Christlike Attributes: Meekness

Copenhagen Church Altar Painting

In the Beatitudes the Lord teaches of eight godly characteristics, and eight corresponding blessings. These attributes have intrigued me of late because most of them would not be considered strengths by the world's standards, yet Jesus is very straightforward about their significance in the kingdom of God. Take for example the second statement “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). That is a pretty powerful promise, yet meekness is never taught as a desirable attribute if you want to be wealthy, own lots of land, or become powerful by the world’s standards. Meekness 101 is never a required course for MBA graduates, nor is it ever discussed in law school as something you should have while debating in court. One definition of meekness even describes it as “deficient in spirit and courage,” yet the Savior says “I am meek and lowly in heart.” This is ironic, as Jesus could be considered the most significant historical figure of all time, yet He teaches that He is meek.

Jesus Christ was anything but “deficient in spirit and courage,” so what does it mean to be meek in the way the Lord is teaching it. It is difficult to answer this for sure, but allow me to try by first defining pride, the antithesis of humility and meekness. It is best defined, I feel, by C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity. He states: “Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest.”

In other words, the sin of pride is lifting ourselves above another by seeking to be better than them. Humility and meekness could then be defined as seeking to lift others, even if it means they may become as great as you, or even greater. In fact, when we are truly meek, our efforts to become great are focused on knowing that by becoming great we may be able to have a greater influence for good on others. We seek to be good that we can help others to be greater.

In my opinion, this is exactly how Christ showed His humility. Christ was never worried that we might become perfect like He is, in fact this is His very desire, as He taught in the Sermon on the Mount: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). He shows His humility by desiring us to become like Him, AND doing all within His power to lift us to that level.

Though it is hard to know the exact feelings and thoughts of the Savior when He taught, rebuked, and admonished, I feel that He did each of these with the single intent of lifting the individual, and not with drawing attention to Himself. For example, when teaching the multitudes the Sermon on the Mount, He did so with the intent to draw people to God, not to make the people just think He was a great teacher. When rebuking the Pharisees and Sadducees, He did so to show them how they could improve, not to lift Himself up above them (showing He was perfect and they were not). All the Savior did was focused on others.

Even the very act of the atonement (which made the Savior the greatest of all) was not to make Himself greater than all, but to make us greater by enabling us to be lifted from our depths of sin and sorrow. He did not think, “Wow, by suffering for their sins I will be able to be greater than everyone else; all will worship me because of what I will do.” Instead He said “I will do this for their benefit, not my own.”

He had no thought of Himself. He always looks outward towards others, not inward towards Himself.

So how do we gain this attribute of Christ? It is not easy. We must pray for this gift, we must seek for it, and we must practice having it. Practice is perhaps the most difficult and most important in my opinion, for as we practice, the Lord, through His grace, will help us achieve perfection.

It may help to remember these thoughts as you practice meekness: First, all that we do is to draw attention to the recipient, not to ourselves. Second, our top priority and desire is the betterment of others, not ourselves (if we do become better, it is for the benefit of others). Third, we never think we are too good for any task, no matter how insignificant or difficult it may be. Forth, we are lowly, in that all we do is to lift others (we are willing to stoup to a lower level to lift someone to a higher level). Fifth, as in the words of Dieter F. Uchtdorf: “We don’t discover humility by thinking less of ourselves; we discover humility by thinking less about ourselves. It comes as we go about our work with an attitude of serving God and our fellowman.”

It is my prayer that we each may seek the Lord’s face, and follow after His ways be being “meek and lowly of heart” by always seeking to bring out the divine in others, lifting those around us, and thinking of others before ourselves.

The Exodus: A Pattern of Faith

The story of Moses and the exodus of the people of Israel is a powerful story that has been used throughout the ages to help people learn of the power of God (see for example 1 Nephi 4:2, Mosiah 27:16, Alma 5:6, 36:2, 60:20). We can similarly learn from these lessons of the Exodus, and in particular the development of faith that can be seen in the prophet Moses.

So why is this story so powerful and what was it that helped future generations have greater faith in the Savior? Let me suggest three reasons of which I will discuss through this post: 1) the story is a powerful model or type for how to increase our own faith in the Lord, 2) it helps us learn how to be released from our own forms of captivity and bondage, both physical and spiritual, and 3) it teaches us of several very powerful attributes of God.

Let’s first study the story a bit before we go into these powerful messages. We will start in Exodus 3-4 where Moses first receives his call to be the prophet to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. He sees the burning bush and hears the voice of God declare His word to him. During this encounter, the Lord tells Moses five separate times that He will deliver Israel from bondage (vs. 8, 10, 12, 17, & 20). Moses is 80 years old at this time and has been now living as a shepherd for the last 40 years of his life. Moses is frightened and feels inadequate to the task. Several times he tries to come up with reasons why he should not be chosen as the Lord’s great prophet. He asks “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He is then told by the Lord that “Certainly I will be with thee!” (Exodus 4:11-12).

