Category Archives: Language

Emphasis

01 Friday May 2015

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I served my mission in Brazil, and during that time (in Brazil) Pokémon was fairly popular among the children.  This was new territory to me, so while participating in the ‘develop a relationship of trust’ mode, I only learned how to say Pokémon with a Brazilian accent.  Therefore, whenever I said Pokémon, it sounded like Poke-EH-moan but happened to be a very pronounced EH, so it was more like Poke-EH!-moan (If I am honest, I trailed the moan a bit for dramatic flare, so it sounded a lot like some alien-Jamaican version of moan).  I then came home to America, and the first time I ever said Pokémon to Amanda (my wife), she laughed and asked me to repeat myself over and over again.  This hasn’t gotten old for her, since apparently in English it is pronounced Poke-e-mon.  No emphasis, no flare, just a plain old robot word.  I guess in America we ignore the little thingy above the e which stands for ‘I am important, please emphasize me and my syllable while you say this word’.    If nothing else, it provided a chance for my wife and I to discuss the differences between Poke-e-mon and Poke-EH!-Moan to see which was correct and which one felt more natural as it rolled off our tongues and into the air (Hint: it’s Poke-EH!-Muahon or something like that).

That example was with a single word, but sometimes we read or hear a phrase that can have the same affect on us, or we can skip right past a phrase because we have only ever heard it pronounced by C3PO’s cousin.   A simple emphasis on a word or syllable here or there can dramatically affect the meaning of a phrase.  There are several scripture phrases that can be better understood if we try and pronounce them more like a gringo Brazilian than a sophisticated English major.  One that I have found recently is found in 2 Ne. 9:44 (particularly the phrase at the end which reads “I stand with brightness”.

If we just play with the emphasis for a little bit, we may read it completely differently, and perhaps by evaluating all the different syllables or meanings for emphasis, we can truly understand that it may actually mean all of them are true – all at the same time.

STAND with brightness

At first glance, or in a simple reading, (or perhaps taken all on it’s own without context for which Jacob used it) the phrase “stand with brightness” seems to fit the same idea as ‘stand ye in holy places’ (D&C 87:8, 2 Chron. 35:5, Ps 24:3) or ‘let your light so shine before men’ (Matt. 5:16. 3 Ne. 12:16) suggesting the idea of being an example or ‘standing for something’ – especially when we include the ‘brightness’ at the end of the phrase – after all, do men light a candle, and then hide it under a bushel (Luke 11:33, Mark 4:21)?  No, they share it (or they are supposed to).

Stand with BRIGHTNESS

This reading may be similar to the first one, with a bit more emphasis on the degree of light coming from our stance.  This may have more focus on our own internal testimonies, etc. in order to get the soft, 15-watt glow that we are sharing ramped up to a solid 60 or 100-watt output.  I think the charge here is to bring it up as high as we can.  If we are to stand with ‘brightness’, let’s make sure that we understand the difference between a 40 W standard incandescent, a 17W LED, and a 23W CFL bulb on the lumens scale.

Stand WITH Brightness

At first reading, this might be the simplest and most easily discounted arrangement, mostly because this can easily be rolled into one of the first two arrangements – and it does mean those things, but – when we stop and think about what this could also mean we are open to the other possibilities.  What if instead of using ‘with’ as a transition to ‘brightness’ we use it as a description of who else is coming to the party?  What if the brightness is more of a someone than a something?  What if we read this sentence with John 8:12, 9:5 and D&C 11:28 in mind?  Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  I am the life and the light of the world” whose “countenance shone above the brightness of the sun” (D&C 110:3).   Then, we could read it with the understanding that brightness may have been standing there strong and firm all along – and we just decided to join the party ourselves.

Now, with all 3 of these different pronunciations of the phrase, we are ready to understand what it means, and then combine all 3 meanings into a single understanding of what it means to truly ‘stand with brightness’.  Standing tall, firm, and resolute ‘having a perfect brightness of hope’ (2 Ne. 31:20), with a determination to grow ever more brighter, all made possible by the actual brightness, which is above the brightness of the sun.  And the nearer we stand with brightness, the brighter we become.

Jesus Christ is truly the absolute middle of everything in our universe.

Let us stand up for him, resolve to stand firmly with him, and in so doing he will lend his brightness to us little by little so that we can obey the charge to stand with brightness.

