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THE WORTH OF SOULS-DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 18
ICEBREAKER
Perhaps you're familiar with the PBS program called "The Antiques Roadshow". This is where people bring in various objects they've found to be examined by professional antiques appraisers. The appraisers then reveal how much value those objects have. So for an icebreaker, I'm going to show you 5 different items that have been appraised on the show and I want you to guess which of them is worth the most. And you get extra credit if you can list them in the correct order from least to highest value.
• First phase Navajo blanket (1.5 Million Dollars)
• Honus Wagner baseball card (3.12 Million Dollars)
• 18th Century Chinese Jade collection (494,000)
• 1974 Rolex Oyster Cosmograph Watch (700,000)
• Small Faberge Flower in a Vase (1.27 Million)
Here are the answers.
Number 5: 18th century Chinese jade collection. 494,000$.
Number 4: Rolex watch. 700,000$
Number 3: Faberge flower. 1.2 million$
Number 2: The Navajo blanket. 1.5 million
Number 1: Honus Wagner Baseball Card 3.1 million dollars.
How many of you were surprised by the value of some of these things? Some of them may not have seemed like much at first glance. Value isn't always easy to determine by the outward appearance. It isn't until you know a little more about the object that you really begin to understand what makes it so valuable. Which leads us to the big question. What is it that determines an object's value? We would answer that by saying that value is determined by how much somebody is willing to pay for something. Anybody could try to inflate or diminish the value of something by assigning an arbitrary number to it. But you don't really discover the value of something until it's bought, until somebody pays a price for it.
With that in mind, I have another set of items for you to consider here. How much are these worth? Different values, the same? If the same, how much? Let's see what the scriptures say. How much is a human soul worth? I'd like to give you a scripture chain to follow. Read each reference and see if you can discover what each says about the worth of a human soul. As a teacher, I would give my students this handout to work through this scripture chain.
If they do, this is what they might find:
Doctrine and Covenants 18:10
10 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;
Great. That's a good word, but it's a little vague. How great is the worth? Let’s go to:
Alma 31:35
35 Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.
We can add another adjective here. Precious. Our souls are great and precious. But how great, how precious? Maybe we can get a little more specific here.
Matthew 10:31
31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
So, ok. We're of more value than a bunch of birds. That might not make you feel super great. But it's a start. Back to Doctrine and Covenants 18
Doctrine and Covenants 18:15
15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!
Ah, now we're getting somewhere. Our souls are worth an entire lifetime of work. So if somebody spent every waking hour of their lives just sharing the gospel and teaching and inviting, and at the end of it all, only one person listened, only one was brought to Christ. That effort would be worth it. That's a lot of value. If you want to try and put a number on it, think of how much money an average person makes working throughout their lives. All added up, it would probably be in the millions of dollars.
Matthew 16:26
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
So one human soul is worth more than the entire world. Does that start to make you feel a little better about your worth? Your soul is worth more than the entire earth and all its land, and resources, and beauty. It still doesn't compare to your worth.
But we haven't arrived at the biggest one yet. To understand this one better, we have to take a quick detour to
1 Corinthians 6:20
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Like I said before. The value of something is determined by how much another is willing to pay for it. And somebody was willing to pay something for us. We have been bought with a price. Who bought us? though, and what was the price?
Back to Doctrine and Covenants 18 again. Verses 11-12
And this comes right after verse 10 which told us that the worth of souls was great. How great?
11 For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.
12 And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance.
What is the human soul worth? It's worth the atonement. We were worth the unfathomable suffering and death of a God. Christ bought us with that sacrifice. He purchased us with his blood and his anguish. That anguish was infinite, deep, and incomprehensible. Therefore, that is how much we are worth. Our worth is infinite, deep, and incomprehensible. And nothing that can happen to us, nothing that we can do, nothing that another might say or think of us can diminish that value.
I sometimes illustrate this by pulling out a brand new, pristine, clean 20$ bill and ask how much it is worth. They say, 20$. Then I crumple it up, step on it, rub some dirt on it, mark it with a crayon, and then toss it to the side. And then ask, now how much is it worth now? Still 20$. What happens to us in this life does not diminish our value.
