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ICEBREAKER
You can begin this lesson by talking about collections and hopefully you have a collection of something that you could bring in as an object lesson to share with your class. You could also ask them to share some of the things that they collect and what the most prized objects in their collection are. For me, when I was younger, I collected a number of different things. I had a coin collection, a rock collection, a Lego collection, a fossil collection, and a Soda Pop Can collection. Collecting can be a really enjoyable hobby. There's just something fun and challenging about gathering up all the different variations of one specific kind of thing and putting them out on display. The goal of the collector is to complete the collection as much as is possible. In my coin collection, I really focused on pennies. They have these wonderful little coin collector booklets that provide spaces for every type of penny that exists placed in chronological order. And you take the pennies and push them into the little holes, and they hold the pennies in place. I remember going to the bank and exchanging dollar bills for rolls of pennies and then eagerly searching through my pile looking for new pennies that could fill in the gaps of my collection. I remember how excited I'd get when I'd find a new penny that I didn't have yet and how satisfying it was to push them into place. Well, after some time, all the holes for the more recently minted pennies were filled. So I began to focus on older and older pennies. I got into collecting what are called Indian head pennies and these were definitely much harder to find. For these I had to work and save up my money and then go down to the coin shop and purchase them one by one and that certainly took some more diligent searching.
TRANSITION
Well today we are going to talk about a different kind of collection. A Christian Qualities Collection, a collection of discipleship. Moroni chapter 7 presents us with an extraordinary collection of the qualities and characteristics of a disciple of Christ. Our goal today is to fill them in. I'm going to give you a handout that is reminiscent of those coin collecting booklets that I once had. We'll spend the rest of our time today collecting Christian Qualities. By the conclusion of the lesson, you'll have a display of deep discipleship. Mormon (who Moroni is quoting in this chapter, see verse 1) isn't going to use the term disciple though to describe the followers of Christ. He uses a number of other fantastic descriptive phrases instead. So we're going to start out easy here by first collecting those Christian Captions.
SEARCH
See if you can find them. I've given you the first letter of every word as a clue and now you just need to fill in the collection by writing in the terms in the provided spaces of this first section.
And if you took the time to do that, they are:
7:3 TPFOC The Peaceable followers of Christ
7:19 ACOC A Child of Christ
7:26 TSOG The Sons of God (and we would include the title Daughters of God here as well)
7:39 TPOHC The People of his Church
7:48 TFOHS True followers of his Son
Now those are some great titles, aren't they? I want to be a peaceable follower of Christ, or a son or daughter of God, or a true follower of his Son. But how do I become those things? I need to develop Christian Qualities. Now let's put our efforts in to collecting those. For these, I'll give you the sections and where you can find these qualities. As a teacher, you may want to read through and walk your class through these and allow them to answer some of the discussion questions. Hopefully that will leave you with enough time to do a personal application activity. Sometimes I like to guide my students a little more to give them time to do some personal application. This chapter seems to be a good place to do that.
7:4
So what does a peaceable follower of Christ do? They walk peaceably with the children of men. What do you think it means to walk peaceably with people? Christ taught us that "blessed are the peacemakers". And I believe that means more than just breaking up fights. It's being the type of person that makes or creates peace in the lives of others. We can MAKE peace by giving sincere compliments. We can MAKE peace by mourning with those that mourn. We can MAKE peace by sharing the gift of the restored gospel to all we can. We can MAKE peace by being kind, loving, long suffering, and patient, especially with those closest to us.
:5-11
What does a peaceable follower of Christ do here? They do good works. But they do them in a certain way. With real intent. And they don't do them "grudgingly" So apparently, it is possible to DO the right things and not have them accepted by God. Christ taught his disciples not to do good works "to be seen of men". In addition here, Mormon instructs us that we shouldn't do good works without real intent, or sincerity, or pure motives. If I grudgingly attend my church meetings, if I grudgingly say my prayers or read my scriptures, it's not going to profit me much. It's like when you were a kid and your Mother forced your sibling to "say sorry" to you, and they did. It probably meant very little to you because it was done grudgingly. Well it's the same with God. Now, I don't think that Mormon is saying that if you struggle with your desire to do a good thing, then you just shouldn't do it at all. I still think it's better to do a good thing without an intense desire than it is to not do it at all. Often, I find that when I push past that initial resistance that my natural man throws up, then the Saint within me gains strength, my desire increases, and I begin to feel "the real intent" well up inside me. I think the problem comes when I do good works grudgingly, or solely out of a sense of social pressure, when I complain all the way through, and feed my natural man with indignation, self-pity, and resistance. Instead, we should seek to do those good works with real intent. The
:12-19
I would like to read this full section with you here. It holds what I feel to be one of the most important ideas of the chapter and I'd like to spend some extra time here. Mormon is going to teach us how peaceable followers of Christ discover truth.