Next Moses complains that the people will not believe nor listen to him. The Lord then gives Moses two signs that he is to use to help convince the people of His power; first the ability to turn his staff into a serpent and then to cause his hand to be leprous and then clean. Then as if this was not enough, the Lord gives one more sign to Moses to help him have confidence in the Lord; He teaches him that he will have power to turn water into blood. Note how the Lord does not reprimand Moses for his lack of faith, but instead provides an opportunity for his faith to grow by showing him of His power.

Moses, next, tries his hand at claiming he is not eloquent with words and that he is slow of speech. The Lord tells Moses that He will be with his tongue and teach him what to say. Despite this reassurance, Moses requests that the Lord send another because of this weakness. In response the Lord provides Moses with a spokesman in his brother Aaron.

Notice that during this heavenly vision, the Lord provides for and compensates for the weaknesses of Moses in multiple ways. He not only provides two miracles for Moses to show the people, but even a third, just in case the first two don’t convince the people. He also not only states that He will teach Moses exactly what to say, but when Moses still fears because of his weakness, he is provided with a spokesman.

The next part of the story (4:27-31) shows that exactly what the Lord had stated comes to pass. He sees his brother (who agrees to assist him on this mission), and he speaks with the people and they believe. Each of these is not only a fulfillment of the words of the Lord, but a powerful message to Moses that the Lord knows all things and that he, Moses, must learn to rely upon the Lord (the Lord knows what He is talking about).

Finally after Moses has spoken with the people of Israel, he and Aaron go to Pharaoh to give him the word of the Lord (chapter 5). Moses is full of faith, believing that his people will now be released. However, the Pharaoh replies by saying: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.” (5:2). He then tells Moses and Aaron that he will no longer give the people straw to make the bricks, yet will still require the same quotas as before. When the people heard this they asked what Moses had done and begin to murmur about his so called freeing from bondage, for he had not released them from bondage, but instead had increased their burdens.

Moses goes to the Lord and cries: “Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? Why is it that though hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered the people at all.” (5:22-23). Moses’ faith was supposedly strong and now it was weak. The Lord in response seeks to further develop his faith into a stronger faith that will be sufficient to lead the people for the next forty years; a faith that is not based on signs or miracles. In chapter 6 the Lord tells Moses three more times that He will deliver His people from bondage (6:1, 6 & 7). He also tells Moses five times that “I am the Lord” (6:2, 6, 7, 8 & 29). These words of reassurance don’t work for Moses though and he states that now if the people do not believe him, then how will Pharaoh believe him. In fact Moses states this three separate times during this interchange with the Lord (5:22-23, 12 & 30). The Lord, once again, compensates for the fears of Moses by telling him that He will provide miraculous signs to the Pharaoh so that he will be convinced of the Lord’s power. He also tells Moses that Pharaoh will harden his heart several times, and that he, Moses, is to have patience and believe that the Lord will prevail. Notice that this time Moses has no sign, but only the word of the Lord. Moses must now put his faith in the word, and not just a sign.

Thus, the Lord sets the stage for the growth of Moses’ faith by giving him a foundation to build on (the earlier signs, promises and fulfillments) and now time wherein his faith can develop.

So what do we learn from the story about Moses and about his conversion process to a stronger faith in the Lord?

First, the Lord will always reassure us of His power if we ask. The Lord will always provide enough assurance to us so that we can know that we will succeed if we trust in Him.

Second, the Lord will always compensate for our weaknesses and failings if we ask of the Lord. He has stated that He will make our weaknesses strong if we will but come unto Him. This may be through tutoring us in how to speak, or providing us with the assistance of friends and family, but He will provide.

Third, God will always provide enough signs or evidence to help establish our faith if we ask. These signs may be the still small voice speaking to our minds and hearts, it may be a friend who provides needed words or council, or it may be the changing of a staff into a serpent. Whatever it is, the Lord will provide just enough so that we may plant the seed of faith. Additionally, God will not only provide enough, but extra. He will not just provide two signs that He exists, He will provide a third and more, just as He did with Moses. In fact all of God’s creations testify of Him.

Forth, once the Lord has acted to help establish our faith, He will allow the element of time to take its effect on us. Like a seed that takes several days to finally push its way toward the sun, our faith often may seem dormant and unchanging, yet we must continue to believe. We must continue to believe in the growth of the plant, despite the fact that we cannot actually watch it grow. We can only see this growth after several days. We can only see the growth when we compare our seed of faith to previous days when we can see the difference in size.

Fifth, in addition to time, the Lord will always try our newly planted faith. The people may turn against us, or the Pharaoh may increase the labors of the people, or we may not see how the promises He has made can possibly be fulfilled. However, though our faith will be tried, the Lord will always provide moments of light, like the ten plagues, that strengthened the faith of Moses as he continued to learn of the awesome power of the Lord. It took ten tries for Moses to succeed in fulfilling the words of the Lord, but he was never left alone. The Lord was with him every step of the way.

