By Kristan Brooks
Tuesday''s Devotional reminded students that loving God with one''s mind is part of the first and great commandment.
Law professor John Welch spoke of seven dimensions of loving God with all one''s mind, based on the words of the account in Mark 12.
Jesus said the first and great commandment is, 'Thou shalt love the Lord with God with all they heart, and with all they soul, and with all they mind, and with all they strength.'
Welch said, 'When Jesus stated the prime commandment, he carefully included the mind.'
First, Welch said, it is possible to get near to the kingdom of God while having intelligence.
'At this university and in this religion, you don''t need to check your brains at the door,' Welch said. 'To be a gospel-scholar, you''ll need all the brilliance you can muster, for we have the double challenge of knowing not only the ways of the world but also the ways of the Lord.'
Second, Welch said, people are commanded to love God with their mind. This commandment is a responsibility not an opportunity or privilege. Like any commandment, this one will take effort, but God will help.
Third, Welch said, the word 'all' is all-important. He said people cannot just pick and choose the parts they like. People can and must love God with their weakest mental abilities, as well as their strengths.
Fourth, Welch said, this all has to do with love. He said when one loves God, one wants to be like him. Students can show their love to his words by memorizing scriptures. Welch suggested learning the names of everyone in the ward to show love to God with the mind. Ask good and righteous questions. Listen better to him.
'It is here at BYU, more than any other place, that you can specialize in learning how to love God with all your mind and as an integrated soul,' he said.
Welch said combining one''s heart and soul is like chocolate milk: chocolate and milk taste fine alone, but better together.
Fifth, Welch said, learn from the conversation in Mark that Jesus cares about people''s minds. He notices and cares what one thinks, writes and teaches. Welch said student''s academic miracles are not mere coincidences.
'I know that God inspires us,' he said. 'But most often only after we have studied it out in our minds and have paid the price of thorough research directed by the light of faith.'
Sixth, Welch said, loving God is the prime commandment because all else follows from it.
'Loving him with all our mind is the taproot of true intelligence,' he said.
Welch said to share one''s day with God, miss him, think kind and loving things about him and think correct things about him.
Seventh, Welch said, that it is possible to break this commandment. With knowledge comes power, and with any power comes duty and accountability. Students cannot make excuses. God knows and notices everything, including one''s thoughts, Welch said. But, one can be perfected through God.
Welch urged students to pass through BYU with the spirit, know it is possible to love God with all their mind, discern between truth and error, never harm even the least intelligent of the children of God, choose liberty and eternal life, pray over their books, pray when they go to class not just the testing center and become perfected in Christ.
Welch concluded, 'And in all of this may God find you, too, not far from his kingdom.'