Achieving True Reverence
Filed under: Becoming More Christlike, Jesus Christ
Robert C. Oakes, who served as a member of the Seventy (a high level position in the Mormon Church) for many years
recently wrote about the subject of reverence, suggesting it is not just a topic for children. Reverence is an important part of worship for all followers of Christ.
When I teach young children, I often ask them what it means to be reverent. They normally respond, “Sit down and be quiet.” Teachers often tell children to be reverent when they really mean to tell them to behave, and so this is the definition most children have of the word. I follow up by asking them to listen to a story:
Susan is sitting in Primary (the children’s auxiliary in the Mormon Church) and is sitting very still. Her hands are in her lap, she isn’t talking, and she isn’t wiggling. She’s looking right at the teacher. Is she being reverent? The children say she is. Then I tell them there is more to the story. While she’s sitting still, not talking, not wiggling and looking at the teacher, she is thinking, “When I get home, I’m going to hit my brother. He was so mean to me this morning. I’m going to teach him a lesson.” I ask again, “Is Susan being reverent?” Even young children realize she is not being reverent, because although her body is doing the right thing, her mind is not.
I tell the children behavior is on the outside and reverence is on the inside. Then we sing a children’s song that emphasizes this message:
Rev’rence is more than just quietly sitting:
It’s thinking of Father above,
A feeling I get when I think of his blessings.
I’m rev’rent, for rev’rence is love. (Listen to Reverence is Love.)
Reverence is how we show our love for God and for Jesus Christ. Mormon churches have foyers meant for the inevitable socialization among a people who consider their congregation their second family. Once they enter the chapel or a classroom, they’re asked to stop socializing and to sit quietly, listening to the prelude music. Of course, that doesn’t always happen, but it’s the goal.
During the meeting, members remain quiet, listening to the speakers and doing whatever is needed to keep small children happy. In a Mormon church, even the tiniest child remains with his family during the main worship service, known as Sacrament Meeting. This allows children to be trained by their parents to be both reverent and well-behaved, and includes them in the spiritual life of the congregation.
True reverence, as mentioned above, is not just about sitting still and being quiet. While it’s certainly easier to feel the spirit when we’re well-behaved, our minds must also be focused on things of the spirit. As we walk through the chapel doors, we leave behind us the cares and thoughts of the world, and turn our full attention to God. In the quiet moments that are ours, we think of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice, and during the time people are speaking, we listen carefully and stay alert for promptings from the Holy Ghost as to how the speaker’s message can apply to us in our own lives.
This three hour focus each Sunday on the things of the spirit helps Mormons to move into the outside world renewed and ready to face the moral and secular challenges of everyday life. We feel ready to tackle life and the gospel with renewed strength and energy.
Of course, Church isn’t the only place reverence is needed. We can feel the spirit every moment of our lives if we work hard to do so. As we go about our weekday chores and tasks, we can surround ourselves with things that will help us keep the Holy Ghost near. Playing spiritual music, thinking about the gospel and how to apply it to each aspect of our lives, and reading appropriate books ensure the spirit will be present. Mormons are taught that when the Spirit flees, they must flee also, and the Spirit cannot be where there is sin. Mormons work to create an appropriate environment for themselves whenever possible, decorating their homes with spiritual things among the secular ones, playing appropriate music, interacting kindly to family members, and engaging in service and other appropriate activities.
They try to bring the gospel into their homes as much as possible. Each morning they have prayer and scripture study. They have a spiritually based family night once a week. They select other gospel-centered activities to do throughout the week, ensuring that their religion is not a three-hours-on-Sunday religion, but an all day, every day religion that impacts every moment of their lives.
There are times, of course, when we cannot control our environments, such as at work or school. However, we can choose how we interact with that environment. We do not need to participate in gossip or gripe sessions. When inappropriate music is playing, we can move to another room, encourage a change of music, or put on headphones where allowed. If all else fails, we can tune out or ask to be placed in a less offensive environment.
While we can’t always control the music or the language around us, we are always in full control of our own thoughts. We can fill our minds with religious music, spiritually uplifting thoughts, and a pleasant attitude. It’s what we do with what we can control that determines the presence of the spirit.
Elder Oaks explained, “As we study the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and gain an appreciation of the remarkable impact—both mortal and eternal—of His Atonement on our lives, we naturally experience the emotional responses of respect, love, and honor. Gospel obedience and Christian service then flow as appropriate expressions of these emotions. But without reverence, the expressions of respect, love, and honor are incomplete.
As we develop reverence for Jesus Christ, we are better able to pattern our lives after His perfect example. There are many facets to such reverence: faith that He lives, trust in His promised blessings, and obedience to gospel standards. But one of the most important facets is the feeling of our heart—the respect, love, and honor we feel toward Deity. We who respect, love, and honor the Lord will never take His name in vain and will be uncomfortable with demeaning or trivializing jokes about Him. Rather, we praise and revere our Heavenly Father and Him whom we worship as our Lord and our Savior.