Sixth, we learn of the emphasis God puts on freeing His people from bondage. He will do whatever it takes to free us; even if it means slaying the first born of Egypt or even slaying His own Firstborn to redeem us from the captivity of sin and death!

Lastly, we learn two powerful attributes of God. God is patient. He will always listen to us vent, complain, speak of our imperfections, and inadequacies. During this He will at times chastise us (as He did with Moses on a few occasions), but most of the time (as we see with Moses), He will just listen, be patient, and then provide comfort. We also learn that the Lord will always express confidence in us despite our weaknesses. In fact it is because of our weaknesses that He sees so much potential! If we were perfect, what would our potential be? There would be none! God loves the challenge of helping us grow, in fact, it is His passion; He thrives on it!

In time, Moses became perhaps the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. In time his faith was unshaken, and the people saw in him great power. I believe this power came from this conversion process (of course supplemented by a life of experiences), AND Moses’ willingness to act. Moses not only asked the Lord for help, but then he did as the Lord had commanded. In fact, Moses was willing to do some very difficult tasks, some of which many people thought were impossible. He did not just believe, he did.

The Lord is all knowing, and thus He knows exactly how to build and edify our faith. Our own plan of faith may not match exactly that of Moses, but we can know the Savior is in charge. He knows what processes to use to help our small seed of faith grow into a beautiful life giving tree. Our part is that we must place trust in Jesus Christ and believe in His ability to mold us, and then act.

To have true faith, we must know in whom we have faith. If we don’t know the true awesome power of God, we won’t seek to have this truly enabling faith. To know what God can do, we must learn of what He has done in the past; this is why studying the story of the Exodus can help us increase our own faith. Let us, like Moses, submit to the Lord our will, and allow the Master Carpenter to shape our lives in to a work of art fit for His kingdom.

Surviving Brain Cancer: My Life's Gethsemane

Tamara Meza, my sister, has lived 9 years with grade 3 brain cancer. She has had three brain surgeries and is preparing for her forth in about a month. She and David (her husband) have one child. This was against all odds by doctors who told them both they would never have a child, especially after having brain cancer. This is her story of her first brain surgery, nine years ago, and how her relationship with Jesus Christ helped her during this difficult trial. She is full of courage and hope. Something we all can learn from.

Christlike Attributes: Reproof (Part 2)

Continued from Part 1

The key to this Christlike attribute is love (like so much of the gospel).

Rebuke, by and of its self, is wrong and damaging. Rebuke, with love and compassion, is a powerful Christlike attribute used to help draw people unto the Savior.

So how exactly do we go about doing this; loving and rebuking? A few scriptures will help us:

“Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2). Notice how this verse teaches that if we rebuke and exhort, it must be accompanied by longsuffering and doctrine. The definition of 'longsuffering' in the 1828 Webster’s dictionary states: “Bearing injuries or provocation for a long time; patient; not easily provoked.” I love the last part, in that we are patient, and not easily provoked. If we are reproving someone, and are easily provoked by our own emotions than we are not reproving and rebuking as the Savior would have us do.

Often, I have found myself reproving someone because they hurt me. I tell them of my feelings so they will be hurt because of how they hurt me. I feel better when they apologize because of the hurt they feel that they caused me. However, if they do not acknowledge my hurt, or feel my hurt, it actually hurts me more (boy that is a lot of hurts). This is the wrong use of this attribute. Reproof without love is just getting mad at someone.

Also, note the importance of doctrine. We must know the truth of what we say, and we must use the scriptures as our basis for rebuke. If we reprove someone because we just think a certain way, not because the Lord teaches us that they have sinned, we cannot truly rebuke them in a Christlike way.

The next scripture: “Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings.” (D&C 108:7). The key here is that we strengthen those we exhort. If we are seeking in any way to put them down, or bring them below us, we are reproving for the wrong reason. Reproof should build and edify. Reproof should lift the person to a height they could not achieve without our words.

As with all Christlike attributes, Satan seeks to imitate the Savior as close as he can, without being exactly like Him (this is his greatest form of deception). He does this because he knows of the power of doing what is right. He will never tell us just to kill someone, he will first make us feel we are justified in our actions, or teach us an almost truth so we will be convinced we are doing the right. The same is the case with this attribute. If Satan can twist reproof by taking away the critical catalyst of love, he can make us think we are doing the right thing, when in reality we are not. If he can make us reprove someone because of our own feelings, instead of our feelings towards them, he has succeeded. If he can get us to reprove someone so we can show our superiority over them, instead of trying to bring them to a higher level, we have sinned, in that we have not drawn them unto Christ.

The last scripture is perhaps the most powerful. Pay close attention to the sequence of the words. “Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; that he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.” (D&C 121:43-44). Notice that in order to reprove, we must have two key elements: first, we must only act when we are “moved upon by the Holy Ghost.” This means, that we must be in a state where we can feel the spirit, and we must act in a way during our reproof to help us keep that spirit. If we begin to allow our emotions to control us, then the spirit will flee and we will be left to reprove without the guidance of the Lord.

