Communication

It is truly amazing how communication works. There is a model that helps break down communication so that it can be analyzed. It is call the feedback loop. It starts when one person has thoughts or feelings. They then convey these thoughts or feelings by encoding them which is portraying them so people will understand. They can do this in several different ways. Obviously they can communicate verbally or nonverbally. When they encode with words, their tone is very important to the encoding process. When communicating nonverbally, their facial expressions, body language and eye contact are very important. After the message is sent, the other person must decode what was conveyed which in turn gives them thoughts or feelings which starts the process over again, making a loop. When communicating with someone, we pay attension to words, tone, and nonverbal cues. We pay 14% of our attension to words, 35% to the tone, and 51% to nonverbal cues. 86% of our focus in on everything but the words. This shows that words aren't as important as we would like to think they are. Actions do speak louder than words. This is why sarcasm is not a wise form of communicating. Your words are doing one thing while the tone and meaning are doing something completely different. Sarcasm is a lie. Even if it is not meant to be hurtful. Herold B. Lee said,"Communicate so clearly not only to be understood, but not to be misunderstood". It is important to send clear messages to people whether it be verbal or nonverbal or both. We communicate even when we are not communicating. This shows that we should be clear even when we think no one is watching. You never know what people are decoding about the way you do things or how you act.
We learned that conflict is important to our learning. Especially when married. We gain a greater knowledge of how to work out our problems if we have experience doing so. Having conflict with our spouse helps us learn more about them and teaches us to work with someone. This led our class discussion into compromise vs. collaboration. When compromising, both parties lose out on part of what they originally wanted. Collaboration allows both people to win in some way. This could in fact be more effective than the traditional answer of compromise in marriages.
Today we talked about councils and how the first presidency and the twelve apostles of the church hold councils. They hold meetings weekly and discuss things until a concensus is reached. They do this with the will of the Lord in mind. They pray before they start to invite the spirit. They do this as well as meeting in a sacred place to facilitate revelation. This also protects them from the influence of satan. Doing these things and other things helps them reach a conclusion that the Lord would be pleased with. This same way of communication can be practiced in marriages and families. Begin by asking the Lord what His will is and be in a sacred place so you can recieve revelation. Your home should be made into a sacred place so your family can easily speak with Heavenly Father as well as block out satan's influence. Express love and appreciation to family members as well as the Lord to help everyone feel important and loved. This will open doors that would otherwise be closed. People feel better about sharing things with others if they feel like the other people care about what they have to contribute to the conversation. This is also a way to invite the Spirit into the conversation because there is no contention. Ending council with prayer shows respect and gratitude for the Lord's help. It also allows the spirit to linger with us and help us to continue to have strength to do the Lord's will.
I had an overwhelming feeling today in class of the infinite power of God and His enduring love for each of us. It is truly amazing how the human body functions and how we are individuals with unique qualities, thoughts and spirits. How wonderful that we are able to learn from challenges and are able to be stronger for it. I have a strong testimony of God's power and love. We are important to Him and he has our best interest at heart. We need to pause before making a big decision and ask the Lord what He thinks we should do. He knows what is best for us and He will share that knowledge with us if we ask Him with a humble heart and a true desire to know His will. It is not natural for humans to discuss things with the Lord. It is Divine. I share this with you in the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.