Lost in Translation

Often times we find ourselves lost in translation. Gossip, rumors, slander, etc. All of it is bad news. There is a lot of garbage out there. A lot of things that we can easily get hung up on, stuck in, and confused about. No good! We can get ourselves into a deep pit if we take something to be truth that is not. Then we can dig ourselves deeper and drag others with us if we spread this filth to others. Also no good!

I am reminded of an episode from one of my favorite TV shows. Yep, Arrested Development yet again. It's just too good! In this particular episode Michael Bluth hears a rumor about a friend of his, Marta, and some guy named "Hermano". He allows this rumor to eat him up until the point that he is convinced that terrible things are afoot. Little does he know..."hermano" means "brother" in Spanish. He was lost in translation and he took something that he didn't fully understand, he twisted it, he involved others, and then he critically hurt his friendship with Marta because of it. What could he have done to avoid this? Could he have simply asked Marta what was going on? Of course he could have! But instead he assumed something and then crippled the whole situation.

Michael gets confused about "Hermano".

Marta is innocent the whole time!

Gob Bluth becomes involved.

So does Buster Bluth.

It results in this. Yikes!

This happens in our lives far too often. It is a terrible thing to witness, experience, or fall prey to. We need to do all we can to avoid this trend.

Satan does all he can twist, confuse, change, imitate, and...mess things up! You don't believe me? Just check out my blog Beware of False Imitations!

We must learn to judge things righteously. "Now these are the words which Jesus taught his disciples that they should say unto the people. Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged: but judge righteous judgement" (JST Matthew 7:1). Michael Bluth of Arrested Development really needed to exercise righteous judgment. He needed to follow Christ's counsel in his sermon on the mount when he said to "beware of false prophets" (Matthew 7:15). He continued and said that it is impossible for a good tree (or person) to bring forth evil fruit (or works) and it is impossible for a bad tree (or person) to bring forth good fruit (or works). It is "by their fruits that ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20).

To know the truth we must search our feelings. We cannot trust our emotions. Emotions are easily clouded by a variety of things but our feelings are from the soul. The Holy Ghost speaks to us through our feelings. Whenever we receive feelings of love, joy, peace, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23) we can be confident that the Holy Ghost is speaking truth to us. We need to trust our feelings because they are of the Holy Ghost. "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:5).

In conclusion...don't trust rumors, gossip, or slander. Search your feelings (not emotions) and hearken to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. You will have your story straight and you will be happy. Much unlike the Bluth family. Don't be like the Bluths.