Second, when we reprove, we MUST show an “increase of love.” If we make someone feel guilt, we must show love. The answer to this may seem obvious, but I still must ask; why is love such an important part? It is because of the power behind love. The effect of love offsets the effect of the rebuke and helps the hearer know of the reason behind the rebuke.

Not only does love offset the rebuke, it also creates a powerful draw. When someone is able to look past your weaknesses, and see your strengths (meager as they may be), you long to be around that person. If that bond is strong enough, when they rebuke you, you will long for that feeling of belonging, unity, and attachment. You will want to change to please them, and you will change so you can continue to be in their presence.

I do not know how many times the Lord has rebuked me, but it is far more than I could ever count. Yet, I cannot think of a single time when I did not feel of an increase of love afterwards. It may not be right after, but the love always, always comes. The Lord practices what He preaches.

I remember numerous occasions where I found myself on my knees after I had sinned. I pled with the Lord for forgiveness. Then, a love beyond compare began to fill my heart. At these moments I often asked how I deserved such love, only to find an even greater increase in love.

Why is it that I seek for forgiveness? Yes, I want to be clean, but I find that more often than not the answer is because I long for that love that I have felt on so many occasions; that love that is stronger than the cords of death. Love that was tried and proven on the cross of Calvary.

Though the scriptures are somewhat void of the “increase of love” after many of the Savior’s rebukes, I feel that this is not because it did not happen, but because the Lord shows His love in such a simple and powerful way that we often do not tie the two events together. Truly He follows His own admonition to do our alms in secret (see Matthew 6:4).

I can testify that the Lord does exactly as He teaches in the scriptures. When the Savior rebukes He is patient and longsuffering, He seeks to edify and build us during these times of reproof, He only acts when He knows it is right and in-line with the doctrine of His Father, and He always, always, always shows an increase in love. A love beyond all comprehension. A love that truly is “stronger than the cords of death.”

May we follow the Savior and do likewise is my prayer.

Christlike Attributes: Reproof (Part 1)

My sister asked an interesting question this week that sparked my first blog on Christlike attributes. I must say that the attribute of reproof was not on the top of the list when I was thinking of Godly characteristics. Charity, love, patience, hope, and faith were at the top, but my sister’s question made me think twice about who the Savior really is.

Her questions stemmed from the fact that she had been taken advantage of by several friends over the past decade (some even costing her hundreds of dollars). She wanted to be like Christ, so she said nothing to these friends. She just let them continue to be the way they were, and she was always their friend. She never told them of her true feelings. Her reasoning was that Jesus loved all, the harlot, the sinner, the publican, etc. She reasoned that this meant He did not judge them, and continued to be their friend, no matter what they might have done to Him. After all, she told me, "He forgave those who crucified Him; can’t I forgive someone who may take advantage of me?"

Yet, as I thought about it, I realized that though the Lord did love all, He did not stand by silently while other took advantage of Him, or chose not to follow Him. In fact, Christ did not mince His words when it came to calling people out on the things they were doing wrong. One of my favorite examples, because of its powerful imagery, is in Matthew 23:27. He said “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

Another example is when Christ drove the money changers out of the temple. Jesus did not go in and tolerate things He saw that were wrong. He did not stand back and say “I love you and will forgive you for what you are doing.” Instead after He “made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise” (John 2:15-16). He stood up for what was right. He said what needed to be said. He would not allow people to defile His Father’s Temple.

Perhaps the greatest example of reproof of the Savior is that of His relationship with Peter, the senior apostle of the Lord. Of all those around Him, Peter was the one who perhaps individually received the most rebuke among anyone else in the New Testament.

For example, when Peter attempted to come out on the water, when he saw the Lord walking on the water, he began to sink out of fear and was told “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:26-31). I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I could even had made it to the first step on the water part, yet Peter was able to at least make it part way to the Lord.

After being asked who he thought the Savior was, Peter answered with great faith “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Yet this is often where we stop in the story. After Peter testified of the Lord, Jesus “charged them that they should tell no man of him. And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” (Mark 8:30-33). These are strong words for someone who was just told that he was “blessed” (Matthew 16:17).

In addition to the above examples, Peter was also rebuked by the Lord, during the Last Supper because he, Peter, would deny the Savior three times before the night was over (Matthew 26:33-35). Peter was also reproved when he attempted to protect the Lord by cutting off the ear of one of the soldiers when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:10-11). Lastly, after the resurrection of the Savior, Peter was told three times to “feed my sheep” by the Lord. Was once not enough, or was this repetition somewhat of a rebuke because of Peter’s earlier three denials of the Lord (John 21:15-17)?

In each of these incidents, Peter had good intentions. If each example is studied, you will find that Peter was trying to either protect the Lord, or stand up for the Lord (even the three denials stemmed from Peter stating that he would never be offended by the Savior) (Matthew 26:33).