I know you know I love C.S. Lewis and I know that this is oft-repeated quote, but it's so profound I just have to share it. He said:
"There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. . . .Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses."
("The Weight of Glory", sermon at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford)"
TRUTH
Hopefully, we've been able to establish a beautiful and profound truth in your minds. The worth of souls is great. But maybe that's a bit of an understatement. Their worth is infinitely great, incomprehensibly great, vastly great, phenomenally great.
FINISH THE STATEMENT
Therefore what? How should that truth change us? Should it change the way we act and think? I want you to fill in this blank here:
Because the worth of souls is so great, I should _____________________________.
A few ideas come to my mind. Because the worth of souls is so great, I should value all souls. I should treat all souls with the respect and love their worth calls for.
If you have something of great worth, how do you treat it? With great love and regard. You make sure it's taken care of and protected. You don't take a 3-million-dollar baseball card and throw it in your backpack, or write a note on it, or toss it away. You treat it well. More than well. Just as Christ would have us treat others.
To remind us all of this truth, the brethren recently added the following statement to the church's policy manual:
"The Church calls on all people to abandon attitudes and actions of prejudice toward any group or individual. Members of the Church should lead out in promoting respect for all of God’s children. Members follow the Savior’s commandment to love others (see Matthew 22:35–39). They strive to be persons of goodwill toward all, rejecting prejudice of any kind. This includes prejudice based on race, ethnicity, nationality, tribe, gender, age, disability, socioeconomic status, religious belief or nonbelief, and sexual orientation."
So I ask you:
• Is a male soul worth more than a female soul?
• Is an American soul worth more than an Asian soul?
• Is an African soul worth more than a French soul? 1
• Is a 25-year old's soul worth more than an 80-year old's soul?
• Is a non-disabled person's soul worth more than a disabled person's soul?
• Is a member of the church's soul worth more than a Muslim's soul?
• Is a righteous person’s soul worth more than a sinner’s soul?
• Is a prophet’s soul worth more than a primary child’s soul?
• Is your friend's soul worth more than your enemy's soul?
And we can on and on and on with all the different distinctions we sometime use to diminish another's value.
Remember verse 11, he suffered the pain of ALL men, that ALL men might repent and come unto him.
Do we live and treat others as if we believe that?
Another way I would fill in that blank. Yes, it's critical to recognize the worth of other's souls. It's equally critical to recognize the worth of your own soul.
Because the worth of souls is so great, I should value and recognize my own worth.
The adversary doesn't want you to feel good about yourself either. I'm not super fond of the terms self-love or self-esteem, but I do like the term self-worth. Do we have a healthy sense of self-worth? If we don't then I fear that we become more vulnerable to manipulation by the adversary and others. We conclude, "Well, if I'm not worth that much, then what I do must not matter, how I treat my body doesn't matter, how other people treat me must not matter, what happens to me doesn't matter". I also think it's very difficult to be happy without a sense of our worth. And God wants us to be happy, he intends for us to be happy. So when you consider yourself, remember how precious you are in the sight of God, and that will lift you, and give you confidence, and make you better.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
• How would the world be a different place if everyone embraced this truth?
• How can knowing your own worth change you?
• What could you do for others or yourself to show you truly recognize this truth?
CONCLUSION
You matter. You have great potential. I wish we could all see ourselves and others the way that God sees. We're not always great appraisers of value; not of others, and not of ourselves.
-Joseph Smith saw himself as an obscure boy of no consequence in the world, but God saw the man who would restore the latter-day church and do more save Jesus only for the salvation of men.
- Ananias saw a persecutor in Paul, but God and apostle, the man that would spread Christianity throughout the ancient world.
- Peter saw himself as a sinful man, Christ saw a prophet, the man that would lead his church after he was gone.
- Enoch saw himself as but a lad that all the people hated, God saw the man who would establish the city of Zion
- Gideon saw himself a poor, timid boy, God saw a mighty man of valor and a liberator of Israel.
-Moses saw himself as slow of speech and unqualified. God saw the man that would free the children of Israel from the mightiest empire of his time.
