Question:
Most adult members of the Restored Church, including women, are called by the priesthood to serve and
minister to others through various positions that are extensions of priesthood
authority. Why?
“Therefore, let every man stand
in his own office, and labor in his own calling; and let not the head say
unto the feet it hath no need of the feet; for without the feet how shall the
body stand? And also the body hath need of every member, that all may be
edified together, that the system may be kept perfect.” Doctrine and Covenants
84:109-110
“But learn that he who doeth the
works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace in this world,
and eternal life in the world to come.” Doctrine and Covenants 59:23
“Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the
children of men. Therefore, O ye that
embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might,
mind, and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day.
Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; For
behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his
sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perishesth not, but
bringeth salvation to his soul; And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye
single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.” Doctrine and Covenants
4:1-5
Members of the Restored Church believe that we must practice true
religion in Christ-like charity towards others. The Restored Church is the
world’s school for the instruction of perfect charity. Members are taught to
love, care, and minister to each other. Charity is expressed in loving service
to others. It is doing the will of God. Experiencing the atonement and
practicing such service helps us to develop and express Christ-like love for
others, to be peacemakers, and to become made in His image.
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and
to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience;
and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindnesss charity. For if
these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter
1:5-8
“That ye might walk worthy of
the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
Colossians 1:10
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints is one body, the body of Christ. Through our service we gain practical
experience and proof the word of God. Christ’s ancient church had the same
organization containing priesthood, callings, and focus on charity, while endeavoring
to do the will of God.
“I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is
your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as
God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members
in one body, and all members have not the
same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one
members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that
is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportions
of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on
teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on
exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth,
with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation.” Romans 12:1-9
“Call the labourers, and give
them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.” Matthew 20:8
“After thee things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent
them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself
would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the
labourers are few: pray ye therefore the
Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.”
Luke 10:1-2
“Let every man abide in the same
calling wherein he was called. Art thou called being a servant? care not
for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called
in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is
called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye
the servants of men. Brethren, let every
man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.” 1 Corinthians 7:20-24
“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the
good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power. That the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him. …” 2
Thessalonians 1:11-12
“I know thy works, and charity,
and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works. …” Revelation 2:19
“But he that is greatest among you shall
be your servant.” Matthew 23:11
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever
thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; Which have borne witness of
thy charity before the church: whom if
thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do
well.” 3 John 1:4-6
“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet,
because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth. …
So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God. …” 2
Thessalonians 1:3-4
“Let all your things be done
with charity.” 1 Corinthians 16:14
“[P]urge your
conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14
The women in the ancient church were also given
commission to teach and serve.
“That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in
charity, in patience. The aged women
likewise. … That they may teach the young women. …” Titus 2:2-3, 4
“And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel. …”
Philippians 4:3
Charity
begins with virtue. Virtue can rest in a person at the very least as a tiny
seed and a golden thread of truth. Virtue is that part of almost every person
that doesn’t really want bad things to happen to anyone, but would hope for
good things for all. (Or even, to start, just hoping for the good of only one
person.) It is to hope that every person can understand truth and find
happiness. That virtue can grow inside a
person from just merely desiring good things for others, even vaguely, to
active and passionate efforts to see such things come to fruition. It can start
as a seed of the power and ability of righteousness to become the full
embodiment of both, a tree of life.
When we
practice charity by the knowledge of Christ, we can begin to understand how
beautiful it is.
Our
Spirits are made of truth and virtue. By following God’s commandments and
through the repentance process, our spirits grow stronger inside us. The
culmination of this growth is charity.
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh
not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in
iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things,
hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether
there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall
cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part,
and we prophecy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that
which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put
away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to
face: now I know in part; but then shall
I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these
three; but the greatest of these is charity.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-13
Charity
Suffereth Long
“And when Ammon did meet them
he was exceedingly sorrowful, for behold they were naked, and their skins were
worn exceedingly because of being bound with strong cords. And they also had
suffered hunger, thirst, and all kinds of afflictions; nevertheless they were patient in all their sufferings.”
Alma 20:29 The Book of Mormon
The Lord Jesus Christ has longsuffering
patience. His longsuffering for us is our salvation. If He were not
longsuffering there would no mercy, and salvation would not be possible. There
is power in His longsuffering.
“The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent
that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our
Lord is salvation.” 2 Peter 3:14-15
“O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me in the truth of thy
salvation.” Psalms 69:13
“[T]he Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering,
quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers.” Alma 9:26
The Book of Mormon
“The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” Psalms 145:8
“Being justified freely by his
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set
forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” Romans 3:24-25
This longsuffering provides mercy and forgiveness.
His powerful longsuffering is an example for us to also develop.
“Howbeit for this cause I
obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all
longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him
to life everlasting.” 1 Timothy 1:16
Longsuffering is being patient towards others,
even in their repeated offenses against us.
It is forgiving seventy times seven. It is turning the other cheek.
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the
feebleminded, support the weak, be
patient toward all men.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14
“[W]hosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at law,
and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel
thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” Matthew 5:39-41
“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say
not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until
seventy times seven.” Matthew 18:21-22
Longsuffering is being gentle and soft spoken
when your kids are making you crazy. It
is giving your neighbor the benefit of the doubt when they do something
obnoxious. Longsuffering is being there
for your wayward teenager as they rebel in search of their own autonomy. Longsuffering
can be used every day in an infinite number of circumstances. Longsuffering is not
about allowing someone to physically, mentally, emotionally, or sexually abuse
you. It is being able to love and work to help someone become better through
the truth of Christ, even as they struggle to do so.
Becoming longsuffering is a treasure beyond
comprehension. I have had my own struggles doing what I ought. There was a problem
I had that I could not overcome. Over and over I repented. Finally, in deep
anguish and frustration I gave up and told the Lord that He should throw me
away because I would never figure my way out of the situation.