So the question must be asked, why? Why did the Savior treat Peter this way? Why did He call Him "Satan"? Why did He tell him he lacked faith? Why did He not just thank Peter for wanting to never deny Him and not tell Peter that before the night was over he would deny him three times? Was it because the Savior was trying to show His superiority over Peter? Was the Lord trying to show Peter how weak he was? No, the simple answer is, the Master Teacher reproved Peter because He loved him, and because He knew of the power of reproof.

Truly as the Savior said to John the Revelator: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:19-20). If the Lord does not knock (or in essence tell us how to repent), we cannot open the door (or actually repent of those things we do wrong).

I believe that one of the reasons Peter became such an incredible and powerful disciple of Christ, is because he allowed the Savior to rebuke him, AND he followed those rebukes by repenting and changing his life. In due time, Peter became the head of the Church, and the most senior apostle, perhaps the reason is because he was so willing to accept corrections from the Savior. Many others received reproof from the Savior, yet few headed His words like that of Peter.

So the next question to ask is, how? How do we apply this attribute in our life? How do we rebuke someone for their misdeeds, without causing strife in our own hearts towards that person, or causing that person to feel hurt?

To be continued...

New Year's Resolutions

Every year at the start of a new year, we begin to think about New Year's resolutions and how we hope the next year will be better than the last.  We set goals to loose weight, exercise more, eat less, and the like.  As I contemplated what I would like most from this new year, I thought to what I would like to become.  I would like to learn more about the Savior Jesus Christ and be able to be more like Him.  As I thought how I could achieve this, oddly enough my thoughts went to the Twelve Days of Christmas and Hanukkah.  You may ask how these relate, allow me to explain.

The Twelve Days of Christmas are an ancient tradition that starts Christmas day and run for the twelve days after; each day a new significant feast to help commemorate the birth of Christ.  Each Christian sect has different ways to celebrate each day, but the most important aspect of the twelve days, is to help the worshiper draw unto Christ, by helping to prolong the Christmas spirit.

Hanukkah is the Jewish holiday used to commemorate the eight days of light they had from one jar of oil.  After the Jews retook the temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C. after its capture by the Greeks, they found their temple desecrated and only enough oil to burn in the temple for one day.  Jewish law prescribed that the menorah be lit at all times with holy consecrated oil.  This oil took about eight days to prepare, yet they only had one day's worth.  In the end, the oil lasted all eight days, until they had enough time to prepare and consecrate new oil to light the temple.  Today the Jews celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a candle every night to help remember this miracle that brought light back into the temple and into their lives through temple worship.

Each of these festivals is not just one day, but several, to help the follower more keenly remember the salvation that was given to their fathers, and to themselves.  As the Christmas season approaches, we often talk of how we would like to have this feeling all year round; thus the combination of Hanukkah, the Twelve Days of Christmas, and New Year's resolutions.  What would it be like if instead of celebrating once a year for twelve days, but instead every month twelve times.  What if each month we focused on a new attribute of the Savior, and looked for ways we could live that principle in our lives.  What if once a month we looked for ways that light and salvation had been brought into our lives through Christ Jesus.

My resolution this year is thus; each month to focus on a new attribute of the Savior and blog about my experience in studying and applying that principle.  If you have read some of my previous blogs, you know that one of my favorite questions is how the Savior lives the laws He gives us.  How does the Savior have patience, faith, love, charity, hope, and long suffering.  We speak of the gifts of the spirit (as described by Paul); how does the Savior exemplify these gifts and how does He bless the lives of others through His gifts.  I invite you to join me in this resolution to know the Savior, by not only commemorating His birth once a year, but to remember the way He LIVED His life twelve times a year.  Choose your own attribute that you would like to learn about and study it, and then -- here is the key -- apply it that month as much as you can.  If you have a blog or a journal, record your impressions and feelings, then share it with someone else.  Start now by choosing twelve attributes you would like to study.  These might change, but keep them as a reminder to help you progress through the year.

May the New Year bring you closer to the Savior and closer to those around you, and may this year be better than the last because you knew the Lord and were able to become more like Him.

Testimony of a Modern-day Prophet

President Thomas S. Monson, a modern-day prophet, testifies of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ this past Easter Sunday.

Holy Week Day 1: Triumphal Entry

Triumphal Entry by Bernhard Plockhorst

On the last Sunday of the Savior’s mortal ministry the Lord rode down the Mt. of Olives into the Kidron Valley, and then into the city of Jerusalem through the Golden Gate. He rode on a donkey, symbolizing His entry as a king of peace, as entering on a white horse would symbolize His entry as a king of war. Shouts of praises could be heard from the multitudes as they covered the ground with their robes, and waved palm leafs as a sign of His triumphant entry.

We often ask why on this holy Sunday these Jews were willing to accept Jesus as their King, and then by Friday they cried for His crucifixion. The answer seems to lie in who they sought as their King. The Jews wanted a King who would free them from their Roman captors, and allow them to become an independent nation once again (as under the rule of King David). They sought for a god that would save them from physical bondage, yet overlooked the more important spiritual freedom that the Savior would provide.