The Lord gives clear direction regarding His expectation for reverence in Leviticus 19:30, where He states, “Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.” The respect we show for His temples and chapels is a reflection of the reverence for Him we feel in our hearts. Our degree of respect, love, and honor for the Lord is directly reflected in our reverence, as shown by our attitudes as well as by our decorum.” Robert C. Oaks, “Worship through Reverence,” Ensign, Dec 2009, 20–23
Parable of the Talents
Filed under: Bible, Finding Happiness, Jesus Christ, New Testament, Teachings of Christ, The Bible
In the New Testament, Jesus told a parable of a man who, about to leave on a trip, gave each of his servants some talents (coins) to have stewardship over. Each received a different amount. Most of them used the talents in such a way as to increase the value of the stewardship by the time the master returned. However, the person who had received the smallest number of talents—only one—hid his in the ground to protect it, rather than working to make it worth more than it was worth originally.
Even though the man had only one talent, and others had as many as five, he was expected to make good use of that talent and to expand its value, rather than to bury it where it couldn’t help anyone.
Today, we often look around and see that others have far more talent than we do. When our talents don’t seem as many, we might feel less valued by God. When our talents are less great, we might wonder if it’s even worth doing anything with them.
Mormon beliefs teach that our talents are gifts from God. The number we’re given, or even the extent of them, really isn’t the point of the talents. They were given to us to do something with, and if we use them well, they will have value and even increase.
I’m an author. I didn’t write something publishable the first time I sat down to write. It took many years of writing badly written stories, articles, and books—beginning when I was only six years old—before I wrote something anyone was willing to publish. I received a large stack of rejection letters over the years before I received the first acceptance letter, and still receive rejections today, even after publishing a book that got good reviews.
My books will never be best sellers. I simply don’t have that kind of talent. Does that mean I shouldn’t write? Of course not. What I write may not make history, but it has helped a few people, and so has value. I’ve improved my ability to write over the years, and since I can live forever through the atonement, I expect I will improve a great deal in the next few million years. However, I can’t wait for the next life to get started; mproving my talents is one of my earthly assignments.
Sometimes we misjudge how talent and success work. I decided many years ago to return to school and take a math class, because I wanted to better help my children with their math. I’d always been awful at math, and was extremely frightened to take this class. However, I ended up getting straight A’s in every test, the first A’s I had ever received in math. A student who was not doing well noted my grade on the posted grade sheet and complained it wasn’t fair that I got A’s. He said it was easy for me because I was naturally good at math. I explained my history of math failures. My grades weren’t the result of talent; they were the result of hard work. We were required to do every other odd numbered problem. I did every problem, often three or four times. I worked a few weeks ahead of the class in case I got stuck and I received one-on-one help from the professor almost weekly by making use of office hours. I even cornered a professor or two I wasn’t taking classes from when I was really desperate.
Talent can help us to be successful, but hard work is also critical. I may never be a math genius, because my brain isn’t configured for that type of thinking. My talent in math was miniscule, but hard work made up some of the difference. Even with great talent, work is critical.
Of course, hard work can’t turn you into a genius in every case. Anyone who has heard me singing to my toddlers in the church nursery knows I’m never going to be a great singer, but even though singing might not be my talent, I can still sing, at least to toddlers who don’t care. I used to worry a lot about what I wasn’t good at. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve stopped worrying about this so much and I’ve begun to focus on what I can do, or might be able to do if I really worked at it.
When I felt overwhelmed about writing a book, a friend pointed out that if I wrote only one page a day, I’d have a book in a year. I only had to focus on my one little page. Many of us are very busy and don’t feel we have much time for talents. However, if we give that talent even fifteen minutes of our time each day, we will be working toward something that will be ready for our greater attention in a few years, when we have more time.
The Savior, Jesus Christ, instructed us to make wise use of every gift God has given us. If we take even our tiniest talents and work at them, turning to God for help, we can magnify them and thereby honor the giver of the gift. The parable of the talents was given to us to remind us to make use of our God-given gifts to become the person God knows we can be.
Christmas Service the Savior’s Way
Filed under: Mortal Ministry & Mission, Postmortal Life
In this year’s Christmas devotional, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (nicknamed the Mormons), Thomas S. Monson, talked about the innkeepers who turned away Mary and Joseph as they sought a place for Jesus to be born. He thought that later, the innkeeper might have been sorry, and might have chosen differently had he known who the baby was to be. But he didn’t get a second chance. Jesus Christ was born and the opportunity to serve was over.
In Jesus’ own life, he never missed a chance to serve another person. When someone needed healing, or a blessing, or words of wisdom, he stopped and took care of it right then. He didn’t just preach service; he lived it.
The Bible tells of a group of children who were brought to see him. It was at the end of a long day, and the Savior was tired. His apostles tried to send the children away, but Jesus stopped them. He called them over and spent time with each child, serving them and showing them love. He had just one chance to show the children what the love of the Savior meant, and to serve them, and He took it, even though He was tired.
Recently I wrote about a blind man who called for Jesus’ attention. The others in the area tried to stop him, because he was unimportant in the world’s eyes, and they felt he shouldn’t bother someone as important as the Savior. However, he wasn’t unimportant to the Savior, who called the man to him and spoke to him politely, asking how he could help. He didn’t turn away because the man wasn’t important to society. He just served because service was needed.