Going Global

25 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Language, Poems, Portuguese

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In an attempt at placating the mighty demands of our vast readership in Brazil, Portugal, Angola, and Mozambique, I’ve constructed a small token for their enjoyment in their native tongue. For all the readers confined to English (not Tyson) google translate is awesome.

Cristo Redentor

O! Meu Mestre, Bom Senhor!
Meu amado Redentor!
Me resgate da fraqueza
À tua casa tão beleza

As marcas, sinto em tuas mãos
Trazem minha salvação
E teu espírito me diz
Se eu te sigo, serei feliz!

The Language of Love

19 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by in Language, Love

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Many of us know or have heard about the five love languages1 for us and our relationships with each other.  The process of reading about, discovering, perhaps even engaging in friendly discussions with our loved ones about, and filling out the questionnaire to determine which of the five languages best describe us is very interesting.  At the end of the day, we get to determine (or at least be guided in thinking about) how we (as mortals) show our love to and for others, AND perhaps even more importantly whether we are actually aware of the most effective way that our spouses and/or family members want to be shown love.  Because after all, we understand a language (how we interpret love being shown to us) and we speak2 a language (how we think we show love to others), and so does everyone else, but sometimes we may not even be saying or hearing the same things.

For a quick summary; if a persons love language is receiving gifts, they tend to equate receiving a gift with love very easily (meaning they understand that the person who gave them a gift must be showing them love), but if that person is told (words of affirmation) of their worth, perhaps hugged (physical touch), accompanied on a walk (quality time) by their significant other, or service (dishes, laundry, etc.) is performed on their behalf (acts of service) they may have harder time identifying that particular act with being shown love.  They may view it as something entirely different such as duty, or perhaps not even notice it at all despite the intent from the giver of the act or words.  In the same light, that same person may have a tendency to give gifts to loved ones in a very real effort to show love, because they readily identify with that language – even if their love language isn’t the same.  This can lead to confusion because one individual is very clearly showing love, but the one they are showing love to has a completely different idea of what that demonstration should be.  If I speak the language of quality time, words of affirmation won’t seem to do the trick, or if I feel love by physical touch, I doubt gifts or acts of service will carry the same weight.

Suddenly, the confusion at the tower of Babel seems pretty familiar, at least until the people who were (or are) involved identify that they are likely saying the same thing, just in a language that has been confounded.4 So, the responsible parties (those who are trying to communicate with each other) are left to either find common ground (helpful), learn everyone else’s language (best option) or forever be presented with a problem ‘such as is common to man’3 (and by man I mean mankind, not the male gender).

Before moving forward I wish to express my feelings that none of us are limited to a single love language.  While it may be true or generally prevalent thought that we have a primary love language, I am not one to limit ourselves with a singular language.  I think that we are capable of understanding a lot more about love with a bit of understanding and maybe some effort on our part.  I also think that by understanding more about all of the love languages, and making a sincere effort to identify with, appreciate, and even attempt to recreate them it makes a better communicator (obviously), and therefore more capable of both giving and receiving love in various ways.  This, in the end is the goal.  Love.5

This knowledge became an understanding for me recently, because I was able to apply this to (by apply I mean retroactively think about and identify with) a real life situation.  Since that understanding, I thought to share this thought, even though most if not all of the people who will read this post will say something like “no duh.   Tyson just informed me of something that I have known for so long, that I don’t even remember learning it.”

Part 1 of my awareness: Christmas just passed, and I was thinking about all the ‘gifts’ that I gave and all the gifts that I received, and I started to wonder how those gifts that I had given were received by those to whom they’d been given.

Part 2 of my awareness: I have been thinking about some situations that are less than ideal6 involving people that I love (which includes me – which is why I used the word involved).  Situations could mean a variety of things, including words, actions, thoughts, assumptions, etc. which provide the all too frequent opportunity for discussion, discomfort, awkwardness, concern, terror, fear and maybe even anger or forgiveness.

As I was thinking about these two things, I started to understand some things at the same time:

1)   I get answers to my problems (and everyone else’s) 7 in life through books (reading, studying, etc.).  Or at least, that’s how I get most of the way through the problems.  I read, then I read some more, and then I keep reading.   Then when I’m done, I compare it with what I’ve read.  That’s MY love language.

2)   I try to give other people the solutions to their problems by speaking my language to them.  This was a sobering fact for me, and one that I was able to see very clearly (after it was too late), and this was very much based on my previous understanding (which is probably better termed a reinforced confirmation because I mostly knew it already).

