Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Charity
Recently we invited the missionaries to eat dinner at our house, and as is their custom, they shared a spiritual thought with us. This time, one of the Elders shared with us these verses from 1 Corinthians 13:
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 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.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 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.
12 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.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
I have thought a lot about these verses ever since, and thought about my own weakness in this area. I've especially thought about the verses that talk about how meaningless our actions are if they are done without charity. Usually when people think about the word "Charity" they think of giving money to "charities" or giving food and money to the poor. In fact, this scripture mentions giving to others, but it talks about how true charity is different from just giving to others. It says, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Think about that. If a person gave all their goods to the poor, just like charities do, but had not "charity", it profiteth them nothing. So clearly, charity is more than just giving to the poor.
If charity isn't just giving to the poor, and it isn't just being able to speak with the tongue of angels, and it isn't having the gift of prophecy, or great faith, what is charity? These verses written by the apostle Paul give us some ideas for how a person with charity acts, but don't really tell us what charity is.
One of the last prophets to write in the Book of Mormon gives us a great definition of the word charity. The prophet Moroni wrote, "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." Charity, then, is the pure love of Christ.
Moroni goes on to teach, "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 7:47,48 This definition gives even more clarity to the verses in 1 Corinthians.
So the task for me now is to try more ardently to develop this love within myself. As I thought about this, the greatest of all spiritual gifts, I realized that it is usually my lack of charity that causes me to sin. It is when I have a lack of love for my neighbor that I gossip. It is when I have a lack of love that I criticize or get angry at others. When love is the motivating force, our view of others and the world changes. We begin to see others the way Christ sees them. It was that kind of love that enabled the Savior to suffer for the sins of all.
Verse 13 of the same chapter says, "And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." Charity truly is the greatest gift we can pursue. The prophet Nephi wrote that it is "the most joyous to the soul." 1 Nephi 11:23. The prophet Brigham Young taught, "There is one virtue, attribute, or principle, which, if cherished and practiced by the Saints, would prove salvation to thousands upon thousands. I allude to charity, or love, from which proceed forgiveness, long suffering, kindness, and patience” (Brigham Young, Deseret News, 11 Jan. 1860, 353).
I hope that I can use charity as my new "lens" through which I view the world. I pray that I can develop this gift more fully, and truly begin to look at others the way the Savior did. I know that by changing myself, I may not change the world, but I will have, as explained by Moroni, become more like the Savior.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Quote of the Day: Sheri Dew
This is one of my favorite quotes that I have framed and hanging on the wall in my home.
Sheri Dew:
"What are we willing to do, what weaknesses and indulgences will we give up, to have as our personal protector and guide the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost? ....may each one of us resolve that nothing will stand between us and the spirit of the Lord."
Sheri Dew:
"What are we willing to do, what weaknesses and indulgences will we give up, to have as our personal protector and guide the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost? ....may each one of us resolve that nothing will stand between us and the spirit of the Lord."
Book of Mormon Sampler: 2 Nephi 32:1-3
2 Nephi 32:1-3
1 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts?
2 Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?
3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
1 And now, behold, my beloved brethren, I suppose that ye ponder somewhat in your hearts concerning that which ye should do after ye have entered in by the way. But, behold, why do ye ponder these things in your hearts?
2 Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?
3 Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Quote of the Day: Elder Boyd K. Packer
Elder BoydK. Packer:
“True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.
“The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. Preoccupation with unworthy behavior can lead to unworthy behavior. That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1986, 20; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, 17 ).
Friday, October 23, 2009
Priesthood Keys
I mentioned in my last post about the "keys of the Priesthood". Some time back, I mentioned this phrase to another blogger who seemed to not understand its meaning. I thought I should try to explain for those who might not be familiar with this term.
When I received my calling as a seminary teacher, I was given keys to the building. Some of my keys open the seminary closet where our supplies are stored. One of my keys opens the church library so that I can have access to pictures and the copy machine. I also have a key that gives me access to another key which is shared by me and my fellow teacher. That shared key gives us access to the televisions and VCR/DVDs. Without these keys, my calling would be much more difficult to perform, and at times impossible to perform. Along with these keys is invested in me a certain level of trust; that I won't steal or damage any of the equipment. I am trusted to not share the keys with someone who is not trustworthy. Recently I attended a scout activity that was held in the room where I teach seminary. One of the Scout leaders asked to borrow my keys to get something from the library. I knew that he was trustworthy, and that he couldn't do his calling of scout leader well without access to the library, so I gave him my keys to use during the meeting.
This is much like the keys of the Priesthood. Throughout time, God has followed the same pattern with regard to Priesthood keys. He gives the keys (or authority) of the Priesthood to the Prophet, who can then bestow those keys upon those who need them. The only man on the earth that has the authority to use all of the keys of the priesthood is the prophet, although the apostles also hold all of the keys. When the Prophet dies, and a new Prophet is chosen, he is given that same authority over all of the Priesthood keys.