In that
terrible moment I felt compelled to read my scriptures. I thought perhaps through
them God would tell me that He would go ahead and quit on me. But that was not
my message. God told me that He loved
me. He told me that He was still waiting
for me and would continue waiting.
His longsuffering toward me is the most
marvelous thing I have ever known. It
was as though the entire universe became utterly still and quiet. I could feel the overwhelming strength and
might of God. There was immense power in His patience. His longsuffering was so beautiful, so
glorious. In the quiet strength of His power I could feel His rest.
Being able to exercise mercy the way God had
done to me through His longsuffering toward me, became as important to me as my
own breath. I don’t want God’s longsuffering mercy just to get me out of
trouble, I want to hold it to me as a most precious treasure. I want to make it
mine.
God wants us all to be longsuffering and
merciful as He is.
“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all
men, apt to teach, patient.” 2
Timothy 2:24
“With all lowliness and meekness, and longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.”
Ephesians 4:2
“Forbearing one another, and
forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, even as
Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” Colossians 3:13
It can be very difficult to be patient during adversity
in times of supercharged emotions. Yet, tribulation is beneficial as it inspires
us to seek after God for relief. In adversity we can find ourselves with no
answers, no options, except to look to God.
“I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their
offence, and seek my face: in their
affliction they will seek me early.” Hosea 5:15
“Mine eye mourneth by reason of
affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my
hands unto thee.” Psalms 88:9
We also have tribulation to learn patience and
to try our faith, because often God does not solve our problems when we want
Him to. Often the answers we crave don’t come on the spot. But if seek Him even
through the silence we will find Him. Silence also helps us to learn patience.
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.” Romans
5:3
“Knowing this, that the trying
of your faith worketh patience.” James 1:3
If we have faith in the Lord, if we fear only God,
patience becomes easier. Finding our patience is a step in finding Him. The
marvelous thing about longsuffering patience is it gives us time to think. It
leads to better understanding, which leads to better decision making. Patience helps us avoid sin.
“In your patience possess ye
your souls.” Luke 21:19
Followers of Christ can expect to have more
tribulation than one might normally expect, because they stand for
righteousness which is contrary to the world.
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10
“Many are the afflictions of the
righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Psalms 34:19
“So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your
persecutions and tribulations that ye endure.” 2 Thessalonians 1:4
“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil
shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have
tribulation ten days: be thou faithful
unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Revelations 2:10
“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe
on him, but also to suffer for his sake.”
Philippians 1:29
“But and if ye suffer for
righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled.” 1 Peter 3:14
Tribulation because of righteousness can have
two possible outcomes. We could give up faith because of the fear of man, or we
cling tighter to faith in God, growing our fear of Him. If we can be
longsuffering as Christ is, we will have the same reward as He has.
“And if children, then heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Romans
8:17
“For as the sufferings of Christ
abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” 2 Corinthians
1:5
“If we suffer, we shall also
reign with him: if we deny him, he will also deny us.” 2 Timothy 2:12
“Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye
may be counted worthy of the kingdom of
God, for which ye also suffer.” 2
Thessalonians 1:5
In patience we must also wait for deliverance,
even if we think we should have it right away.
All things are done in God’s time, for good reasons.
“Ye are not able to abide the
presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore, continue in
patience until ye are perfected.” Doctrine and Covenants 67:13
It is difficult to be longsuffering if we fear
man. The natural man is impatient and
intolerant. Most, if not all the reasons
we may find to not be longsuffering,
patient, and merciful, come from the fear of man and vanities.
Charity Is Kind
“And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a
thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they
smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his
longsuffering towards the children of men.” 1 Nephi 19:9 The Book of Mormon
God is kind. There is glory in His kindness,
and He delights in it.
“But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth
me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness,
judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:24
God corrects and teaches us. Why would He bother to correct men, but for
His great kindness?
“[T]hou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to
anger, and of great kindness, and
forsookest them not.” Nehemiah 9:17
We exist because of His kindness.
“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me saying, Yea, I have loved thee
with an everlasting love: therefore with
lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord Jesus Christ is kind. Repeatedly
during his mortal life He demonstrated beautiful kindness.
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all
manner of disease among the people.” Matthew 4:23
“And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if
thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched
him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
Matthew 8:2-3
“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were
possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed
all that were sick.” Matthew 8:16
The Lord’s mission is truly to be kind to us. His
mission is also to teach us how to do as He has done, to teach us how to be
kind as He is kind.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest.” Matthew 11:28
“But I say unto you, Love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray
for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Matthew 5:44
Being kind is a commandment.
“Therefore in all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to
you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12
“And be ye kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath
forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of
mercies, kindness, humbleness of
mind, meekness, longsuffering.” Colossians 3:12
“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having
compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, courteous.” 1
Peter 3:8
“And to godliness brotherly
kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” 2 Peter 1:7
It can be a very difficult commandment.
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor,
and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and
pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be
the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise
on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Matthew 5:43-45
Kindness like this can be hard. But you learn
and can grow into it. Kindness can be a beautiful symptom of an inner condition,
from a loving heart. Kindness to others has rewards that return to you.
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;
and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man
according as he puposeth in his heart, so
let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace about toward you; that ye, always having all
sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He
hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth
for ever. Now he that minstereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your
food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your
righteousness.)” 2 Corinthians 9:6-10
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and
shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete
withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38
“Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal
justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these
things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored
unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a
righteous judgement restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded
unto you again. For that which ye do send
out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word
restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.”
Alma 41:14-15 The Book of Mormon
Charity Envieth Not
“For those who did not belong to their church did indulge themselves
in sorceries, and in idolatry or idleness, and in babblings, and in envyings and strife; wearing costly
apparel; being lifted up in the pride of their own eyes; persecuting, lying,
thieving, robbing, committing whoredoms, and murdering, and all manner of
wickedness. …” Alma 1:32 The Book of Mormon
When we envy others, we are measuring
ourselves with strange measuring sticks.