Put simply, they had created and set up a false god. They believed in God, there is no doubt about that. They had faith in Jehovah. They read the scriptures. They worshiped on the Sabbath. They most likely were very good people. Yet, they did not understand the true mission, or the true power of Christ Jesus. Thus, they had set up a false god after the image of the god they desired for themselves. In short they had broken the first two great commandants.

Often as Christians we discount these two commandments as irrelevant; after all, we do believe in God, and if we are truly Christian then we do not worship idols of false gods. Yet, these two laws are just as relevant today as they were during the time of Moses. We often point to having idols of personal wealth and possessions as our own modern idolatry, yet we look past, I feel, the very purpose of this commandment when only teaching this. It is true that we should not set up personal possessions in place of God; however, note the words of the last part of the second commandment: “thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images, or any likeness of anything" (Exodus 20:4)

Note how the Lord states that we are not to have anything even the “likeness” of a god. If we do not know who God really is, and we have false expectations, or we put limits on His power in any way, we have set up a “likeness” of a false god.

To understand the reason God does not want us to worship false gods we must first ask ourselves why God has this law in the first place. The reason could be because He is a jealous God and feels that the more we worship Him the more power He gains. However, He is still God whether or not we worship Him or any other god, so this cannot be why. It is true He is a jealous God, but perhaps a better way to explain this is that He is jealous to protect us; in fact this is the exact reason for this law.

He knows His power, and He knows that He can do all things. When we put limitations on His power, we limit (in essence) His power to change us. Of course, He always has all power, but we limit our ability to access His power because we don’t really understand His true ability. When we worship God not as He really is, we worship a false god.

It would be like if you knew a pilot who had an airplane, and thought that the plane was for decoration, and that the propeller was used to cool their backyard. If you thought this and never asked your pilot friend to take you on a flight, you would never be able to witness and partake of the power that he had to fly you around the world and take you to any destination you desired.

When we set up a false god, we limit the Lord’s ability to take us to any destination. We limit His ability to show us new vistas that can inspire and change our hearts.

So how do we set up false gods? One way is by not knowing who Jesus truly is. If we see Him as a god who will free us from financial debts or addictions without any effort on our part, we have set up a false god. If we see Him only as a god that can forgive others of their sins, but not ours, we have set up a false god. If we see Christ as a vengeful, wrathful god, who cannot love us because of who we are, we have set up a false god. Each time we portray the Lord in a way that is not correct, we set up a false god, and limit His ability to change our soul.

I have done this on numerous occasions. I never have understand why He would love someone like me, so I have a hard time allowing Him to love me as much as He does. I have had a hard time accepting his forgiveness, after all, I have a hard time forgiving myself, so why would He not also have a hard time forgiving me?  Yet, each time I do this, I limit the effect He can have on me. In essence, because I do not understand who Christ is fully, I do not understand what He can do for me. I have set up my own false image of who Christ really is.

However, I have tried to better understand Him, and better know of His power, and as I have done so, I have seen His power, and my life has changed for the better.

I invite you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets have testified (see Ether 12:41). I invite you to look for ways that you have set up a false image of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and how by properly understanding who He really is, you will gain great power.

I testify that the man who entered Jerusalem on this sacred Palm Sunday almost two thousand years ago is the Savior of the world. He is a loving God who will forgive you of your sins. He loves us more than we can comprehend. He has done more for us than any other being. Of Him I testify, of Him I bow my knee in humble adoration. Truly, as the Master Himself stated “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

I pray that had we each been there on that Palm Sunday, we would have worshiped Christ for the Messiah He was and is. I pray that we would bow the knee and spread our cloak in adoration, and allow Him to not only enter the city of Jerusalem, but our very hearts and souls!

A Personal God

We truly have a God who personally cares about each of us. I have come to realize this more and more the past few months as I have learned to focus on the personal interactions I have had with the Lord.

We often point to the scriptures as our main source of truth in regards to revealing the Lord to us. We look at how Jesus taught the multitude and cared for them enough to feed each of them individually. We see His personal interactions with Peter when He patiently taught Him of His true and divine mission. We learn of the love and care He had for the women at the tomb who found it empty that Easter morn. It is hard not to sense the love that Jesus had for these who surround Him. Yet, much is lost through the transmission of not only translation, but also the written text; thus, learning who Christ is and how much He personally loves us can often be overshadowed or lost. Another way we can learn of the love of the Lord is through our interactions with those around us. These pillars of faith teach us of who Christ is, and what true charity is by the examples of selfless service they give to the world. We learn of Him because of the choices they make every day.

Yet, as I mentioned, our God is a personal God who not only desires to teach us about His love for us by the words of the scriptures and the examples of others, but also by His daily personal interactions with us. Allow me to explain. When you want to truly know someone, how do you do it? You can read a book or ask someone who knows them in order to learn of them. However, the best way to know someone is to be able to interact with them on a daily basis and not only learn of them through their words, but through their love that you feel from them. All of my grandparents died before I ever knew any of them. I have often longed to know them, to be able to ask them questions, to learn of their lives, and in particular, to feel of their love. Yet, because I never really knew them, I can only learn of them through the words they wrote and through those whom they knew.

