Faith, Hope, and Charity

Moroni 7

v. 12 Wherefore, all things which are ^agood cometh of God; and that which is ^bevil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to ^csin, and to do that which is evil continually.

v. 13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do ^agood continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and ^benticeth to do ^cgood, and to love God, and to serve him, is ^dinspired of God.

v. 14 Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is ^aevil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.

I love the simplicity of these verses, and the ones that follow.  How do you know what is good?  How do you recognize truth?  All things which are good come of God.  Everything which entices you to do good is inspired of God.

I think people are put off when they hear members of the Mormon church say "I know that this church is true."  It makes it sound like an exclusive country club, and that members only have access to the truth.  But that's not right.  Truth and godliness are all around us, everywhere, and can be found in the most unlikely of places.  Whenever I discuss faith or religion with anyone, I always look for common ground, for that shared light and truth that we have.  I find truth in the natural kindness of people, in the beauty of nature around me, in the order of science and the universe, and in the way sacred places make me feel.

That said, the reason I am a Mormon is because my religion to me is a never failing source of truth and goodness.  It is a place where I come and meet God and feel closer to Him and know Him better.  I have not yet run into a principle that has caused me to fight against God or entice me to sin.  My religion leads me to want to be a better person and to always do good continually.

v. 40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning ^ahope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?

v. 41 And what is it that ye shall ^ahope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have ^bhope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life ^ceternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

v. 42 Wherefore, if a man have ^afaith he ^bmust needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.

v. 43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be ^ameek, and lowly of heart.

v. 44 If so, his ^afaith and hope is vain, for none is ^bacceptable before God, save the ^cmeek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and ^dconfesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.

It seems that my studies have been so focused on faith lately that I've forgotten that faith is but one part of three important principles.  Faith, hope, and charity are necessary to each other, like three legs of a stool.  Hope is necessary before you can have faith.  Interesting, but hope seems easier than faith.  Yes, I hope to sit at the right hand of God.  Yes, I hope to be healed, in this life or the next.

v. 45 And ^acharity suffereth long, and is ^bkind, and ^cenvieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily ^dprovoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

This is a great checklist, a measuring stick if you will.  How am I doing?  The more I develop these qualities, the more charity I have and the more capacity I'll have to hope and to have faith.  If I feel my faith is lacking, then I can simply come here and see where I am weak.  Which leads me back to my studies yesterday -- I can humble myself and let God lead me to make my weaknesses strong.

v. 46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

v.  47 But ^acharity is the pure ^blove of Christ, and it endureth ^cforever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

v. 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, ^apray 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 ^bfollowers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall ^cbe like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be ^dpurified even as he is pure. Amen.

A Great Love

Alma 20

v. 26

I love reading the account of Ammon and his brothers as missionaries.  It always brings up the feelings I had while I was a missionary in France almost 25 years ago.

Verse 26 tells how King Lamoni's father was astonished at the love that Ammon felt for his son, and that his son returned.  And it brings back thoughts of Sr. Le Tendre, Marie-Cecile, Albanne, Julien and Patrice, and many more.  The reason I loved my mission so much was that I loved the people I met so much.  We shared so much joy as I taught them the things that I knew to be true, as I offered them the opportunity to come unto Christ and delight in His gospel.  I loved them.  I loved the work I was doing.  I felt closer to my Heavenly Father than ever before.

I think about the time when this life is over and we all meet again.  Hugs and tears and laughter, and thank you's, I'm sure.  Unnecessary thank you's, because I've been blessed over and over again, not the least by their love and association.

Beware of Pride

Mosiah 4
Beware Of Pride by Ezra Taft Benson


"Pride is a very misunderstood sin, and many are sinning in ignorance. (See Mosiah 3:11; 3 Ne. 6:18.) In the scriptures there is no such thing as righteous pride—it is always considered a sin. Therefore, no matter how the world uses the term, we must understand how God uses the term so we can understand the language of holy writ and profit thereby. (See 2 Ne. 4:15; Mosiah 1:3–7; Alma 5:61.)

"Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing.

"The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means 'hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.' It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us.
Pride is essentially competitive in nature. We pit our will against God’s. When we direct our pride toward God, it is in the spirit of 'my will and not thine be done.' As Paul said, they 'seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.' (Philip. 2:21.)"

It's interesting how, when you are studying a topic, you are led to other sources that help you understand, that deepen the meaning of what you are learning.  I have been wanting to know by what yardstick I can measure my journey in coming unto Christ.  And I think I've been largely on track: I will know if my love towards others is increasing, and it will be evident in the service I render to others.