Certain keys can be given to others as needed for their callings. The Prophet holds those keys necessary for the governing of the church. Included in those keys are the "sealing keys" that bind a husband and wife in marriage for eternity, not just until "death do you part". This same authority was given to Peter by the Savior. Jesus said, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (matt. 16:19) The Prophet can bestow those keys upon temple presidents and workers so that they also can have the authority to seal couples and families. It is interesting that this idea of "Priesthood keys" was well known in the ancient church, although many people today do not understand this term. I heard a talk once wherein it was told that Pres. Kimball had been visiting a museum and noticed a statue of Peter holding a key. Here is a picture of that statue by Thorvaldsen, followed by other art I found that depicted Peter holding keys.
Clearly the ancients understood the term "Priesthood keys". These keys, as evidenced in the scripture I used above, were given to Peter. He was the chosen president of the church. After his death, and the death of the apostles, there was no one left with the authority to pass on those Priesthood keys to others. While many people, I'm sure, held the authority of the Priesthood, they did not have all of the keys, or authority. Those keys needed to be restored. The "sealing keys" were, as I mentioned in the previous post, restored by the prophet Elijah. This was foretold by the Savior, Himself: "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things." Matt 17:11 The name "Elias" is Greek form of the name "Elijah". The name Elias is also a title for someone who is a "forerunner". This "restitution of all things" had also been foretold: "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3:21
Today, the President of the church, Thomas S. Monson, holds all of the keys that were restored to the earth through Joseph Smith. Because the keys have been restored to the Earth, all of the ordinances are available to man. The temples of God can once again function and carry on the work of the redemption of the dead. I'm thankful to live in a time when the keys of the Priesthood are once again on the Earth.
When I received my calling as a seminary teacher, I was given keys to the building. Some of my keys open the seminary closet where our supplies are stored. One of my keys opens the church library so that I can have access to pictures and the copy machine. I also have a key that gives me access to another key which is shared by me and my fellow teacher. That shared key gives us access to the televisions and VCR/DVDs. Without these keys, my calling would be much more difficult to perform, and at times impossible to perform. Along with these keys is invested in me a certain level of trust; that I won't steal or damage any of the equipment. I am trusted to not share the keys with someone who is not trustworthy. Recently I attended a scout activity that was held in the room where I teach seminary. One of the Scout leaders asked to borrow my keys to get something from the library. I knew that he was trustworthy, and that he couldn't do his calling of scout leader well without access to the library, so I gave him my keys to use during the meeting.
This is much like the keys of the Priesthood. Throughout time, God has followed the same pattern with regard to Priesthood keys. He gives the keys (or authority) of the Priesthood to the Prophet, who can then bestow those keys upon those who need them. The only man on the earth that has the authority to use all of the keys of the priesthood is the prophet, although the apostles also hold all of the keys. When the Prophet dies, and a new Prophet is chosen, he is given that same authority over all of the Priesthood keys.
Certain keys can be given to others as needed for their callings. The Prophet holds those keys necessary for the governing of the church. Included in those keys are the "sealing keys" that bind a husband and wife in marriage for eternity, not just until "death do you part". This same authority was given to Peter by the Savior. Jesus said, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (matt. 16:19) The Prophet can bestow those keys upon temple presidents and workers so that they also can have the authority to seal couples and families. It is interesting that this idea of "Priesthood keys" was well known in the ancient church, although many people today do not understand this term. I heard a talk once wherein it was told that Pres. Kimball had been visiting a museum and noticed a statue of Peter holding a key. Here is a picture of that statue by Thorvaldsen, followed by other art I found that depicted Peter holding keys.
Clearly the ancients understood the term "Priesthood keys". These keys, as evidenced in the scripture I used above, were given to Peter. He was the chosen president of the church. After his death, and the death of the apostles, there was no one left with the authority to pass on those Priesthood keys to others. While many people, I'm sure, held the authority of the Priesthood, they did not have all of the keys, or authority. Those keys needed to be restored. The "sealing keys" were, as I mentioned in the previous post, restored by the prophet Elijah. This was foretold by the Savior, Himself: "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things." Matt 17:11 The name "Elias" is Greek form of the name "Elijah". The name Elias is also a title for someone who is a "forerunner". This "restitution of all things" had also been foretold: "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3:21
Today, the President of the church, Thomas S. Monson, holds all of the keys that were restored to the earth through Joseph Smith. Because the keys have been restored to the Earth, all of the ordinances are available to man. The temples of God can once again function and carry on the work of the redemption of the dead. I'm thankful to live in a time when the keys of the Priesthood are once again on the Earth.
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