Yet when it comes to our God, He has not left us to learn of Him through these (to be honest) weak sources. Don’t get me wrong, I love the scriptures, I love the words of the prophets, but what I love most about the gospel is not these things. The thing I love about the gospel is that God teaches us individually through His personal daily interactions with us. Have you ever taken the time to ponder how the Lord interacts with you? Have you ever asked how the Lord expresses His love for you? Have you ever noticed the way He forgives you? How He expresses confidence in you? As you look for the hand of the Lord in all your interactions, I promise you that He will become a more personal God to you, and your respect and gratitude will grow for Him as you notice His hand in all things.

Allow me to share a few personal interactions I have had with the Lord to demonstrate this point. First, I have noticed how quick the Lord is to forgive me of my sins. I often find myself on my knees a short time after I have done something wrong, expecting to feel ashamed or guilty, only to be filled with love and joy. A love that is more powerful than words can describe. On these occasions it seems that as soon as I kneel down I am engulfed by His forgiving power. This teaches me of how much He loves me, and also shows me how I should love others. How often do we hang on to those things that others have done, only to hesitantly forgive them long after they ask for forgiveness?

I have also noticed His confidence in me, and His acceptance of the small works of service I render. My sacrifices that I bring to the altar are, well, imperfect and incomplete. Yet the Lord does not tell me what I can do to improve my gift, He tells me of how grateful He is for my willingness, and blesses me as if my gift was whole and complete. When the Lord does this, it inspires me and helps me to be confident in even the smallest sacrifice that I make. Yet, how often do we tell people of how they can improve even before we thank them for what they have done.

These are only two personal interactions I have had with the Lord; however, I have had numerous, far more than I could ever write. These interactions are personal, powerful teachings that help me better know who the Lord is and how truly wonderful He is. I invite you to look for those moments when the Lord is personally teaching you of His love, character, patience and long suffering and I promise you that as you find them you will find the Lord. I know that the Lord loves us. I know that he personally cares for each of us. I know that He will do all He can that we may know Him, so that we then share this love with others. Truly, we have a personal God who loves us more than life itself.

Our Own Lost 116 Pages

Joseph Smith translating the plates by Robert T. Barrett

In the book of Doctrine of Covenants we learn of a story in which the Prophet Joseph Smith was commanded to translate the ancient record of the ancient inhabitants of America. These people knew of Christ and recorded their testimonies about him in what we know of today as the Book of Mormon. As Joseph began to translate this record he was asked by his scribe Martin Harris to allow him to show the completed manuscript to his wife. Joseph was very reluctant to allow Martin to do this, but prayed to the Lord because of Martin’s insistencies. First the Lord told Joseph that he was not allowed to give the transcript to Martin. However, after asking two more times the Lord granted Martin Harris the chance to show the documents to his wife and a few other specific people.

A few weeks later Martin returned to the home of Joseph without the manuscript. He had lost the 116 page manuscript and had no idea where it was. All the work they had done was lost. For a time the spirit withdrew from Joseph and he was left to sorrow after the loss, not knowing what would come in the future. However, the Lord had planned for this mistake, centuries before when He commanded the ancient prophet Nephi to make two accounts of his record; one that was more historical, the second more spiritual in nature. When Joseph was again allowed to translate the ancient record, he was told to translate the second account. This was to ensure that those who had stolen the original manuscript would not be able to use it to damage the Church of God by changing it or adding to it for their own benefit. Thus, we learn that the Lord in His wisdom had planned for this error on the part of Joseph thousands of years before. He knew exactly how things would unroll and had made compensation for those events that would happen in the future.

Each of us has our own lost 116 pages in essence. Each of us has made severe mistakes that will not only thwart the work of God, but will prevent us from blessing the lives of others to the full extent that we could otherwise. Often these are direct sins that we have committed, while other times they are careless mistakes we have made, or circumstances that we could not prevent. On our own, these events would make eternal progression impossible. Yet, as shown by this story of Joseph and the lost 116 pages, the Lord knows all things. He has provided for a way for us to overcome all things. Even our very sins have been not only forgiven but the wrongs we have committed will be made right. This means that when we sin or make a mistake we can know that we can be not only forgiven but that those who we have offended or hurt will likewise be blessed to have all things resorted unto them as if we had never sinned against them.

In short, compensation has been made for not only our personal actions, but the consequences of our actions. Because of this we can put our faith in the Lord that He can and will make all things whole. When we make a mistake, we must move forward and allow the power of the atonement to work in us and in those around us. As we learn of this power, we will have an increased faith in the Savior. We will know that we can do all things, and that no matter how many times we make a mistake, the Lord has provided a way for us to overcome it. Because He knows all things, we will never surprise Him with a new problem or a new challenge that He is not quite sure how to overcome. In fact, He has already proved a means to overcome all things centuries before we came to this earth by allowing the His Son to suffer in a garden called Gethsemane. Because the Savior knew all things that would happen, He paid the price for ALL sins and made ALL things right.