The article I found on pride reveals the obstacles that Satan places to distract me from that goal.  Pride makes me feel superior to others, justifies me in not reaching out to people who "deserve" their situation.  It keeps me from humbling myself and submitting to my own circumstances, no matter how challenging they may be.  It encourages me to push my own agenda rather than listening to find out what God has planned for me.

Funny, how much you find that needs to change once you decide it's time to change.

Action items:  Pray to be humble.  Ask to know God's will, and accept it.  Pray to see opportunities to be kind.  Identify judgmental thoughts and correct them.

Gratitude

Mosiah 2

As I started my scripture study this morning, I was thinking about how I could tell if I am "coming unto Christ."  What changes would I expect to see?  How would I be different?  The answer that came to mind would be that I would have a greater love for people.  The way that I would show my love would be through service.

v. 17  And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn ^awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the ^bservice of your ^cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

So, I think that my desire to be kinder, to find ways to act kindly towards others is a step in the right direction.  Another way that I think I can tell if I am coming unto Christ is if I grow in gratitude.

King Benjamin pointed out that we are already indebted to God because He gave us life and all the opportunities that life brings.  Then, God has commanded us to keep His commandments, which if we do, He immediately blesses us.  So we remain indebted still.  I think that coming unto Christ would awaken a sense of that indebtedness.  Especially as I think about the atonement and the great sacrifice that my Savior made for me.  It makes me feel of His love.  It makes my own love grow.

This month, with Thanksgiving approaching, reminds us of the many blessings we are grateful for.  But I don't think I should need a reminder.  I should feel gratitude the way that I feel love for my husband and children, naturally and without force.

Hm.  Something to think about, something to watch.

A Closer Look

2 Nephi 31:20  "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, with a love of God and of all men.  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."

I've chosen this scripture for memorization this week, and for a deeper look.  The words I've highlighted are words that stick out to me, inviting me to look further and understand better.

Steadfastness -- The footnote references the topical guide topics commitment, dedication, perseverance, steadfastness, and walking with God.  It is interesting to me that waking with God was included.  That's a bit of imagery I want to think more about today.  Am I walking with God?  Or am I walking away from Him?  Again, the reminder to be guided by the Spirit plays an important part.

The dictionary defines steadfast as:

fixed in direction; steadily directed: a steadfast gaze.

firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment, etc., as a person: a steadfast friend.

unwavering, as resolution, faith, adherence, etc.

firmly established, as an institution or a state of affairs.

firmly fixed in place or position.

 

I like to think that I am a steadfast friend to the Lord.  That I am steadily directed.  I'm old enough to be firmly established; I've been a Mormon for 37 years now.  I ought to know what I'm doing by now, right?  I do not waver.

 

Perfect brightness of hope -- Again, it helps to turn to the dictionary.

Perfect:

conforming absolutely to the description or definition of an ideal type.

excellent or complete beyond practical or theoretical improvement.

exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose.

entirely without any flaws, defects, or shortcomings

accurate, exact, or correct in every detail.

thorough; complete; utter.

pure or unmixed

unqualified; absolute.

expert; accomplished; proficient.

 

So, my brightness of hope is exactly fitting to my needs and purposes.   It is accurate, thorough, complete.  It is pure, not mixed with any hint of despair.

 

I must have a love of God and ALL men, not just the ones I get along with.

 

Feasting --   "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matt 5:6

 

Endure --  

to continue to exist; last.

to support adverse force or influence of any kind; suffer without yielding; suffer patiently.

 

So, I must first of all continue to exist, and I must outlast my adversary.  I must suffer patiently without yielding.

 

Eternal life --  "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3

 

Whew.  That's a lot for today.  Now back to more pondering.

The True Vine

John 15:1-16

When we are baptized, we take upon us the name of Christ.  I've thought about what it means to be a true Christian.  I like this scripture, because it makes it very clear.  He is the vine; we are the branches.  If I'm a Christian, then my actions will testify of Him.  If I'm not, then my actions will lead people away from Him.

Am I honoring His name?  Do I love the way He did?  Am I kind, am I honest, am I forgiving?  Do I serve my fellow man with love in my heart?  Starting with those here in my home?  Extending it to friends and neighbors, and then beyond to strangers, like that guy who didn't have his blinker on and almost caused an accident?

I like the scripture where He calls me His friend.  I want to be worthy to be called His friend, because He is certainly my dearest friend.  And I love this:  "13 Greater  love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  He has already proven His friendship to me.  How can I prove my friendship to others?  By laying down my life, or rather, laying aside my life, one small act of kindness, one small act of service at a time.

It's hard to see beyond the demands of my own life: my health, my husband, my kids, finances, activities, cleaning up.  But I'm always blessed when I step back and notice others and do what I can to reach out to them.  That's something I can work on.