We can be angry at others for what they possess because we feel we have
somehow been cheated or are lacking. This is fear of man, because we are
placing great value on material or worldly things.
“He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes
of words, whereof cometh envy, strife,
railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, and
destitute of the truth, supposing that
gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.” 1 Timothy 6:4-5
Envy is an evil seed that brings about sin.
“For where envying and strife
is, there is confusion and every evil work.” James 3:16
“Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not rioting and drunkenness, not
in chambering and wantonness, not in
strife and envying.” Romans 13:13
“Envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told
you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom
of God.” Galatians 5:21
“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures,
living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” Titus 3:3
Envy will make your heart unsound.
“A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.” Proverbs 14:30
Envy is inspired by the adversary.
“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more
grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the
humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands,
ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn,
and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Humble yourselves in the sight of God, and he shall lift you up.” James 4:5-10
Envy has a like companion in covetousness.
These two are both rapacious forms of idolatry, the fear of man.
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5
“He coveteth greedily all
the day long. …” Proverbs 21:26
“Yea, they are greedy dogs which
can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they
all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.” Isaiah
56:11
Excess follows covetousness. Excess is a
symptom of the fear of man. When we fear
man, we keep trying to fill the void in our spirits with worldly things, but
worldly things cannot help us.
“He that loveth silver shall not
be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this
is also vanity.” Ecclesiastes 5:10
When we fear God, we are grateful to have our
needs met. When we fear God, we don’t require the newest object or praise of
the world to give us a sense of worth. A God-fearing person is a temperate
person, without excess.
“For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will
of the Gentiles,
when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings,
banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye
run not with them to the same excess of
riot, speaking evil of you.” 1 Peter 4:3-4
“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. …” 1 Corinthians 9:25
“But godliness with contentment
is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we
can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8
Charity Vaunteth Not Itself
“And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they
were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were
afflicted and smitten, and driven. …” Helaman 4:13 The Book of Mormon
Vaunting is boastfulness, which comes from
pride. Pride is a self-love that has no
room for a love for God and corrodes love for other people.
“The pride of thine heart hath
deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose
habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the
ground?” Obadiah 1:3
“For men shall be lovers of
their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors,
heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of
godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy
3:2-5
It is easy to become prideful in times of
abundance. Pridefulness is contrary to the fear and knowledge of God.
“Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his
commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this
day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and
dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and
thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thy heart be lifted up, and thou forget
the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from
the house of bondage.” Deuteronomy 8:11-14
“Ye do not remember the Lord
your God in the things with which he hath blessed you, but ye do always
remember your riches, not to thank the Lord your God for them; yea, your
hearts are not drawn out unto the Lord, but they do swell with great pride,
unto boasting, and unto great swelling, envyings, strifes, malice,
persecutions, and murders, and all manner of iniquities.” Helaman 13:22 The
Book of Mormon
A person who boasts is a person that is
difficult to teach. The Lord cannot teach a person who is in such a state.
“For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the
covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.”
Psalms 10:3
“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served
the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. … And even as they did not like to retain God
in their knowledge, God gave them
over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are nor convenient; Being
filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud,
boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents. Without
understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable,
unmerciful.” Romans 1:25, 28-31
“He is proud, knowing nothing,
but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmising.” 1 Timothy
6:4
“See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not boast in your own wisdom, not of your much
strength.” Alma 38:11 The Book of Mormon
A person who boasts or vaunts does so to set
themselves above others to achieve worth. To vaunt is an act reflecting the
condition of our hearts, a symptom of an inner sickness. It betrays a belief in lies.
“Why boasteth thou thyself in
mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. The
tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. Thou lovest
evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou
deceitful tongue. God shall destroy thee for ever, he shall take the away,
and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the
living. Selah. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: Lo, this is the man that made not God his
strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself
in his wickedness. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I
trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. I will praise thee for ever,
because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before
thy saints.” Psalms 52
The tongue has great power to create evil.
What comes out of a person’s mouth shows what they are inside. Being able to
control your mouth shows you can control yourself.
“For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the
same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put
bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their
whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are
driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm,
whithersoever the governor listeth. Even
so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great
a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity:
so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and
setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every
kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is
tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an
unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father;
and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of
the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought
not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth
at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren,
bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt
water and fresh. Who is a wise man and
endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his
works with meekness in wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in
your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth
not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife
is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above
is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy
and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of
righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” James 3:2-18
Evil words come from an evil heart.
“But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.” James
4:16
Jesus Christ taught us this.
“But those things which proceed
out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For
out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications,
thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man:
but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.” Matthew 15:18-20
Charity Is Not Puffed Up
“And the large and spacious building, which thy father saw, is vain imaginations and the
pride of the children of men. …” 1 Nephi 12:18 The Book of Mormon
“[T]hey sell themselves for naught; for, for the reward of their pride and their foolishness they shall reap
destruction; for because they yield unto the devil and choose works of
darkness rather than light, therefore they must go down to hell.” 2 Nephi 26:10
The Book of Mormon
Being puffed up means you are using the
vanities (which are lies) of the world to support your self-worth and build up
pride. The natural man is inclined to vanity and pride.
“For the creature was made
subject to vanity.” Romans 8:20
“For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh,
through much wantoness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in
error.” 2 Peter 2:18
“None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies;
they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.” Isaiah 59:4
Pride in vanity is the fear of man and
trusting in the arm of flesh. This is having perverse treasure in your heart, instead
of God. Vanities trap us.
“And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with
their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain.