As I was reflecting on the gifts that I had given last year, and as I was thinking of what to get those that I love most, guess what kept popping into my head…..yep, books.  I wanted to give everyone books (I did last year).  What I intend in this gift is that these are literally stacks of gold.  Golden objects that contain the answers to all the questions and that speak the language of love.   They have the ability to answer all the questions and solve all your problems.   I had carefully selected books that I knew would provide critical clarity to a particular issue – because I had found what I thought they needed there.  But, what I did not realize is that I was speaking the wrong language to them.  It was as if I were babbling in some strange tongue while they were looking at me and nodding with a smile and thinking to themselves…”wow, a book.  I hate reading.  Thanks Tyson” (this is further insight into the story I shared here).

The connection is a simple scripture passage, and one that I feel ties this whole thing together.  Especially when we try to understand that the language of love can be spoken and therefore heard, and it can be shown and therefore felt, and if we are honest, the language of love can be demonstrated in an infinite number of different ways, because the way that we feel love or receive love can and will be just as varied.  But, there is someone who can, does, and will speak every single love language, and this is critical because as it says in scripture (especially referring to words/actions/etc. as empowered by the holy ghost) that “every man heard them speak in his own language”.8

This means that regardless of what my love language is, the spirit speaks to me in that language, because that’s the language I understand, and because the Lord and the spirit know this, they continue to speak to me in that language. And what’s even better is the scripture says that particular language, the one I hear, it’s “my own language”. It is my own language, and I love it.  I speak it.  I feel it.  I read it.  I hear it.  I know it.  I absorb it.  I know the difference in intonations and inflections; I know about past participles and dangling prepositions.  I know the seemingly conflicting rules of grammar and I know the difference between their, there, and they’re.  I know and recognize different accents, meanings, contexts, and intentions. It’s ‘my’ language.  I don’t know these things because I studied or learned them all – I just know them because ‘it’s my language’.  It’s how the spirit speaks to me.  It’s how the Lord communicates with me.  It’s ‘my’9 language of love and I can promise you that there isn’t anyone else who speaks ‘my’ language.  We all get our own, and the common denominator is the spirit.  When we understand this – the phrase ‘love languages’ fits perfectly, because that’s exactly what true communion with deity is – love.  A love so deep and so intense that he mastered every single language just so that he could be the most effective at demonstrating it to me.  Just me, and just you.  We could say that He IS this language.   This is an amazing idea.

Now, on to the morals of this story:

  1. Let us be ever so grateful that the Lord and the spirit speak ‘our own’ love language perfectly, and speak to us and show us love via that language – in a way that is super effective if and when we recognize it.
  2. Let us try harder to recognize the language that others speak (this is not easy) – especially because sometimes we can’t just ask them what it is.That is part of the challenge and responsibility we have as their loved ones – to find it out in order to best serve and love them.  Remember that this love, this pure love, “suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, … beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things”. 10

Let us seek to hear and speak and feel and show this love, to share this love, and to become this love.

Notes:

1 The five love languages are identified as follows: Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Acts of Service as outlined by Gary Chapman in his book “The 5 Love Languages, The Secret to Love That Lasts’.

2 Even though languages are typically spoken, I will likely use ‘feel’ in place of ‘hear’ or ‘speak’ and their various relatives at different points, just because it is hard to ‘hear’ or speak any of the languages except for words of affirmation.  Other uses for ‘hearing/speaking’ a language may also include ‘show’.

3 See Gen. 11:4-9

4 1 Cor. 10:13

5 While this word, it’s meaning, and the infinite depths that we could explore to find applicable notes are many, a few will suffice; they include 1) “Charity” with all of it’s implications, requirements, and power and 2) “God is Love”, and 3) “All you need is love” (The Beatles, and perhaps more definitively and explicitly it’s variation “Love is all you need” as phrased by Pearl Jam).

6 ‘Less that ideal’ is a nice way to say ‘broken, strained, lacking completion, or even a bit uncomfortable’.

7 This is not to assume that I actually have the answers for anyone else except me – but that doesn’t stop me from trying to solve everybody else’s problems.  After all, it’s easy for me to see the motes that are in other people’s eyes, exactly what they need to remove them, and which methods and equipment would be best suited for that purpose.  Please realize I understand full well that both of my eyes are overflowing with beams.