Jesus Christ came upon a woman being stoned for adultery. She was certainly a sinner, but Jesus didn’t worry about that. He stopped the men about to stone her and refused to judge her. His service likely saved her life. However, he gave her an even more important gift—he instructed her not to sin again. He didn’t accept her behavior, or give her permission to live an immoral lifestyle. However, he didn’t allow men to mistreat her. He rescued her and then instructed her to forsake the sin.
Throughout Jesus’ brief ministry, he served all sorts of people, the rich, the poor, the valiant, the immoral, the kind and the not-so-kind. He looked for those who needed service and then served them without stopping to judge their worthiness.
In the Book of Mormon, a wise King named Benjamin said, “And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish. Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him of my food, nor impart unto him of my substance that he may not suffer, for his punishments are just— But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent; and except he repenteth of that which he hath done he perisheth forever, and hath no interest in the kingdom of God. For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?” (Mosiah 4:16-19)
In this Christmas season, let’s remember the example of the Savior and not miss an opportunity to serve just because we didn’t realize how important it might be, or because we find the person in need beneath our notice.
Jesus Showed Respect to a Blind Man
Filed under: Mortal Ministry & Mission, Teachings of Christ
One of my favorite stories of Jesus’ many services to those in need is that of his healing of the blind man, Bartimaeus.
46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. (Mark 10)
We usually read this story and focus on the healing, but it’s the other parts of the story that capture my attention. To fully understand the power of this moment in the Savior’s life, we must remember that Bartimaeus was begging because a man who was blind was not normally allowed to earn a living in those days. Treatment of those with special needs was very different then. They were believed to be unimportant and incompetent to do anything of value, and so they begged and relied on others for their care. It was for this reason, this lack of perceived importance, that people tried to stop Bartimaeus from “bothering” Jesus as he came through town.
We can see his great faith, however. He didn’t stop calling to Jesus because he knew Jesus could give him his sight, and his sight, in that day, was not just physical vision, but a way into dignity and a life of purpose that society wouldn’t give him otherwise.
Jesus heard his call and asked his disciples to call the man to him. Bartimaeus may have hesitated because he had to be reassured that it was okay to approach. Notice what the Savior did when the man came to him. He spoke to the man respectfully, probably not something commonly done to him, and asked, essentially, “How can I serve you?”
Then, Jesus said, and certainly many were listening to his words, that the man’s faith had made him whole. Remember this is a man society felt to be unimportant and incapable of great things. Jesus informed those around him that Bartimaeus did indeed have value and skills—he had the gift of faith so great it could heal him. This gave the man instant credibility to those around him, and perhaps caused those who watched to wonder about their previous assessment of the blind man. Did they go home and feel guilty about how they had treated him in the past? Were they sorry they’d tried to keep him from approaching the Savior? Did they treat the next blind man they saw with greater respect because of the example the Savior set for them that day?
There is much more to this story than a healing, as great as that healing was. We have here a powerful example of how the Savior expects us to treat everyone around us, whether or not we can see their value. The Savior sees it and God sees it. The Savior is no longer on earth to walk up to the modern day Bartimaeus’. It’s now up to us to treat everyone with dignity and respect and to see in them what God sees.
Jesus Christ – The Perfect Example
“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)
Jesus Christ is the great Exemplar—the only perfect and universal example for every man, woman, or child on the earth. No honest seeker after truth can fail to find happiness and success in life by faithfully following His example. But in our quest to follow ‘in His steps’, how do we proceed? There is a simple pattern that will bring great results in our efforts to follow the Savior. To gain the change which we desire as disciples of Christ will come by studying His example, examining our lives in prayer, and acting on the guidance we receive.
First, we must study His example.
“For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” (Mosiah 5:13).
Daily immersion in the words of Christ brings an intuitive understanding of His character, perfections, and attributes. When the events and experiences of the Savior’s earthly ministry are fresh and present in our minds, we can ponder them, and apply them to the circumstances we face. We can find wisdom to follow His heavenly example.
Second, we must examine our lives. Joseph Smith said
“Search your hearts, and see if you are like God. I have searched mine, and feel to repent of all my sins” (Teaching of Joseph Smith, p. 72).
It is a hard thing to honestly compare our lives to the example of the Savior and see our sins, our faults, and our insufficiencies. But in our honest desires to serve God, there is no other path that will take us in His steps. Quiet reflection and pleading in prayer will bring insight and understanding into what aspects of our lives are most in need of heavenly help. If we ask to know, God will grant us an understanding of our faults. If we turn to Him for help, he will guide us to know what to do to repair them.
“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).
As we discover our faults, it could be easy to become discouraged. Instead, it is far better to trust in God, and to take action to change. If we struggle with idleness, we can begin to work and labor. If we struggle with feelings of dislike to another, we can begin to serve them and compliment them on their good qualities. If we struggle with our thoughts, we can memorize hymns or verses of scripture to recite in times of temptation. For whatever our faults may be, as we turn to God, we can find positive actions which will form our character for good.