…” 2 Kings 17:15
“The wicked, through the pride
of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. …
under his tongue is mischief and vanity.” Psalms 10:4, 7
“The pride of thine heart hath
deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose
habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the
ground?” Obadiah 1:3
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be
the man that trustesth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart
departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and
shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the
wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.” Jeremiah 17:5-6
“[H]e was entangled again in the
vanities of the world.” Doctrine and Covenants 20:5
In pride we condemn ourselves.
“Woe unto them that are wise in
their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” Isaiah 5:21
Pride makes you unteachable, it sets you
against God.
“O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and frailties,
and the foolishness of men! When they are
learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God,
for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their
wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.” 2
Nephi 9:28 The Book of Mormon
“Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God. …”
Deuteronomy 8:14
“The wicked, through the pride
of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his
thoughts.” Psalms 10:4
To lose the fear of man we must stop regarding
vanities. We must stop listening and
believing in vanities and put off our pride.
“And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like
passions with you, and preach unto you that ye
should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and
earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.” Acts 14:15
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of
their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of
God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of
their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto
lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.” Ephesians 4:17-19
When we turn from vanities, we must turn to
God.
“For in a multitude of dreams and many words there are divers
vanities: but fear thou God.”
Ecclesiastes 5:7
“O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek
leasing? Selah.” Psalms 4:2
Ridding ourselves of the fear of man and
gaining the fear of the Lord helps us to rid ourselves of pride, and to become
purified. Purity allows us to exist where He exists.
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his
holy place? He that clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn
deceitfully.” Psalms 24:3-4
Charity Doth Not Behave Itself Unseemly
“But behold, the land was filled with robbers and with Lamanites; and
notwithstanding the great destruction which hung over my people, they did not repent of their evil doings;
therefore there was blood and carnage spread throughout all the face of the
land, both on the part of the Nephites and also on the part of the Lamanites;
and it was one complete revolution thought all the face of the land.” Mormon
2:8 The Book of Mormon
If God is a God of love, and all the
commandments are geared toward us becoming like God and gaining true love, then
hating God and turning from Him in the pursuit of the fear of man will lead us
to innumerable sorts of unseemly wicked behavior that is contrary to real love.
“But my people would not hearken
to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own
hearts’ lust: and they walked in their
own counsels.” Psalms 81:11-12
“And even as they did not like
to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do
those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all
unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of
envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God,
despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable,
unmerciful.” Romans 1:28-31
Without grasping the light of God, man will
walk in darkness.
“The way of the wicked is as
darkness: they know not at what they stumble.” Proverbs 4:19
The wicked are the authors of their own
destruction.
“Evil shall slay the wicked:
and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.” Psalms 34:21
“The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own
wickedness.” Proverbs 11:5
The righteous can lose faith by adopting
wicked practices.
“Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware
lest ye also, being led away with the
error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.” 2 Peter 3:17
Wickedness holds no peace. The wicked cannot
bear the presence of God.
“There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked.” Isaiah 48:22
“As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before
the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.”
Psalms 68:2
We must be active in our resistance to
wickedness practices, and do the will of God.
“Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart.” Ephesians 6:6
Charity Seeketh Not Her Own
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile
yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the
flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and
through the grace of God that ye are saved.” 2 Nephi 10:24 The Book of Mormon
Love is not selfish. Love is looking out for
others. Love in God means we are willing
to do His will, and to be obedient to His Spirit. Divine love is willing to sacrifice to protect
and help. Jesus Christ was our perfect example of obedience to the Father,
being willing to give up everything for love.
“Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.” John 10:17
“Yet it pleased the LORD to
bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering
for sin. …” Isaiah 53:10
“And walk in love, as Christ
also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Ephesians 5:2
“Who gave himself a ransom for
all, to be testified in due time.” 1
Timothy 2:6
We should be obedient as the Lord is.
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for
us, leaving us an example, that ye should
follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21
The Lord gained a place beside His Father by
His obedience to Him.
“But this man, after he had
offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”
Hebrews 10:12
We must be willing to do as God would have us
do, no matter the cost. When called by the Lord, the apostles of Jesus Christ left
everything and followed Him.
“And straightway left their nets, and followed him.” Matthew 4:20
When we are called by the Lord, we must also
be willing to leave everything and follow Him.
“And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto
Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the
power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting
and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.”
Omni 1:26 The Book of Mormon
“Therefore I say unto you, Take
no thought of your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet
for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the
body than raiment?” Matthew 6:25
“He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” Matthew 10:39
“And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or
father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit
everlasting life.” Matthew 19:29
“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man
said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee
withersoever thou goest.” Luke 9:57
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 14:33
This does not mean we need to leave our
families and our homes and go live as hermits in the wilderness. The Lord will
require whatever He knows we need to
sacrifice. Seeking the will of God means working to be obedient to His
commandments and sacrificing whatever God requires of us. It means becoming
spiritually in tune enough to know what He wants of us. This helps us grow in
the knowledge of Him.
“Offer the sacrifices of
righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.” Psalms 4:5
“The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart.” Psalms 51:17
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what
is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2
“And he said unto them, When ye Pray, say, Our Father which art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” Luke 11:2
“Make you perfect in every good
work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his
sight, through Jesus Christ. …” Hebrews 13:21
“Teach me to do thy will; for
thou art God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.”
Psalms 143:10
“For as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14
“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to
pray for you, and to desire that ye might
be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual
understanding; That ye might walk
worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and
increasing in the knowledge of God.
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience
and longsuffering with joyfulness.” Colossians 1:9-11
Our will, or agency, is the only thing in this
life that we truly possess. It is the only thing we truly have to give.
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty
for an occasion to
the flesh, but by love serve one
another.” Galatians 5:13
If we are seeking the will of God, we must
know His doctrine.
“If any man will do his will, he
shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of
myself.” John 7:17
God’s will is manifest in practicing charity
to others.
