My trip to university found me growing an attachment to the Navier—Stokes equation. It is a mathematical formula named after Claude-Louis Navier and George Gabriel Stokes that describes how fluid flows, and can be applied to the ocean, to the atmosphere, to blood flow, to pollution dynamics, and many more things.
However, it is currently unsolvable. Our currently greatest mathematical minds and tools can’t solve it – unless there is something simplified about it – for example, say we have water flowing through a pipe. We can solve it then if that pipe is a simple, straight pipe.
Today is Tuesday. And every Tuesday finds me in Institute at university. 2pm. I’m hardly ever late.
We read of a glorious revelation given Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery: a vision given to them of the three degrees of glory, and what amazing blessing await the faithful! We made a list of only some of them:
- · Enlightened by the Spirit
- · Know His will
- · Understanding
- · Wisdom
- · Wonders of Eternity
- · All mysteries
A big smile comes to me when I think about how God knows the solution (or knows if one exists) to the Navier-Stokes equation – along with all the other problems that the Clay Mathematics Institute will reward a million dollars to he or she who solves any of them.
All mysteries! Just think about that. Nothing is mysterious to Him, for He knows it all!
And sometimes I am tempted with my passions to study mathematics and cut my scripture study short. I am reminded of the words of Johann Schmidt. He finally claims the tesseract – a powerful substance which he uses to unleash upon his enemies – and says, “And the Fuhrer digs for trinkets in the desert.”
After some research online, I discovered that it is a reference to the hunt for the Ark of the Covenant in Indiana Jones. The Ark is impressed to give great power to its possessor, and Schmidt holds in his hands a power that will grant him likewise.
Schmidt is a villain in the movie, but for a positive reference, I ask us: what power do we seek? Do we spend our time seeking influence over others? Do we use our time in education, for knowledge is power?
Elder Neal A Maxwell said, “If, in the end, you have not chosen Jesus Christ it will not matter what you have chosen.” And “Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!” Do we have room and time for Christ to be a part of our everyday life?
Personally, I feel a very stark difference to my day when I have sincerely spent time in prayer and scripture study as one of the first things I do each day, compared to when I have not.
One of the big questions I face in my life is, “What weaknesses do I have that are unknown to me, but everyone else can see, and they struggle with me because of it?” On one hand, it would be nice to see it all, so I can stop it all. On the other hand, I’m not so sure I could handle knowing all my weaknesses – I have enough to deal with already, whilst being open to improvement still.
Speaking of those who enter the Celestial Kingdom, The Lord revealed that “They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace” (D&C 76:94).
Wouldn’t it be great, to see myself clearly, every part of me, with such a great understanding of who I am? It might be a false quote, but we can capture the idea of our potential if it is true: “If we were to see ourselves in the pre-existence, we would bow down and worship ourselves” (attributed to Joseph Smith).
There is so much more to life than the video games we may play, or the movies we watch, or the Navier-Stokes equations, or our favourite football or movie star. All these are good, as long as we use them for good purposes.
I pray we find that trinket of living the gospel in our daily lives, and discover the joy that comes with it!
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