Like I said, we aren't great appraisers of value. So let's trust in the valuation of the greatest appraiser of all. Trust that all souls are of great worth in his sight. If life is a like a game of chess, which piece does Satan see us as? We're just pawns to him. Just means to his ends, easily sacrificed, easily tossed aside, of little worth. How does God see us, though? Kings and Queens. Gods in embryo. More than conquerors. Sons and daughters of the most high God. Souls worth paying the ultimate price for. Hopefully we can learn to recognize our own worth and the worth of others.
REPENT, OR SUFFER-DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 19
We just made the point we were worth the atonement of Christ. However, someone could ask "But what does that mean? I don't understand the atonement". Section 19 has the answer to that. Now I've heard a lot of different analogies and object lessons used over the years to try and help me to understand the atonement. Maybe you've heard some of them. The parable of the bicycle comes to mind, footprints in the sand, maybe you've heard the push-ups and donuts story, or the dream of the filing cabinets, you know where Christ comes in and signs his name on each of the cards that record the man's sins.
As wonderful and helpful as these analogies are, I still believe that the best object lesson for understanding the atonement is the one that Jesus himself chose. He chose to compare his suffering to a specific object. See if you can find it in Doctrine and Covenants 19:18.
And what is it? A cup. And more specifically, a bitter cup. Experiencing the atonement was like drinking something very bitter. Well, what's something that you can drink that is bitter? Vinegar. Imagine what it would be like to drink a large cup of vinegar. And at that point in the lesson I actually do pull out a cup and bottle of vinegar.
Now sometimes I'll invite a student forward to just take a small taste of vinegar on their tongue. Just a drop, to see how they react. And usually they'll twist up their faces and grimace and wince. I wouldn't have them drink it though, you don't want to make them sick, but it's not dangerous to take just a taste of it. And then I give them a candy bar and a drink of water for being willing to volunteer. But then I ask the class if they could imagine drinking a large cup of vinegar. What would that experience be like? Now go back into verse 18 to look for the Savior's reaction to drinking the bitter cup, right at the end of the verse. It says, he shrank. As soon as he brought that cup to his lips, he reacted much like each of you would probably react. Like we just demonstrated. You shrink from it. You say, I don't want to drink this. It's too bitter. And do you remember what the Savior prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane as he began to drink the bitter cup of the atonement?
Matthew 26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
So he asked if there were any other way? He says, "Father. Is it possible for me to not drink this cup? And what apparently was God's answer to that prayer? No, son, I'm afraid there is no other way. You need to drink that cup. The salvation of all of my other children depends on you drinking that cup. And so the Savior takes the cup back to his lips and begins to drink, and to drink deeply from the bitter cup. And he drinks that cup all the way from Gethsemane to the cross. The description we get of the Savior's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane in the New Testament is always in the third person. But here in the Doctrine and Covenants, we get to hear it from the first person. Jesus himself describes what his suffering was like. It's so personal and poignant that it's amazing that he even lets us read it.
What words and phrases does he use to describe that suffering in verse 18, and you could also verse 15?
Sore, exquisite, hard to bear, it caused him, even him the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain. In another place in the scriptures the cup is called the cup of trembling. (2 Nephi 8:22) You can just imagine what happen if you began to drink an entire cup of vinegar. You would begin to tremble and shake. He bled at every pore. He suffered both body and spirit. This was physical pain, emotional pain, spiritual pain. He experienced it all, the entire gamut of human suffering. If you really want them to understand exactly what was in that cup, you could always send them to Alma 7:11-13 to find the words used to describe exactly what bitterness it was that he was drinking. And as bitter as drinking that cup was, one of the most beautiful words in scripture follows. Nevertheless. I'm so grateful for that word. I'm so grateful that Jesus was willing to say, nevertheless. Even though it was bitter, even though it was hard to bear, even though it caused him to bleed from every pore, he was still willing to drink it, for you and me. He partook of it, and drank all of it, right to the bottom, right to the dregs. If you recall, while Jesus was hanging on the cross, he made only one request for himself. He asked for something as he hung there. He said, "I thirst". He wanted a drink of water--a very common request of a dying man. And what did they give him? Vinegar. How fitting that the last taste on the Savior's lips before he died was bitterness. It's right after that that Jesus says, "It is finished, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit". And he dies. Jesus drank the bitter cup right to its last bitter drop. He finished his preparations unto the children of men. Now that he had finished the atonement, he was prepared to (as Alma puts it in Alma 7) succor his people according to their afflictions.