Day by day, as we follow this pattern of studying the perfect example of the Lord, examining our lives in prayer, and acting on the guidance we receive, we will progress in our strivings to walk ‘in his steps’. In time, we will be sanctified in Christ, and our lives will be filled with peace and joy.
Be Ye Therefore Perfect: The Possibilities of Perfection, Today
In His sermon on the mount, the Savior admonished: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Accounting for all that Christ has revealed about being perfect, two types of perfection appear: one we can only honor and aim for in this life, but the other, we can do today through His grace and guidance.
Apostle Bruce R. McConkie identified these two types of perfection in his book “Mormon Doctrine.”
“Perfection is of two kinds–finite or mortal, and infinite or eternal. Finite perfection may be gained by the righteous saints in this life. It consists in living a godfearing life of devotion to the truth, of walking in complete submission to the will of the Lord, and of putting first in one’s life the things of the kingdom of God. Infinite perfection is reserved for those who overcome all things and inherit the fulness of the Father in the mansion hereafter.”
The Apostle Paul taught that attaining the highest kind of perfection, Infinite Perfection, is the great goal of Christ’s Church–it is the primary reason why the Savior established His Church:
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, . . . Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4: 11-13).
Note how Paul speaks of a “perfecting” process, a journey of faith that continues “till” the saints come to a “unity . . . unto a perfect man.”
In mortality, we can only aim for and honor this highest kind of perfection–“the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Nevertheless, “line upon line” (Isaiah 28: 10), one step at a time, our earthly journey of faith can be filled with many moments of Finite Perfection–even amid human failings (Rom. 3: 12, 23).
The scriptures describe Noah, Seth, and Job as “perfect” men. Since only the Savior was sinless in this life, these three men were eventually made “perfect” by God’s redeeming grace and through covenant efforts of thorough repentance and complete obedience.
Perfect Possibilities Right Now: Moments of Mortal Perfection
To realize the possibilities of perfection today, right now, a clear distinction must be made between general aims of mortal-finite perfection, which may never be attained in mortality, versus specific and inspired one-at-a-time tasks that are perfectly do-able today!
The facets of finite perfection that can be realized right now are specifically conceived and achieved one particular task as a time! I call such attainable opportunities: moments of mortal perfection. An Old Testament verse alludes to the way these moments are realized:
“Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day” (1 Kings 8: 61).
Two keys for attaining moments of mortal or finite perfection are:
1) Having a perfect heart while walking in His ways.
2) Seizing inspired opportunities in the immediate moment:
taking the next step “as at this day.”
The phrase “as at this day” expresses immediacy–the present, right now! This is where moments of mortal perfection are manifest, not necessarily through magnificent outward efforts, but by bringing to the altar of worship an inward offering: a broken heart and a contrite spirit. This is the sacrifice that engages God’s perfecting grace.
Both King David and the Apostle Peter acknowledged the necessity of Divine intercession in attaining moments of mortal perfection:
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (1 Peter 5: 10). “God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect” (2 Sam. 22: 33).
Defining Perfection According to the Lord’s Revelations
It is important to examine contemporary definitions of the word “perfect” and discard those meanings that are not taught in the Lord’s revelations:
Perfect – etymology from Latin perfectus = to carry out;
per = thoroughly + facere = to do or to actHaving all its parts: whole and complete
Being entirely without fault and defect
Corresponding to an ideal standard
** Completely skilled: expert **
Satisfying all requirements
Thoroughly learned
Exact; pure
Among the previous meanings, the idea of being “completely skilled or expert” does not consistently fit with scriptural definitions of perfection. In fact, a focus upon being “perfectly skilled or expert” in outward performance is often the very definition of perfection that can set up discouragement, depression, and stress.
In contrast, moments of finite perfection that are pleasing to the Lord may appear unskillful, even outwardly awkward; yet what resides inside is the sincere intent of a humble heart–a heart made perfect through Christ’s redeeming miracle. Establishing a Divine definition of Finite Perfection, The Lord Jehovah put forth the primary importance of having a perfect heart:
“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
The scriptures define the inward attributes of a perfect heart as: submissive, sincere, childlike, non-offensive, . . . consistently pushing aside selfish will and yielding to the will of the Father–these are some of the attributes of a “perfect heart.”
Christ gave the supreme example of obedience with a perfect heart. Jesus taught that obeying the Father was more important than daily food (John 4: 31-34).
As to outward efforts of perfection, all we can ever do is . . . do our best to obey specific Spirit promptings; still, if our sacrifice to God will be acceptable and pleasing, the associated inward offerings must be given with a “perfect heart” and nothing less.
It is instructive to note that the words sacrifice and perfect share the same Latin root, facere = to act. Deriving definitions from their Latin roots, sacrifice means sacred act and perfect means thoroughly done or whole act. Being perfect is a sacred act of total consecration; such complete and thorough wholeness is echoed in the way we should live the great commandment:
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind” (Luke 10: 27).