“And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye
may learn that when ye are in the service
of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” Mosiah 2:17
The Book of Mormon
“But to do good and to
communicate forget not: for with such
sacrifices God is well pleased.” Hebrews 13:16
So that we may better fulfill His will, we
should pray for charity with all our strength.
“Wherefore, my beloved
brethren, pray unto the Father with all
the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath
bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that
when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that
we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.”
Moroni 7:48 The Book of Mormon
We must also be willing to suffer for the
Lord’s name when we seek to do His will. We always take the chance that when we
try to teach someone about Christ, that the teaching may result in our own
persecutions.
“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to
suffer shame for his name.” Acts 5:41
“For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” Acts 9:16
We must teach, serve, and love despite what
others may do to us.
“And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed,
we intreat. …” 1 Corinthians 4:12-13
“For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” 1 Peter 3:17
Whatever we may give up in our service to God’s
will is nothing compared to the blessings He has for us.
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things
but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Philippians 3:8
God’s priesthood has a function of helping us
learn to be obedient in our spiritual sacrifices to God and in seeking God’s
will in our lives. That includes correcting us when we need to be corrected.
“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed
of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power,
according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and
apostleship, for obedience to the
faith among all nations, for his name.” Romans 1:3-5
“Let every soul be subject unto
the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are
ordained of God. Whosoever therefore
resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist
shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good
works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that
which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same. For he is the minister
of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he
beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to
execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore
ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience
sake.” Romans 13:1-5
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5
Meekness to God’s will is required to be
taught of God. Meekness also helps us to be like Christ, who is obedient to the
will of His Father in all things. Meekness is one of the attributes of God.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn
of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
Matthew 11:29
Charity Is Not Easily Provoked
“[I]n thine anger, thy soul could not be saved.” Alma 20:17 The Book
of Mormon
The Lord is slow to anger.
“The LORD is slow to anger, and
great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his
way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his
feet.” Nahum 1:3
Anger is prohibitive to righteousness.
“For the wrath of man worketh
not the righteousness of God.” James 1:20
Patience, as we saw earlier, helps us to avoid sin. If we can be slow
to anger, we can avoid much sin. Anger is the fruit of fools.
“Wrath is cruel, and anger
is outrageous. …” Proverbs 27:4
“Be not hasty in thy spirit to
be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9
“He that is soon angry dealeth
foolishly. …” Proverbs 14:17
In our efforts to be slow to wrath through patience, our first effort
must be to truly understand any given situation.
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let
every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” James 1:19
“He that is slow to wrath is of
great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”
Proverbs 14:29
Being slow to anger can help diffuse the anger
of others. There is great strength in being slow to anger.
“A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.” Proverbs 15:18
“He that is slow to anger is
better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a
city.” Proverbs 16:32
“The discretion of a man
deferreth his anger; and it his glory to pass over a transgression.”
Proverbs 19:11
When our worth and understanding of ourselves
is based on heavenly principles, not much can threaten it. Imagine a man who
believes his education makes him superior, then finds someone who challenges
his intelligence. He could become easily angry. Contrast that to a man that truly
knows his worth as a son of God, and who understands the fear of God. What man
can make him provoked, when his foundation is heavenly, when he belongs to God?
Love Thinketh No Evil
“But behold, hearken
ye unto me, and know that by the help of the all-powerful Creator of heaven and
earth I can tell you concerning your
thoughts, how that ye are beginning to labor in sin which sin appeareth
very abominable unto me, yea, and abominable unto God.” Jacob 2:5 The Book of
Mormon
Love does not measure other people by worldly standards. It doesn’t
look at a person and dislike them because of their appearance, their
socioeconomic status, or any other strange measuring stick. It also does not
keep records of every bad thing that other people do.
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. …” Proverbs 23:7
“Their feet run to
evil, and they make hast to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction
are their paths.” Isaiah 59:7
“And God saw the
wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually.” Genesis 6:5
Jesus Christ does not want evil in our minds.
“And Jesus knowing
their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye
evil in your hearts?” Matthew 9:4
Taking care to have kind and pure thoughts leads to righteousness.
Evil thoughts lead to sin.
“He that despiseth his
neighbor sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he. Do they not err that devise evil? but
mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.” Proverbs 14:21-22
“The thoughts of the
righteous are right: but the counsels of
the wicked are deceit.” Proverbs 12:5
“The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the
words of the pure are pleasant words.” Proverbs 15:26
We need to follow Christ’s example, and keep Him always in our minds.
“Then they that feared
the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and
a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”
Malachi 3:16
“Let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy on him; and to
our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7
“Yea, and cry unto God
for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and
whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the
affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.” Alma 37:36 The Book
of Mormon
We should only measure ourselves and others by God’s standards, and be
merciful enough to know that people can rise up, despite the circumstances they
find themselves in. Failure to see the potential in others, and to have
consideration for their experiences is hypocritical.
“And why beholdest
thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is
in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote
out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite,
first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly
to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5
“Let thy bowels also
be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish your thoughts unceasingly;
then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine
of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.” Doctrine
and Covenants 121:45
This failure can result in wicked judgments on others, which will then
condemn us.
“Judge not, that ye be
not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be
measured to you again.” Matthew 7:1-2
“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein
thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest
the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth
against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that
judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape
the judgment of God?” Romans 2:1-3
“For he shall have
judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy. …” James 2:13
Love must rule our
thoughts and judgment. We must be sufficiently instructed in the
knowledge of God to be judges.
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more
in knowledge and in all judgment.” Philippians 1:9
“And I myself also am
persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye
also are full of goodness, filled
with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.” Romans 15:14
“But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct
him? But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:14-15
We should allow our hearts to turn our minds. We should surrender our
thoughts to obedience of Jesus Christ. We should look for the good in others.
“Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
“Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever
things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
Charity Rejoiceth Not In Iniquity
“Now, it was for the
sole purpose to get gain, because they received their wages according to their
employ, therefore, they did stir up the
people to riotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness, that
they might have more employ, that they might get money. …” Alma 11:20 The Book
of Mormon
Love does not delight in anything that takes us from the God of love.
Love does not delight in anything that harms or is contrary to the righteous paths
of life.
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
Matthew 24:12
“It is a joy to the
just to do judgment: but destruction
shall be to the workers of iniquity.” Proverbs 21:15
Iniquity is destructive. There is no true happiness or love in
iniquity.
“But behold, your days
of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until
it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye
have sought all the days of your lives for that which could not obtain: and ye have sought for happiness in doing
iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is
in our great and Eternal Head.” Helaman 13:38 The Book of Mormon
“His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall beholden
with the cords of his sins” Proverbs 5:22
“He that
soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.” Proverbs
22:8
“And calamity shall
cover the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed; and they that have been watched for iniquity shall be hewn down and
cast into the fire.” Doctrine and Covenants 45:50
We need to love righteousness.
When we love something, we learn about it, we acquire it, we make it part of
ourselves. When we love righteousness, we will be blessed with happiness.
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed
thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Hebrews 1:9
Charity Rejoiceth In The Truth
“And it came to pass
that I said unto them that I knew that I
had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the
righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the
last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh
the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center. And now my
brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and
give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not
murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us.” 1
Nephi 16:2-3 The Book of Mormon
Love wants things to prosper. It wants individuals to meet their
potential. Truth in love helps things to grow.
The truth for a tree growing in a field is that it needs water, soil,
and light to become what it should become.
The truth for us is that keeping the commandments through Jesus Christ
will make us what we are designed to be.
Lies distort understanding. Lies can lead us to partake of things,
thinking that they will help us when they will not. We must have truth so we can partake of the
things that will make us become what we ought.
God is truth. The ways of godliness are truth. He also wants us to be
truth.
“He is the Rock, his way is perfect: for all
his ways are judgment: a God of truth
and without iniquity, just and right is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4
“Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” Psalms 51:6
“Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world
cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye shall
know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall
be in you.” John 14:17
Losing the fear of man and filling ourselves
with the fear and the love of God helps our hearts to desire, to hunger and
thirst, for the truth of righteousness and godliness.
“But thou, O man of God,
flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness.” 1 Timothy 6:11
“[T]he acknowledging of the
truth which is after godliness.” Titus 1:1
We should pursue the truth of godliness.
“Buy the truth, and sell it not;
also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” Proverbs 23:23
“Let not mercy and truth forsake
thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.”
Proverbs 3:3
This truth is eternal.
“The lip of truth shall be
established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” Proverbs
12:19
Judgment (not eternal judgment) is our own truth
revealed. Judgments of truth can be painful, but truth is treasure. We should
take the judgments of God, His chastening and His reproach, and wrought them in
our lives. By doing this we also learn how to judge. We must present ourselves
to priesthood authority so that we may obtain the truth of judgments.
“I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have
learned thy righteous judgments. … My soul breaketh for the longing it hath
unto thy judgments at all times. .. I
have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.” Psalms
119:7, 20, 30
“These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth
to his neighbour, execute the judgment of
truth and peace in your gates.” Zechariah 8:16
“O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness
of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against
you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the
words of your Maker. I know the words of
truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for
they love the truth and are not shaken.” 2 Nephi 9:40 The Book of Mormon
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
Hebrews 12:11
By adhering to God’s judgments, or striving to
live a truthful life, we can find a righteous life without captivity and fear.
“But he that doeth truth cometh
to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
John 3:21
“And ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32
“And the work of righteousness
shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for
ever.” Isaiah 32:17
Our worship of God must be based upon truth.
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24
The written law of Moses is useful in
beginning to lead people to God, but the atonement of Jesus Christ with His
full law provides so much more than words on a page we try to align ourselves
with. Being a sinner and working through the atonement of Christ, having Him as
an example, having the Holy Spirit as a guide, fighting to forsake sin, and experiencing
redemption, puts the truth of God into
our hearts. We know what mercy and righteousness is. We learn to hate sin,
to love righteousness, and we take on the image of the Lord.
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Galatians 2:21
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 14:6
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will guide you in all truth. …” John 16:13
“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:4
“For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:4
“If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.” 1 John 2:29
“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the
devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness
is not of God, neither he that loveth
not his brother.” 1 John 3:10
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
“I will put my law in their
inward parts, and write it in their hearts. …” Jeremiah 31:33
We must do what the Lord tells us to do. Then
we will gain heavenly knowledge, being made new in the image of God.
“He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth
all things.” Doctrine and Covenants 93:28
“And that ye put on the new man, which
after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:24
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep
his commandments. He that saith, I know
him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
1 John 2:3-4
“As for me, I will behold thy
face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.”
Psalms 17:15
The truth, wisdom, and righteousness of God must
come from God.
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his
friend.” Proverbs 27:17
“And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall say there is no sin. If
ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And
if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there must be no
punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if
there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no
creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things
must have vanished away.” 2 Nephi 2:13 The Book of Mormon
“And he shewed me a pure river
of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of
the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it and on either side of the river,
was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her
fruit every month: and the leaves of the
tree were for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:1-2
Charity Beareth All Things
“[A]s ye are desirous
to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be
light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort
those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all
times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in even until death,
that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first
resurrection, that ye may have eternal life.” Mosiah 18:8-9 The Book of Mormon
Love in its fullest measure, pure and divine, is stronger than is
conceivable. Just as Christ hung upon the cross dying, bearing the weight of
the sins of the world upon Him, we can learn and grow so to bear the sorrows of
others through divine love. The Lord’s body literally held Him up while nailed
to the cross as He was bearing the burdens of all humanity. We must become
strong like Him in bearing the burdens of others.