Now why does Jesus give us such a detailed and deep description of his suffering here? What's his purpose? I can assure you that it's not to make you feel sorry for him, or to manipulate your emotions, or to hold his suffering up for all to see and say, "Look, look what I did for you, you should be grateful". That's not the spirit of it here. Everything Jesus does is for our benefit. So why does he want us to understand the depth of his suffering? We've got to read the rest of the section to understand that. It's so we'll do something.
You've probably heard people say that life is a test. But what kind of test is it? Is it an essay test? Short answer? True/False? Fill-in-the-blank? Matching?
After reading section 19, I think it's a multiple-choice test. But it only has one question. And that question only has two options to choose from. We can choose option A, or option B. Those two options are found in verse 4. What are they? I can choose to repent, or I can choose to suffer. And look, like I said, it even has it printed right there on the page as choice A or B.
And wouldn't you know it, the Lord is such a gracious teacher, that he actually tells us the correct answer. He tells us which one that we should pick. And in these two sections he says it over and over and over again. See if you can find the correct answer in any of the following verses:
18:6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, 41,42, 44, 19:4, 13, 15, 16,17, 20, 21, 31
He says choose A, choose A! Please. He says it again and again. It's a major theme of both 18 and 19. Think of the context of this instruction in light of what we just learned about the worth of souls. The worth of souls is so great that I don't want them to experience what I had to experience. I don't want them to suffer. So cry repentance to them. Spread that message far and wide so that their joy, and your joy can be great together in the kingdom of my father. I want you to have joy, not pain. I chose B, so that you could choose A. So choose A! You don't have to suffer the way I did.
But if we don't repent, we will suffer. We will face eternal and endless punishment. But then he seeks to clarify those terms for us. They've often been misunderstood.
5 Wherefore, I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but woes shall go forth, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand.
6 Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment.
7 Again, it is written eternal damnation; wherefore it is more express than other scriptures, that it might work upon the hearts of the children of men, altogether for my name's glory.
(So when I've used the terms eternal damnation and endless torment, you didn't take it in the way that I meant it. However, that' s not entirely a bad thing. Because the way you took it helped a lot of you to repent, and that's the whole goal, but let me help you to understand the true meaning here)
8 Wherefore, I will explain unto you this mystery, for it is meet unto you to know even as mine apostles.
9 I speak unto you that are chosen in this thing, even as one, that you may enter into my rest.
10 For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore
11 Eternal punishment is God's punishment.
12 Endless punishment is God's punishment.
So this punishment and suffering isn't eternal and endless. We don't believe in an eternal suffering like many Christians do. We believe that even the worst of sinners can still inherit a Telestial glory and be heirs of salvation. The only ones to inherit outer darkness are those that choose it--that choose to become sons of perdition. Eternal punishment and suffering do not last forever. When he uses those terms he's not talking about the span of the punishment, but the sort of the punishment. It's God's punishment, but it's not eternal, and it's not endless. He's a loving God and won't allow suffering to go on forever.
Now the caution with that thought is that somebody might say to themselves. Oh, no eternal punishment, eh? I guess I'll live it up here in life. I'll sin, I'll do whatever I want. I'll give into the natural man, and in the end, I can still inherit a Telestial glory. And Jesus looks back and says, "woah, woah, hang on here. I don't think you understand. First of all, wickedness never was happiness, and what you think will bring you happiness in life, won't. On top of that, you're forgetting a very significant part of my plan. Spirit prison. Yes, the Telestial glory is a kingdom of glory, but the road to it passes straight through hell. You'll have to go through hell first to get there.
13 Wherefore, I command you to repent, (not because I say so, but because I don't want you to experience that suffering, the pain and difficulty of repentance is far less than the pain and difficulty of the hell of spirit prison) and keep the commandments which you have received by the hand of my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., in my name;
14 And it is by my almighty power that you have received them;
15 Therefore I command you to repent--repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore--how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear you know not.
16 For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; (Again, I chose B, so that you could choose A)
17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;
18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all . . . And then we have verse 18 here.