Correlating what the scriptures say about perfection to contemporary definitions, the Savior’s finite meaning of “Be ye therefore perfect” is fundamentally about:
1) Thoroughly obeying the Father’s will with exactness
and purity of heart,
2) Becoming whole and healed, without defect,
completely clean through the blood of Christ.
There is circular synergy that occurs when penitent and obedient acts are whole and thorough: our Redeemer makes us whole and healed–complete, without defect, . . . perfect. And on the other side of this circular synergy: as we are made pure by the blood of Christ, our disposition to consistently obey the Lord is enlarged to the next “line.”
Perfection Unfolds Line Upon Line, One Step at a Time
To assume that Christ cannot make you perfect through one single task in mortal time is to miserably underestimate the infinite power and compassion of your Savior and Redeemer!
Some may be surprised to realize that even the Son of God’s Mortal Perfection unfolded “line upon line.” The Gospel of Luke records: “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him” (Luke 2: 40). The Apostle Paul describes how Jesus learned obedience through His mortal trials and was “made perfect” by the Father’s grace:
“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5: 8, 9).
A latter-day Apostle, James E. Talmage, writes about the “grace to grace” growth of the Boy, Jesus of Nazareth:
“He came among men to experience all the natural conditions of mortality; He was born as truly a dependent, helpless babe as is any other child; His infancy was in all common features as the infancy of others; His boyhood was actual boyhood, His development was as necessary and as real as that of all children. Over His mind had fallen the veil of forgetfulness common to all who are born to earth, by which the remembrance of primeval existence is shut off. The Child grew, and with growth there came to Him expansion of mind, development of faculties, and progression in power and understanding. His advancement was from one grace to another, . . . from good to greater good, . . . from favor with God to greater favor.”
Line upon line, one step at a time, the Son of God’s Finite Perfection unfolded, and through each phase of His immaculate mortal maturation: He was always completely pure and without sin and His obedience to the Father was humble and whole–perfect.
It wasn’t until Christ was resurrected that He attained Infinite Perfection. This truth is known by comparing Christ’s invitation to perfection on the mount at Jerusalem (Matt. 5: 48) to the words a resurrected and glorified Christ spoke to the inhabitants of ancient America (3 Nephi 12: 48).
The Specific Steps of Finite Perfection:
Thorough Repentance & Complete Obedience with a Perfect Heart
It is clear that most mortals cannot sustain a “perfect heart” through every moment of every day of every year–we all “fall short” of the Savior’s example. Further, the finite perfection of Job, Seth, Noah, and others required repentance and redemption to eventually arrive at the pinnacle of being perfectly clean and consistently obedient, like Christ.
Again, from a general view of Finite Perfection, most mortals will ever be inadequate; but from a specific view of particular opportunities “as at this day,” it is completely possible to obey a single, specific promptings of the Spirit with a perfect heart–right now.
The Lord patiently invites us to take the next step in the perfecting process: learning the next gospel precept and growing to the next degree of grace. The Lord patiently waits to inspire and lift us to His Infinite Perfection.
It’s amazing what two can do, when one of them is God.
The immediate possibility of realizing moments of finite perfection is illustrated in the life of a prophet in ancient America:
“I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Nephi 3: 7).
The Lord gave the prophet Nephi a direct, personal commandment to accomplish a specific task, not of his own unassisted mortal might, but with the assistance of Divine intervention: “the Lord giveth no commandments . . . save he shall prepare a way.” Remember, it is always through Divine intercession that we are lifted to moments of Finite Perfection–“he maketh my way perfect” (2 Sam. 22: 33).
Christ taught that “without me ye can do nothing” (John 15: 5). This is precisely why we should never take pride in supposed righteousness, for all boasting is excluded. The truth is that every good deed we do happens exclusively through our faithful connection to the “true vine.”
The Miracle of Forgiveness:
Perfectly Pure through Christ’s Precious Blood
In addition to the real, immediate possibilities of being obedient with a perfect heart, the other do-able facet of Finite Perfection is that of today’s perfect repentance: Through the miracle of forgiveness, we can be made clean, whole, and healed through Christ’s redeeming blood–a miracle invoked every time we sincerely and thoroughly repent.
Would Christ accomplish a cleansing of sins in any other way than . . . complete and perfect?
Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, all who believe and faithfully follow will be restored to childlike innocence and purity. In a latter-day revelation Christ declared:
“For I am able to make you holy, and your sins are forgiven you” (D&C 60: 7).
This holy cleansing is not yet a redemption to Infinite Perfection, but a perfect cleansing to a particular level of light–a new degree of grace. In another latter-day revelation, the Lord explains that His judgments are adjusted to individual ability and knowledge:
“For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation” (D&C 82: 3).
Our finite perfection unfolds one step at a time as the Lord leads, crawling before we stand, walking before we run, milk before meat, learning line upon line, even as young Jesus of Nazareth grew from grace to grace.
“Therefore, be ye as wise as serpents and yet without sin; and I will order all things for your good, as fast as ye are able to receive them” (D&C 111: 11); “Ye are not able to abide the presence of God now, neither the ministering of angels; wherefore, continue in patience until ye are perfected” (D&C 67: 13).
