannot wait for our preparation to be perfect before we start our change, since there will always be something wrong. Going and doing will often get you through the learning curve faster than waiting and studying. Do not let the imperfections of today worry you away from accomplishing the partial perfection of tomorrow.

Remember, I am here to share something that can improve everybody's life. I hope that as you get to know me better, you can feel more comfortable doing what I suggest that you do. I know that The Book of Mormon can help you out, and that meeting with missionaries will start you on a path towards purest joy.

Constant Communication

The top line is the transmitter, bottom the receiver. Despite
knowing this, it took me forever to even transmit numbers.

In the field of remote controls, I know very little. However, I have taken a class where one of the projects was to use an infrared (IR) transmitter and receiver that taught me a little bit about how it could work. The IR light source blinks at a certain frequency for certain amounts of time, with the time the frequency was active determining what is being transmitted. After the information was transmitted, I had a few options: keep transmitting, stop and hope the message got through the first time, or throw your hands up in frustration because the microchip instructions weren't clear enough to understand the first twelve times you read it. I eventually got that project done, but another activity I took a part of was a FIRST Robotics competition that taught me a bit more about electronic communication. In each match, there were two periods, one where the competitors could use a remote control similar to what I'd already done and another where competitors could use wireless to directly control a robot. The differences between these two periods and what happened was stark.

When a remote control was used, because it was not constant communication, weak, or poorly designed the robot often would start doing what the driver wanted it to do and then either stop or do something completely wrong. Meanwhile, when the second period of play was active the robot did almost exactly what the driver expected due to the much higher quality of communication. In our lives, we also have a driver of sorts and lines of communication between us and Him. Instead of the communication always being started by the driver, however, in our lives we are the controllers of how we communicate, and (because we can't choose consequences) also how we fair on the playing field of life.

If we only communicate with God occasionally, waiting for when his prophets speak to us or when we feel like it, we will likely find ourselves going an entirely different direction then the one that is best for us. Likewise, if we exercise constant prayer we will be much more sensitive to the instructions we receive, either through personal revelation or a more general message. In the end we always have a choice in the matter, just as the robot is still programmed a certain way and acts according to how the program directs before the driver does, but if our hearts are correctly tuned we will find ourselves on the correct path that our Driver knows will best help us. We have just taken part in General Conference, a wonderful opportunity to receive concentrated revelation from the prophets, but we still need to keep listening, and continue to pray and read. Just as constant communication helps robots work and fulfill their goals, so will it bless our lives with clarity and ability.