I invite you to look in the scriptures for moments like that of the lost 116 pages where the Lord made compensation for that which would take place in the future. As we learn of these stories we will increase in faith and hope that the Lord will do the same for us. This is my testimony, that the Lord has made all things right, not just after we have made a mistake, but centuries before hand, showing His power and eternal love for us. I have seen His power in my own life and have seen time and time again when He has made full compensation for those mistakes and sins that I have committed. Let us go forward in faith and not look back on the past, let us put our faith in the Lord who WILL make ALL things right!

Destruction vs. Salvation

Last night while I was reading Alma 26-28 it appeared to me that Mormon was trying to juxtapose several stories together to show the power of the atonement and the love of the Lord. It seems that the placement of his stories, the repetition of certain words and phrases, and the contrasts he shows can only be due to a desire on Mormon’s part to teach us a valuable lesson. Before I begin to explain, it is important to read these chapters and note the following contrasts and words: darkness vs. light, destruction vs. salvation, death vs. life, and mercy, love, and gratitude.

Chapter 26 opens with Ammon glorifying the Lord for His wondrous mercies. Ammon and his brethren had just completed a prosperous mission to the Lamanites in which thousands were converted to the gospel. He then comments in verses 17-20 on how they as brethren had faced destruction because they desired to destroy the church and then were saved from this destruction due to the mercy of God. He then recounts how the Nephites had similarly desired to destroy the Lamanites because of their wickedness (vs. 23-26) and that Ammon and his brethren preferred to spare their souls as they felt that the gospel could change their hearts. It appears that Ammon realized that he should have been destroyed because of his evil acts, yet because God was merciful and patient He spared his life and brought him great light and joy. Seeing this blessing brought into his life helped him to want to likewise bring salvation instead of destruction to his brethren the Lamanites.

Chapter 27 is somewhat of a transition point in which we learn that again these converted Lamanites face destruction and yet are now saved by the very Nephites who had earlier desired to destroy them. Then in chapter 28 we learn that because of the anger of the unconverted Lamanites a tremendous battle takes place wherein thousands are slain (Mormon states that this destruction of life is one of the greatest since the time of Lehi). Again, it would seem very purposeful that these stories of salvation and destruction are placed next to each other, juxtaposing the true meaning of being saved. Those who were valiant in the gospel did not face destruction, only death, while the unrepentant face true destruction in addition to facing death (see vs. 27:28). To make his point all the more powerful, Mormon concludes his comparisons with these words: “And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing—sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life” (28:14).

So what does this mean for us? How can this be applied to our lives? Each of us in our own way faces destruction because of our sins. According to the laws of justice we each should face death as a consequence for our sins. Yet, the Lord has provided a way for the destroying power of sin to be reversed. Through the atonement of Christ we are enabled (like Ammon and his brethren and the converted Lamanites) to be saved from eminent destruction and be brought to know of true joy and light. As in the words of Ammon, who so perfectly states this teaching, “Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things” (26:12). Let us, like these valiant individuals, look to Christ so that we may avoid destruction AND bring this light to others that they, like us, may avoid destruction and know of true joy and light!

The Reason for the Season

This Christmas Eve I wanted to post this video I made about the birth of the Savior. The artwork was done by my grandmother Isabel Bacheler Smith (1898-1985). She loved the Savior and always depicted this love in her art. She of all people lived a life of service towards others, and truly gave her whole heart unto the Lord. She always looked for opportunities to serve. Her and my grandfather Monroe Smith started American Youth Hostels (AYH) and served thousands of youth throughout the world. They did this so that youth could learn about other cultures and people, in hopes of helping them to more fully love their neighbor as Christ had taught. Much of the artwork is taken from the AYH Knapsacks which were published each quarter. 

May the light of Christ rest upon each of you this Christmas Season, and may each of us reflect His light and life to others by living as He did. May each of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Hallelujah, Christ Is Born

When I was about seventeen years old I wrote this song about the birth of Jesus Christ.  In a land far away He was born.  Two thousand years have passed, yet the power of His birth, life, death and resurrection are just as powerful as they were that first Christmas eve.  While in Jerusalem, I was able to sit on the hills that overlook the small town of Bethlehem.  As the sun began to set, and the night sky filled with small sparks of light, my thoughts turned to that night when angels came to herald the birth of our King and Redeemer.  

Hallelujah,Christ is Born in Bethlehem!

Hallelujah, come and see Him!

Hallelujah, come and look in to His eyes

To see the love He has for you

Born in a lowly stable across the sea

Humbly came down to save mankind

Hallelujah, He has freed us from our sins

For He shall be great, the Son of the Highest

My Savior King and Friend

The star led the wise men
You too can see the light He has

Guiding you back to Christ again

On your way back to see Him

Hallelujah, Christ was born in Bethlehem

And this I know, that He lives

He is my Lord and my Friend

And I will give, everything I have to Him

Though I was not there on that night, I hope to be able to raise this same voice of praise and joy.  "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)