Jesus Christ, the Lord of Light
“Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.”
“And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus” (Mark 9: 2-7).
Matthew’s account of Christ’s transfiguration adds these details:
“And [He] was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. . . . behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matt. 17: 2, 5).
At the mount of transfiguration, the exceeding shine of the Lord’s white light gives us a glimpse of the radiant glory in store for all who follow Jesus.
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8: 12).
In a vision of “new Jerusalem,” John the Revelator foresees this shining city upon “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21: 1, 2). So powerful and bright is the Lord’s exalted light, that the “new Jerusalem” is illuminated by the light of the Son:
“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it” (Rev. 21: 23, 24).
The very earth upon which we stand will be glorified by the light of the Lord, and will become the Celestial Heaven–the highest of three Heavens. Seven centuries before John the Revelator recorded his vision of the earth’s transformation to Celestial glory–becoming like a “sea of glass”–Isaiah saw the same future vision of “new earth.”
“The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light” (Isaiah 60: 19-20).
It is fascinating to note that earthly opposition will cease in the Celestial heaven, to include the ending of evening as we know it–“for there shall be no night there” (Rev. 21: 25). Thus, the following words of Jesus will ultimately and literally be fulfilled in terms of spiritual and visual light:
“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness” (John 12: 46).
Every scriptural Testament contains the theme of the Lord’s light. From the Old Testament comes this delightful imagery:
“For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness” (Psalm 18: 28).
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul gives this description of Divine light:
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4: 6).
Contained in Another Testament of Christ, revelations recorded by prophets of ancient American offer this account of the Christ’s clarifying influence:
“For behold, my brethren, it is given unto you to judge, that ye may know good from evil; and the way to judge is as plain, that ye may know with a perfect knowledge, as the daylight is from the dark night. . . . And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, . . . I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil” (Moroni 7: 15-19).
The guiding influence of the Lord’s light is the theme of beloved Mormon Hymns:
Hymn #89, The Lord is My Light
“The Lord is my light; then why should I fear?
By day and by night his presence is near.”“The Lord is my light, His is my joy and my song.
By day and by night he leads, he leads me along.”Hymn #97, Lead Kindly Light
“Lead kindly light amid the encircling gloom; Lead thou me on!
The night is dark and I am far from home; Lead thou me on!”“Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene–one step enough for me.”Hymn #305, The Light Divine
“The light of god rests on the face Of brook and flower and tree
And kindles in our happy hearts The hope of things to be.”“The light of faith abides within The heart of every child;
Like buds that wait for blossoming, It grows with radiance mild.”
The Remedy for Apostasy: The Lord’s Unifying Light
In the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord of Light prayed to the Father “that they may be one as we are one.” Today, with diverse doctrines taught by a myriad of differing denominations, the Lord’s prayer for unity is far from being realized. But this is precisely why Christ has given light to the world: the Lord’s light shines bright as a guiding beacon to “the way, the truth, and the life”–the way to unity and oneness! As we all “fall short,” His light leads us back . . . to Him.
“Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light” (John 12: 35, 36).
So that seekers of truth might be supported in their quest, the Lord of Light has revealed His truths through prophets from the beginning. However, because of the world’s disbelief and refusal to receive the perfecting message of repentance and obedience, the prophets of God have been killed time after time.
During His mortal ministry, the Savior established His Church so that the “saints” would not be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4: 11-14). Sadly, the prophets and apostles that Christ called to lead His Church were murdered, just as the prophets of old.
After the crucifixion of Christ and the death of the Lord’s chosen leaders, there was a gradual apostasy from the Lord’s light–a “falling away” from Christ’s pure doctrines. With no living prophets to preach and protect the Lord’s truth, the inhabitants of the earth were eventually tossed to and fro by the doctrines of men.
Happily, The light of Christ that has shined in all the world from the beginning, continues to shine brightly today. After centuries of apostasy as prophesied by Paul (2 Thes. 2: 1-3) and Isaiah (Isa. 24: 5), the Lord of Light has begun the “times of refreshing”–Christ has commenced His “restitution of all things” (Acts 3: 19-21).
This is the “marvelous” message of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Mormon” Church): that the Lord of Light has personally appeared in these latter days, and has again called prophets to proclaim His unifying gospel of love and light.
Jesus Christ: Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer
Christ is called both Savior and Redeemer. As they are used in the scriptures, these two divine titles are closely related–their meanings are often synonymous. However each title sometimes expresses blessings uniquely different for the saved versus the redeemed.
Beyond the two main ways that Jesus Christ saves–from sin and from the grave–there are other ways the Son of God saves:
“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” (Matt. 11: 28, 29).
Christ saves us from every affliction and sorrow: there is no hardship or heartache that His tender mercies cannot cure. Isaiah said this of our Savior’s solace: “the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces” (Isaiah 25: 8; see also Rev. 7: 17).
Long before His birth, the mission of Jesus Christ was foreordained by the Father: The Apostle Matthew said this of Mary’s firstborn child:
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1: 21).
