God and Hearts

As I have been thinking quite a bit about hearts, and the various fuctions that they serve mankind I have been thinking, wondering really, why they are so important.

Often times one will read in literature that to fall in love is to give your heart to someone. Now, the concept of falling in love aside, why is the heart so often associated with love and other emotions? Emotions are felt, they are expeirenced in the brain. That is where we experience all things, most of us consider our heads to be the focul point of our bodies, and rightly so. In all respects but our emotions those are the sole property of the heart.

Why? Why this discrepensy? Why is the heart so very different from every other act, thought, concept that is known to man? Few things have caught the attention of poet, warrior, suiter, king or scientist with more frequency than the heart.

Some purely physical symbolism: The heart is realtivly unprotected, left vulnerable to outside ministration, both good...and bad. You can replace a heart, you cannot replace a brain. If damage to done to part of the brain, life becomes difficult, if damage is done to part of the heart, life becomes threatened. THe heart is the pumpting station for the blood, which is the symbol of mortality and sin.

But all this doesn't matter, although quite interesting. The question I've been wondering, is whose responsibility is it to change the heart? I have a friend not much older than me, who is on his third heart. His body is rejecting them--having decided that it is not it's own--he has decided not to take the pills to fight it off. He will soon die. (Incidentally, my friend served a mission in the main family history center where he became good friends of Elder Bednar's, and the good Apostle's last talk was given with my friend in mind.) Sometimes I think we are like my friend in a spiritual sense, we are given a new heart but are unable to accept this, it goes against our nature and we must continually recieve the help to keep ourselves from rejecting this new heart.

God has given us our hearts...but he gives unto us the keeping. Our desires are our own creation, one may choose to accept or reject the gifts given to them.

I'm tired and this isn't making much sense...but the main thought is: God gives us the chance to heal our broken hearts, but it's up to us to take the steps needed for healing, or replacement. It is hard to go from a heart of stone o a heart of flesh. But it is the task of us all to make sure that we do just that. Ipray that one day I might do as Moses directed the children of Isreal, after describing the scattering of Israel: But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.