Now this sure seems to be a pretty solemn and straightforward declaration. But don't misunderstand. This is a message of joy and gladness! We should walk away from this with greater appreciation for our Savior. Look at how section 19 ends:
39 Behold, canst thou read this without rejoicing and lifting up thy heart for gladness?
Isn't it wonderful that we can choose A. This isn't a threat or a chastisement. It's a pleading. It's an appeal. It's offered with great love and tenderness and concern for our souls. It should help us to understand this most consequential and majestic of truths.
TRUTH
Christ suffered so that we can repent. If we repent, we will not suffer as He did, but receive divine mercy.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Which leads me to a few questions I'd like you to consider:
• How does understanding Christ's suffering make you feel towards Him?
• Why do you think Christ wants YOU to understand his suffering?
• When have you felt the power of Christ's atonement in your life?
CONCLUSION
I personally would like to express my thanks to my Savior for his willingness to drink my bitter cup. He has taken out of my hand the cup of trembling because I know that he loves me. I love the principle of repentance. I testify that it works and that the power of the atonement is real. To me, repentance is a beautiful word. It's a principle of joy, and gratitude and relief. It's my deepest desire that we all will make the right choice on the test of life. I also encourage you to choose A! And I know that if you will, then Christ can promise you peace instead of pain, glory instead of punishment, and sweetness, instead of bitterness.
CRYING REPENTANCE-18 AND 19
Another theme that you could focus on in these sections is missionary work, or bringing souls to Christ.
This discussion could grow naturally out of the worth of souls lesson because that is another way you could finish the "Because the worth of souls is so great, I should, " statement. Because the worth of souls is so great, I should seek to bring them to Christ. I cry repentance, and how great shall be my joy with one or many of them in the kingdom of the Father.
But how do I teach them? How do I cry repentance? Do I run around shouting 'Repent, Repent', or is there a more effective way of bringing souls to Christ? You could then send them into the scriptures to look for instruction on how to bring souls unto Christ in the Lord's way. I have a study guide handout available that can help them discover these principles and I'll walk you through it here.
SEARCH
1. 18:19 What 3 qualities should we teach with and how do we teach with them? :19 With faith hope and charity
How do we teach with faith? We have faith in the message. We've developed our own conviction of it. We have faith in God, that he will help us. We have faith that he will send his spirit to confirm the truth to those we teach. And we have faith in ourselves, that we can teach with boldness and confidence.
How do we teach with hope? We teach them that God forgives, that God is merciful, that God gives second chances. We give them hope that they can change. We give them hope that following Christ leads to happiness, and that the rewards are priceless.
How do we teach with charity? We love those we teach. We care about their happiness and salvation. We seek to see others as Christ sees them and teach in a non-judgmental way. We listen to them and teach with patience and compassion.
2. 18:20 What shouldn't we do? Why?
We shouldn't contend against other churches. We don't go about seeking to tear down the beliefs and faith of others to make ours appear better. I wish that all churches afforded us the same courtesy. We seek for common ground and try to build on it. We can contend against the church of the devil though. The church of the devil is any organization or force that seeks to draw people away from Christ and righteous principles. It's not any specific church. I believe the majority of other religious faiths out there are a great source for good in this world. We contend against EVIL not other churches. Evil is the enemy. I believe that God can and does work through other faiths. We don't hold a monopoly on God's goodness or influence. God can do a great deal of good through his inspired and divinely called prophet, Russell M. Nelson. However, I also believe that God that can do a lot of good through a Pope Francis, a Dalai Lama, a Mother Teresa, or a Martin Luther King. So don't contend against things or people that are obviously a force for good, even if we don't agree on all the doctrinal specifics.
3. 19:22/31 What kinds of things should we teach, and what kinds of things should we not teach? Why?
We should stick to the milk of the gospel and leave the meat for later. You wouldn't feed an infant a steak and you don't introduce the restored gospel to somebody by talking about deep doctrine or obscure questions about church history. A related idea in :31. Don't speak of tenets. A tenet is defined as "a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof" . The footnote there sends us to 2 Timothy 2:23 which says to avoid "foolish and unlearned questions". We want to help people find answers, not engender more questions. We should stick to the basics, the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. As verse 31 suggests, faith, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
4. 19:29 What emotion should we teach with? Why?