Being saved “from their sins” as opposed to being saved “in their sins” is a key distinction that is not lost upon latter-day saints (Mormons), and this is where the significance of Christ as Redeemer emerges. Through faith in Jesus Christ, every repentant soul is not only saved from sin, but is blessed with a redeeming miracle, a profound change in nature:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5: 17).
This redeeming transformation is precisely the same phenomenon as being “born again.” In Old Testament times, Ezekiel refers to this redemption and rebirth as receiving a “new heart.”
“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 put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes” (Ezek. 26: 26, 27).
People who are “born again” can be clearly distinguished: because they have a new heart, they walk according to the Savior’s statutes. Walking in the way of righteousness is natural for those with a “new heart”–the redemption of Christ brings about a profound change from the core.
Consider the similarities and differences between dictionary definitions of being saved versus being redeemed.
Save - etymology derived from Latin salvus = safe.
to make safe from distress, danger, hurt, or loss;
to treat carefully, lessen wear and weariness;
to preserve from disaster or destruction;
to set free from consequence;
to keep from wasting away;
to prevent from loss;
to rescue, deliver;
to redeem,Redeem - etymology from Latin redimere;
re or red = again + emere = to take, buy.to buy back, repurchase, pay off, make up for;
to carry out, make good, fulfill;
to rescue, reclaim;
to set free;
to save.to free from captivity by payment of ransom;
to rescue from distress, danger, hurt, loss;
to release from blame or debt;
to remove an obligation;
to compensate for;
to clear.to exchange for something of value;
to repair; restore, retrieve, reform;
to make worthwhile, fulfill;
to change for the better.
King Benjamin, a prophet of ancient America, recorded these words about the Lord’s reforming redemption:
“And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5: 2).
Alma the Younger, another prophet of ancient America, speaks of the miracle of redemptive change for the better:
“And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you?” (Alma 5: 14, 15).
Another way to clearly perceive people who are born again–those with new hearts–is by observing their very countenance, for it will shine with His light. The redeemed do not walk in darkness, but will walk in the way of Light:
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5: 16).
This illuminating change of countenance has been a blessing of redemption from the beginning:
“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Numbers 6: 24-26).
A shining countenance that reflects His light naturally comes with conversion, a complete turning from old ways:
“Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved” (Psalm 80: 19).
A latter-day revelation speaks specifically of Christ’s redeeming miracle, His power to cause change, fulfillment, and value:
“For I am able to make you holy, and your sins are forgiven you” (D&C 60: 7).
There are two distinct blessings that come with sincere repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; one blessing comes from Christ the Savior and the other is caused by Christ the Redeemer:
1) The Savior saves you from your sins and makes you clean; and
2) The Redeemer makes you better than before;
He is “able to make you holy” and “new.”
This transforming miracle is impossible to achieve through mortal might; it only comes through faith in the Savior and hope in His redeeming grace.
For some people, being “saved” refers to a particular time when Jesus is openly acknowledged as “Savior.” But this moment of heartfelt conviction is just the beginning of what Christ the Redeemer has in store for His faithful followers. The prophet Malachi speaks of the Redeemer’s transforming refinement, making true believers into a valuable treasure:
“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. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels” (Malachi 3: 16-18).
Again, being “saved” is only the start of what Christ wants for His faithful followers. He wants to make you and I one of His “jewels”–He wants to Save and Redeem us.
For those who believe in Christ and follow in His footsteps, the Redeemer graciously gives a new heart and a new disposition; further, there is a radiant shine that comes with being born again. The words that honor that Silent Night when Christ was born, speak to the birth of our Savior and Redeemer:
Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright.
Glory streams from heaven afar,
Heav’nly host sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior, is born! Christ, the Savior, is born!Silent night! Holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth; Jesus, Lord at thy birth.
Lord Jesus will save, redeem, and refine the faithful; our Precious Savior and Dear Redeemer will rescue us from danger and despair, and He will cause His true believers to become “new” and “holy,” a “peculiar treasure”–thus worthy to sparkle as “jewels” in the crown of the King of Kings.
Better than Seeing: Seeking a Spiritual Witness of Christ
“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, . . . he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen after he was risen” (Mark 16: 9-14.)
“Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. Thus the other disciples said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20: 24, 25.)
“And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, . . . and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 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: 26-29.)
Although there was momentary doubt in the heart of Thomas, and even “unbelief” among the other apostles, they all had a foundation of faith in Christ, for they believed and followed Him during His mortal life; thus, seeing the risen Lord reaffirmed their faith in Him.
In contrast, for those who fail to nurture even the smallest seed of faith, time and again the conclusion comes: seeing does not directly bring believing.
Think of the thousands who stood in the very presence of the Son of God, and yet could not perceive His divinity; they had eyes but could not see their Savior–they were spiritually blind. Consider those who have seen angels or a spectacular fireball from Heaven, and yet would not believe based upon a compelling visual witness. Isaiah explains the cause of spiritual blindness:
“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, . . . The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: . . . we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night” (Isaiah 59: 2, 8-10).