“And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be
for a glorious throne to his father’s house.” Isaiah 22:23
“So Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many; and
unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation.” Hebrews 9:28
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.” 1 Peter 2:24
This we can only do by fearing Him and keeping His words. The strength
to bear burdens comes in the wisdom of the knowledge of God, found through the fear
of the Lord.
“My son, forget not my
law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long
life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee:
bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt
thou find favour and good understanding
in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD,
and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.”
Proverbs 3:1-8
Wisdom in the
knowledge and trust of God and His ways is how we gain the real strength to
bear burdens.
“[M]y God, my strength, in whom I
will trust.” Psalms 18:2
“The fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is
understanding.” Job 28:28
“Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength. …”
Ecclesiastes 9:16
“Wisdom is better than weapons of war. …” Ecclesiastes 9:18
“[F]illed with the knowledge of his will in all
wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord
unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto
all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.” Colossian 1:9-11
“The way
of the LORD is strength to the upright. …” Proverbs 10:29
“And wisdom and
knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation:
the fear of the LORD is his treasure.” Isaiah 33:6
That strength is not in flesh, but in spirit.
“And the child [Jesus]
grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled
with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” Luke 2:40
Christ’s holy house, His church, being filled with the treasures of
wisdom will be strong and terrible as an army.
“And to none else will
I grant this power, to receive this same testimony among this generation, in
this the beginning of the rising up and the
coming forth of my church out of the wilderness- clear as the moon, and fair as
the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.” Doctrine and Covenants 5:14
In the strength of wisdom, we can bear any burden.
“And whosoever doth
not bear his cross, and come after me,
cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:27
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Galatians
6:2
“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak,
and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1
We also need to be able to bear God’s chastisement - His judgments.
Through fear of God we can be able to bear whatever information He would give
to us, and any circumstance of our lives.
“My people must be
tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have
for them, even the glory of Zion; and he
that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.” Doctrine and
Covenants 136:31
“I have yet many
things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” John 16:12
“There hath no
temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who
will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be
able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
“O Lord God, how long
wilt thou suffer that such wickedness and infidelity shall be among this people?
O Lord, wilt thou give me strength, that
I may bear with mine infirmities. For I am infirm, and such wickedness among
this people doth pain my soul.” Alma 31:30 The Book of Mormon
Charity Believeth All Things
“And now, my beloved
brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words
and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will
believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given
them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.” 2 Nephi 33:10
The Book of Mormon
If you don’t believe God exists, if you don’t have faith, you cannot
know what He is.
“If I have told you earthly things, and ye believed not, how shall ye
believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” John 3:12
We must cast out the fear of man from us and replace it with belief and
fear in God.
“As soon as Jesus
heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” Mark 5:36
To gain the knowledge of God, we must believe in Him and all that He
is. We must believe that He has the
power to make us what we can become. We believe we can be strong and wonderful
as He is.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh
to God must believe that he is, and
that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are
possible to him that believeth.” Mark 9:23
“And all things,
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing,
ye shall receive.” Matthew 21:22
“That they all may be
one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in
us: that the world may believe that thou
hast sent me.” John 17:21
Belief in Christ is also belief in His atonement, that He can heal us.
“And Jesus said unto
the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou
hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the
selfsame hour.” Matthew 8:13
“And when he was come
into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus said unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this?
They said unto him, Yea, Lord.” Matthew 9:28
“But when Jesus heard
it, he answered him, saying, Fear not:
believe only, and she shall be made whole.” Luke 8:50
We must believe not just in Christ, but in His words.
“Jesus answered and
said unto them, This is the work of God,
that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:29
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth
not shall be damned.” Mark 16:16
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on
him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24
If we truly believe Christ, we will do as He did.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also. …” John
14:12
Belief in Christ is belief in Heavenly Father.
“And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the
living God.” John 6:69
“Jesus cried and said,
He that believeth on me, believeth not on
me, but on him that sent me.” John 12:44
“The same came for a
witness, to bear witness of the Light,
that all men through him might believe.” John 1:7
Christ is a living testimony to the reality of God.
“Henceforth I call you
not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have
called you friends; for all things that I
have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” John 15:15
Belief in Christ is required to find His charity and gain eternal
life.
“He that believeth on
the Son hath everlasting life: and he
that believeth not on the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him.” John 3:36
Those who do not believe in Christ will one day be faced with His
reality and be chastened because of their lack of belief.
“And when he is come,
he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of
sin, because they believe not on me.”
John 16:8-9
“Jesus saith unto him,
Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” John
20:29
Faith comes through belief.
“But the scripture
hath concluded all under sin, that the
promise by faith to Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
Galatians 3:22
“Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:15-16
Belief in Christ and Father in Heaven leads us to find hope in them.
“Now the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
Romans 15:13
Charity Hopeth All Things
“Wherefore, ye must
press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all
men. …” 2 Nephi 31:20 The Book of Mormon
Hope comes from belief and faith in God.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of
things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
“For we are saved by hope: but what hope that is seen is not hope:
for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see
not, then do we with patience wait for it.” Romans 8:24-25
“For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.”
Galatians 5:5
It is the hope that He will deliver on His promises if we do His will.
“And now I stand and
am judged for the hope of the promise made
of God unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly
serving God day and night, hope to come. …” Acts 26:6-7
“The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of
the wicked shall perish.” Proverbs 10:28
“The wicked is driven
away in his wickedness: but the righteous
hath hope in his death.” Proverbs 14:32
“Let thy mercy, O LORD,
be upon us, according as we hope in thee.”
Psalms 33:22
“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised
before the world began.” Titus 1:2
“That being justified
by his grace, we should be made heirs according
to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:7
Jesus Christ is this hope.
“Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath
begotten us again unto a lively hope by
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”1 Peter 1:3
“The LORD also shall
roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the
earth shall shake: but the LORD will be
the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” Joel
3:16
“Why art thou cast
down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of
my countenance, and my God.” Psalms 42:11
“Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ by the commandment of the God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope.” 1
Timothy 1:1
Hope is a purifying medium. When we have hope in Christ, we can grow
into what we should become because we believe it is possible.
“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he
is pure.” 1 John 3:3
“Blessed is the man
that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope
the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that
spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but
her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought,
neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8
Hope is a protection.
“But let us, who are
of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” 1
Thessalonians 5:8
When we keep hope in our hearts, it helps us to be stable and
steadfast.
“If ye continue in the
faith grounded and settled, and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven. …” Colossians 1:23
“But Christ as a son
over his own house; whose house are we, if
we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”
Hebrews 3:6
“And we desire that
every one of you do shew the same diligence to
the full assurance of hope unto the end.” Hebrews 6:11
“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,
and which entereth into that within the veil.” Hebrews 6:19
Hope can bring joy, peace, and rest.
“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in
prayer.” Romans 12:12
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” Romans 15:13
“Therefore did my
heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope.” Acts 2:26
We can hope because we have charity in our hearts. When we know we
carry charity inside us, it can make us even more confident and hopeful.
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5
“Herein is our love
made perfect, that we may have boldness
in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” 1 John
4:17
A hypocrite cannot have hope, because they do not truly believe.
“For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when
God taketh away his soul?” Job 27:8
There is no hope for those who by choice go to the pit, or outer
darkness.
“For the grave cannot
praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they
that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth.” Isaiah 38:18
Hope in God also helps us to be free from fear for ourselves. Then our
focus can turn more fully outward toward others.
Charity Endureth All Things
“Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of
Christ, and endure to the end, behold,
thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” 2 Nephi 31:20 The Book
of Mormon
When we truly fear the Lord and keep Him as
our treasure, it helps us to endure to the end.
“Better is little with the fear
of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and
hatred therewith. ” Proverbs 15:17-18
They shall fear thee as long as the sun and
moon endure, throughout all generation.” Psalms 72:5
“The fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.”
Psalms 19:9
Charity through fear of the Lord can see
things completely through. It does not give up. No matter the circumstances, it
endures. For us to gain pure charity, we must persevere through fear of God no
matter the tribulation or persecution.
“Labour not for the meat
which perisheth, but for that meat which
endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you:
for him hath God the Father sealed.” John 6:27
“Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may
also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” 2 Timothy
2:10
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it
is written, For thy sake we are killed
all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39
If we fear man we will not endure.
“And ye shall be hated
of all men for my name’s sake: but he
that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 10:22
“And have no root in
themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately
they are offended.” Mark 4:17
We only obtain the promises of God after we endure.
“I have inclined my
heart to perform thy statutes alway, even
unto the end.” Psalms 119:112
“And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Hebrews
6:15
“Blessed
is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,
which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12
“Confirming the souls
of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must
through much tribulation enter into the
kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22
“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye
have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the
Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:11
We should trust that the Lord is taking care of us, despite the
circumstances or problems we may encounter.
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust him. ...” Job 13:15
We cannot gain charity if we quit because it is too hard to be
patient, or we really hate our neighbor, or any other reason. We must endure to
the end.
“But blessed are they who are faithful and endure, whether in life
or in death, for they shall inherit eternal life.” Doctrine and Covenants 50:5
“My son, peace be unto
thy soul; thine adversity and thine
afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God
shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” Doctrine
and Covenants 121:7-8
“For we
are made partakers of Christ, if we
hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.” Hebrews 3:14
Gaining charity is the desired result of the trials of mortality. We
gain wisdom through sorrow.
“For in much wisdom is much
grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.” Ecclesiastes
1:18
“And to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of
God.” Ephesians 3:19
“Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of
affliction.” Isaiah 48:10
“And I will bring the third part though the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as
gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It
is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.” Zechariah 13:9
“But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he
appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s
fire, and like fullers’ soap.” Malachi 3:2
If we never give up on seeking Him, He will
never give up on us. He can do nothing
for someone who does not care to seek Him, and He will do everything for those
that do and never stop doing so. We can find Him and have His love, His
charity, in our hearts.
“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that
seek thee.” Psalms 9:10
Understanding the fear of the Lord by gaining the knowledge of God through
God’s atonement and practicing charity has wonderful results. We gain purity,
strength, stability and steadfastness. We lose our fear and forget our misery.
We find glory and security. Best of all, our hearts become fully flesh through
charity, not being stony to anyone but warm and alive.
“That he would grant you, according to the
riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner
man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and
grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that worketh in us. Unto him be glory in the
church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-21
“Then I will sprinkle clean
water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all
your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put within you: and I will
take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of
flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my
statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Ezekiel 36:25-27
With divine
love in our hearts, we also become holy.
“O worship the LORD in the
beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.” Psalms 96:9
“[T]hat we should be holy
and without blame before him in love.”
Ephesians 1:4
When we have gained this new heart, which beats
with the power and the strength as that of our precious Lord’s, we will find
Him.
“He that hath my
commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me
shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” John 14:21
“Draw nigh to God, and he will
draw nigh to you. …” James 4:8
“I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.” Job 42:5
We will see Him through the veil and bear His
presence.
“[T]he veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to
the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.”
2 Corinthians 3:15-16
“[W]hile in the flesh, they may
be able to bear his presence in the world of glory.” Doctrine and Covenants
76:118
“That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” 1 Corinthians
1:29-30
In
His presence is the fulness of joy.
“Thou wilt shew me the path
of life: in thy presence is fulness of
joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalms 16:11
"Serve
the LORD with gladness: come before his
presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God. …” Psalms 100:2-3
Next Chapter
Watch- That We May All Sit Down in Heaven Together
Watch- Love is Spoken Here