I teach with gladness. Not with a grave, solemn face but with joy and excitement. I remember I had a companion who taught with such a serious and sour look on his face that I wanted to say, c'mon, lighten up a little, smile, the gospel is a gospel of joy! We need to make sure they sense that from us. That not only do we live it, but that we love it, and that it brings us joy.
5. 19:30 What is another quality we should teach with and why is it important?
To teach effectively we must teach with humility. To recognize that the power of the convincing of men comes from God, not us. To have the humility to (next line) trust in Him and the Spirit. To understand that we can't do it on our own. And reviling not against revilers: a similar idea to what we said earlier about not contending against churches.
6. 19:37 Who should I seek to share the gospel with? How?
I speak freely to all with a sound of rejoicing. The gospel is for everyone. We don't discriminate or judge who we think will or will not be receptive to our message. And hopefully we speak freely about the gospel--always looking for opportunities to share and seizing them. Not ever holding back, but opening our mouths willingly, enthusiastically and without reservation.
THE SPIRIT HAS CONFIRMED THE TRUTH TO ME. NOW WHAT? DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 18
Another possible insight from these sections you could share. We've learned from sections 5, 6, 8,9, 11, and 17 how to receive and recognize the manifestations of the Spirit. Section 18 builds on this and answers the next logical question: "Ok, the Spirit has confirmed the truth to me. Now what?" There are some phenomenal verbs in this section that describe what we can and should do after the witness. Look for verbs or instructions in the following verses that answer that question. Perhaps we could add these words to the ones we got last month in Joseph Smith-History. After Joseph had his manifestation, he continued to ACT, AFFIRM, and ASSERT. Let's see what other words we can include here. You could do this as a quick crossword puzzle and since the words are so small. I'm just going to give you the scripture reference as a clue, then you go in and see if you can find the verb that fits into the spaces that best describes what we do after we've received a witness. You can then have a discussion by asking which of the words is their favorite and why. And I'll do these in chronological order.
4 DOWN
18:2-3
2 Behold, I have manifested unto you, by my Spirit in many instances, (Oliver has had frequent confirmations) that the things which you have written are true; wherefore you know that they are true.
3 And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written;
Once we have received manifestations in many instances that things we have read, or felt, or thought, or seen, are true, then we need to rely upon those things that we've experienced. Remember them. Ponder them. Express gratitude for them. Turn to those things for strength instead of reaching out for something new. Those things have built a foundation for you, now rely on them.
5 ACROSS
18:5
5 Wherefore, if you shall build up my church, upon the foundation of my gospel and my rock, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.
The word: Build. Build up his church with it. Your spiritual experiences are not given just to benefit you. Others can draw strength from what you've experienced. Build up the faith of your spouse, your children, your friends, your ward members, your neighbors with it. A good portion of the foundation of my faith has been built by the spiritual experiences of others.
3 ACROSS
18:30
30 And you have that which is written before you; wherefore, you must perform it according to the words which are written.
Another word to add to our list. Perform it. When we've been granted an answer to our prayers, we've got to perform what we've been instructed to do. If we've felt the impression that we need to forgive, then we need to go and forgive. If we've felt the impression that we need to be more kind, then we need to go out and be more kind. God is more willing to give instruction and intelligence to those who act on it, when it is given.
2 ACROSS
18:34
34 These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man;
The word. Testify. After we've received a witness, we must testify of it. We talked extensively about that one last week, but the idea is reinforced here. Don't keep these things to yourself. Strengthen your own faith and the faith of others by sharing it.
1 DOWN
18:43
43 And now, after that you have received this, you must keep my commandments in all things;
Keep is the word here. As he says, after we have received the witness, we must continue in obedience in all things. Disobedience and neglect will dull the power and the memory of past spiritual experiences. That's when we begin to forget, that's when we cease to rely. So keep on keeping the commandments. Obedience is spiritual maintenance for your faith.
TRUTH
Great words, right. If we wanted to combine all these truths into one, we could say:
After I have had the Spirit manifest truth to me, I should continue to ACT, AFFIRM, ASSERT, RELY, BUILD, PERFORM, TESTIFY, AND KEEP. If I do, then God will continue to manifest things to me.