8 See Acts 2:1-6

9 Please note my same feelings here (that I don’t feel any of us are limited to a single love language).  While it may be true that ‘my own’ language is absolutely my primary language, I think that we are capable of understanding a lot more about love when we understand it’s true meaning in multiple languages.  This can be proved by those who speak multiple languages, especially those from which the scriptures have been translated, and when those who speak multiple languages compare translations to better understand intent, context, etc.  This idea is furthered and confirmed when we think of scriptures, parables, types, shadows, similitudes, etc. since there is much more being relayed than just the words and if we don’t understand all of the languages that are being spoken/written, we will miss out.

10 Moroni 7:45 (see also 1 Cor. 13:4-7)

Watch your Language

09 Sunday Nov 2014

Posted by in Language

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-Uma das coisas que Eu mas gosto nesta vida, E ser capaz de falar em outra lingua.

-emeber-ray en-way ee-way ould-way alk-tay in-ay ig-pay atin-lay?

I remember the day when I first wanted to try and learn a new language. I was super gung ho and knew that I would probably and most likely be the fastest human in the history of humans to learn Spanish in about an hour or two. I knew that I would be the 14 year old Spanish prodigy that humanity would look back at and revere as the gold standard in language learning. I was going to turn heads with my perfectly perfect accent, which I would develop in 10 or 15 minutes (after all I watched speedy Gonzales all the time on Saturday morning and had it almost perfect already) and that I would be able to walk the streets of many foreign countries and be perfectly aware of what was going on.  I was in 8th grade at the time. Reality was slightly different.

I was pretty much limited to colors and food items in Spanish, only accented by the random cuss words that our Mexican friends were so willing to share. Upon my call to Brazil, my dedication was again stoked, and I spent 2 months in the hotbed of cultural and language instruction that is Provo, Utah. After those 8 weeks, I just knew that I was practically three quarter Brazilian at that point and was already feeling like my skin turning a bit darker, I had random thoughts about playing soccer in the street barefoot etc. I knew I was the best the MTC had ever seen. I arrived in Brazil and soon realized I could understand maybe 5% of every conversation.  And that isn’t saying much as my name consisted of about 5% of every conversation. My experience with learning language was just as it should have been. Slowly but surely.

Language is something that is learned over time, little by little, piece by piece, word by word, phrase by phrase in baby steps. Its something that is different for everybody. Some people have a knack for it, others don’t. What I found most important in the learning of some Spanish, and later Portuguese, was that in order to really get it, and get to where you can actually communicate, you had to really WANT to, not like the “Yeah, it would be really cool to totally talk behind someone’s back about them in the hallway at school in another language, and then no one would know what we were saying” type of want. But the desire to be able to fully communicate and sound as if you were born there type of want.  It requires that type of commitment because it is a long, slow, tedious process, in which the wishy washy’s are weeded out. Along with that, the only way to really get to be to the level 17 awesome “Fluent” status is to completely immerse yourself in the language, day and night, dreams included, all day no exceptions. To get to legendary level 87 awesome “no accent” status? That requires you to get into a car accident, slip into a coma, forget everything, and start all over in the land who’s language you wish to master. Not really worth it if you ask me.

So, do I sound like a native Mexican, or Brazilian? Not exactly. But back in the day when I was doing it all day everyday, I could pass as a German guy speaking Portuguese. Not bad.

So, to get to the point. Lately the new language I want to learn is the language that the spirit uses. This language is a bit more difficult to master. Why? because there isn’t a google translate app you can use to cheat. Its an individualized customized language. The spirit communicates with us all in different ways. There are generalities and similarities that are consistent throughout His language, a lot like the common letters that form words in almost all languages, but the specific stuff, the really good part, where its an actual conversation? That is the grand prize. That is the level 984 Uber awesome fluent status that is so elusive to all of us.

So, whats my advise to myself? How to I get to that point? It has to be just like any other language, it starts with that desire to be able to communicate, to be as fluent as you can. It takes time, effort, effort, practice, effort and immersion. Immersion is the perfect word, because it describes perfectly how it needs to be. Immersion is a complete “All In”. No pinky toes out of the water, no sprinkles on the head, no Nacho Libre face dunk. After all, don’t we all get the “gift” after we are “immersed”? Am I there? maybe level 2. Am I closer than yesterday? yes. I know that it all comes down to Desire, Effort, Time, and Practice.

The Lord wants nothing more than to be able to freely communicate to us what we need to hear, when we need to hear it. The problem is us. We are the ones that need to learn specifically how He communicates with us. We need to be listening. We need to eliminate the noise in our life. we need to tune to the right station. We need to ask for help. And it only works if we as individuals learn for ourselves what this beautiful language sounds like to our hearts ears.