Clear and complete spiritual discernment comes as we repent of our sins, and the separation between God and the natural man is removed; thus, He draws near to us as we draw near to Him (James 4:8); the Lord liberally gives His witness and wisdom to the penitent–He gives “grace unto the humble” (James 4: 6).
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2: 14).
Just as the risen Lord showed Himself to His apostles at Jerusalem; in like manner the resurrected Christ appeared to His “other sheep” of ancient America, and invited them to see and feel His body which was bruised for their sake:
“And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto them saying: Arise and come forth unto me, that ye may thrust your hands into my side, and also that ye may feel the prints of the nails in my hands and in my feet, that ye may know that I am the God of Israel, and the God of the whole earth, and have been slain for the sins of the world. And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; . . . And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him” (3 Nephi 11: 13-17).
These people of ancient America did not believe in Christ just because of the visual evidence of His tangible presence; these were the more righteous followers of God, whose lives were spared amid great destruction prior to Christ’s glorious appearance. They were previously faithful to the witness of the still small voice, and looked forward to the coming of their Savior.
Twelve days before he died, a latter-day apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Bruce R. McConkie (1915-1985), gave this witness of Him at a General Conference of the “Mormon” Church:
“The most important doctrine I can declare, and the most powerful testimony I can bear, is of the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. . . . I testify that he is the Son of the Living God and was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God, and our King. This I know of myself independent of any other person. I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.”
As to evidence of eternal truth, better than seeing with mortal eyes is the spiritual vision given by the Spirit of truth–a sure witness revealed to faithful followers, the humble and penitent believers in Christ.
Baptism: Changing the Ordinance, Breaking the Covenant
In 740 B.C., Isaiah recorded this prophecy: “The earth also is defiled . . . because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant” (Isaiah 24: 5).
It is clear that the prophet is speaking of generations prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ, for the next verse states: “Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left” (Isaiah 24: 6). The burning of which Isaiah speaks is the same that will consume the “tares” (Matt. 13: 36-40) just before the second coming.
The future time frame of Isaiah’s prophecy necessarily occurs in the generations after Christ’s mortal ministry, for Jesus must first establish His ordinance and covenant before it would be changed and broken centuries later.
So, which ordinance has been changed, what covenant has been broken?
A change in the ordinance of baptism is evidence in art through the ages. The painting (above) by Italian artist Sebastiano Ricci (1659–1734) has Jesus standing at a shallow edge of the River Jordan with John pouring water over His head. Why didn’t the artist depict Christ’s baptism as given in the gospel according to Mark:
“And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1: 9-11).
The painting (right) by Spanish artist Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1617-1682) shows the same non-immersion method of baptism. But why did this artist also interpret the baptism of Jesus contrary to the account of Mark and Matthew?
The gospels do not describe a pouring or sprinkling method of baptism, but they do establish Christ’s example of being baptized by immersion–“straightway coming up out of the water.” For centuries artists have helped re-write (re-paint) history by depicting the baptism of Jesus contrary to the way it is given in the gospels.
Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449-1494) of Italy
Master of the Saint Bartholomew Altar (1470-1510) of Germany
Nicolas Poussin (1594-1675) of France
Alessandro Magnasco (1667-1749) of Italy
Henryk Siemiradzki (1843-1902) of Poland
Of course, these artists did not change the ordinance of baptism; they simply mirrored the religious traditions of their day–traditions that had broken and changed from the order set forth by the Savior.
The Bible establishes two unmistakable truths about baptism:
1) Jesus was baptized by immersion, and He said “come follow me.”
2) Baptism by complete immersion under water clearly complements the symbolism taught by the Apostle Paul, of being “buried” in the grave, and then “raised“ to a newness of life.
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the alikeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection” (Romans 6 3-5).
The word “baptize” derives from the Greek “baptizein,” meaning “to dip.” The very meaning of the word points to pouring and sprinkling methods as a change in the ordinance of baptism–departing from the way it was originally established by Christ. Because Christian traditions strayed from the Bible blueprint, Martin Luther (1483-1546) initiated the Protestant Reformation. The religious reformer wrote:
“I have sought nothing beyond reforming the church in conformity with the Holy Scriptures. The spiritual powers have been not only corrupted by sin, but absolutely destroyed; so that there is now nothing in them but a depraved reason and a will that is the enemy of God. I simply say that Christianity has ceased to exist among those who should have preserved it.”
The reformation movement led by Luther accurately pointed to the problem, but reformation was not God’s final remedy. Instead, a fresh restoration of Christ’s Church was God’s answer to apostasy.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Mormon” Church) does not rely solely upon logical interpretations of ancient scripture to understand the Lord’s will and ways today; instead the LDS Church is governed by direct revelation from the head of the Church, Jesus Christ, to His latter-day prophets:
“Herein is glory and honor, and immortality and eternal life—The ordinance of baptism by water, to be immersed therein in order to answer to the likeness of the dead, . . . to be immersed in the water and come forth out of the water is in the likeness of the resurrection of the dead in coming forth out of their graves” (D&C 128: 12).