CONCLUSION
One thing to note, I don't believe there is anything wrong with desiring or requesting additional knowledge and confirmation of the truth. It's not like God just manifests himself once and then expects you to be satisfied with that for the rest of your life. Hopefully, we will witness the confirmation of the Spirit many times in our lives. Just like our loved ones can never hear words like, "I love you", or "thank you", or "I forgive you", or "I appreciate you" enough. We need to hear from the Spirit frequently. The true disciple of Christ wishes to hear the still small voice whisper often in his ear. I like this quote from Shakespeare's play Pericles:
"For truth can never be confirmed enough, Though doubts did ever sleep."
But, as in all things, there is a need for balance. We can't expect to call for witnesses from God "on-demand". We can request them, or more often than not, be pleasantly surprised by them, but we are in no place to put ultimatums on God. Section 18:18 adds a vital qualification to the promise "Ask and ye shall receive". It says that you shall have the Holy Ghost which manifesteth all things which are expedient unto the children of men. Therefore, the Spirit will manifest expedient things. Or appropriate things, Or needful things. The witnesses and requests we make may not always be expedient. Hopefully we can have trust in God's wisdom and timing on those things.
HOW TO BE TRUE CHRISTIANS-DOCTRINE & COVENANTS 19
Another quick thought. And I'll introduce this with a quote by American poet Maya Angelou. She said:
“Many things continue to amaze me, even well into my seventh decade. I’m startled or at least taken aback when people walk up to me and without being questioned inform me that they are Christians. My first response is the question ‘Already?’ It seems to me that becoming a Christian is a lifelong endeavor. – Maya Angelou, from “Keep the Faith,” in Letter to My Daughter
Now I really like that idea. Partly because we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, for some reason, are often accused of not being Christians. Well, maybe that helps us to feel better about that accusation. And we can say, "you know, you're right. Becoming a Christian, or a person like Christ is a lifelong endeavor. I'm not there yet. But I'm trying".
How do I truly become a Christian then? I love the pattern taught here in the Doctrine & Covenants. I combine two verses to create a simple yet potent formula for becoming more like Christ. I'll steal a verse from a previous lesson. Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 and then a verse here in section 19:23. If I wish to become like Christ, I need to Look, learn, listen, and then walk. That's how I do it. Whenever a decision needs to be made about how to act, I first, "LOOK" unto Christ in that thought. I turn my thoughts and attention to his example and his teachings. Then I LEARN of him. I open my mind to be taught. And I LISTEN to his words. I let those teachings sink into my mind and heart. And then I WALK in the meekness of his Spirit. I act on it. I go and do.
So let me give you a few examples.
Let’s say that there is somebody who has betrayed or hurt me in some way, and I feel angry and I want to get them back, but I decide to look to Christ in that thought, and he says, learn of me and listen to my words, and I hear him say: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" and "love your enemies, do good to them that hate you”. So I take a deep breath, and I walk in the meekness of his Spirit and I forgive. Or maybe it's a Saturday morning and I just want to relax, or I have a lot of things that I need to do around the house, and I get the message that the Elders Quorum has agreed to go help somebody move, and I don't really feel like it. I stop, and LOOK to Christ in that thought, and he says, "Learn of me, and listen to my words", "Which of these was neighbor unto him that fell among thieves? Go and do thou likewise." And then I walk, over to my neighbor's house to help them move. Or maybe I see somebody whose sins and shortcomings are obvious, and everyone's gossiping about them and talking behind their back and I'm tempted to join in. But I decide to look to Christ in that thought, and he says, learn of me, and listen to my words, and I hear him say “He who is without sin, let him first cast a stone. Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” So then I walk in the meekness of his Spirit and I don’t judge.
With a class, you could then invite them to come up with one of their own case studies. One of their own examples of a teaching of Christ that could help them be more of a Christian in a specific situation.
And I pray that we can all LOOK, LEARN, LISTEN, and WALK more often in our lives. Because if we do, then he has a promise for us. He says, "And you shall have peace in me". I sincerely hope that your life is peaceful in Christ.
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