Mormon has just taught us how we come to the point where we "know, with a perfect knowledge" if something is of God. In the modern-day church we might call it "gaining a testimony". We're accustomed in this church to hearing and saying things like "I know this church is true", "I know the Book of Mormon is true". "I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet". How does one arrive at that point? I believe we're all very familiar with the formula that Moroni gives us described in Moroni 10:3-5 which gives us a very effective way of discovering truth and refers specifically to gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon but can be applied to any search for truth. Let's examine that formula here instead of next week since there's plenty of material in Moroni 10 for us to digest next time. Moroni exhorts us to "read" these things, "remember" God's mercy to his children, and "ponder" them in our hearts. Then, we ask God, if these things are true. But we need to ask in a certain way. We don't ask casually, we don't ask with a doubting heart, but with a sincere heart, (and again, one of Moroni's favorite phrases) with real intent, having faith in Christ. And then, the promise, by the power of the Holy Ghost, God will manifest the truth of it unto us. He then reminds us that this formula can work for all inquiries into truth. "By the power of the Holy Ghost, we may know the truth of all things". This is a critical method for acquiring spiritual knowledge. God communicates with man and will indicate truth when we seek it. By the way. I don't think that process is something we just do at the end of our study of the Book of Mormon. You know, you read the entire text, and then, when you're done, it all crescendos to this amazing spiritual experience at the end of your scripture study journey. It can and does happen that way for some. But, hopefully, we've been pondering and remembering, and asking, and demonstrating faith all throughout our study. That manifestation of truth can come at any point in our experience. I know that at times in my personal search for truth, that answers to my prayers have come in this very way. I've prayed for knowledge, inspiration, and confirmation, and God has answered those prayers through the power of the Holy Ghost by touching my thoughts and feelings with its influence.
That, though, is one way of gaining a witness of the truth, but it isn't the way--or the only way. We tend to focus on that one. But, we may forget that the Book of Moroni offers us another formula as well. We have Mormon's way here in chapter 7. What is that way? Simply put, I use my judgment. In this formula, from verse 12 and 13, I begin the process by keeping a very important truth in mind--that things of God are good and they are the kind of things that (such great words here) "invite" and "entice" me to do good, and to love God, and to serve him. When I discover those kinds of things, I can come to a firm conclusion or "a perfect knowledge" that they are inspired of God. They are true. I'll then have a testimony of those things. Verse 14 gives us a warning though, don't judge these good things to be of the devil. Well, that may produce some anxiety in us. I mean what if I make a mistake and judge wrongly. Sensing this, Mormon assures us in verse 15 that "it is given unto us the way to judge, to know good from evil, and the way to judge is PLAIN. It's not hard. How plain is it? It's as plain as the daylight is from the dark night. Well that's reassuring, isn't it? He says it's easy. It's plain. And if I were teaching this chapter I would pause and ask my class if they agree with Mormon. Is it easy to distinguish between things that are good and things that are bad? That might be an interesting discussion to have. My opinion? I agree with Mormon. Some may disagree but I don't think that it's really that hard. The world would have us believe that the difference between good and evil is nuanced, complicated, and relative. Perhaps it can become that way if we consistently stifle the spirit. But Mormon assures us in verse 16 that the Spirit of Christ is given to every man that he may know good from evil. We've been blessed with an innate "goodness detector" in all of our hearts. In verse 18 he refers to it as a "light" that helps us to judge. The light of Christ. Gospel topics defines the light of Christ as "the divine energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives life and light to all things. The Light of Christ influences people for good and prepares them to receive the Holy Ghost. One manifestation of the Light of Christ is what we call a conscience."
Well with that Spirit, or light, or conscience. I judge. Is this good or evil? Then, a third wonderful word to help us in our judgment that we can add to invite and entice. He tells us that things of God "persuade" us to do good and believe in Christ. Invite, entice, and persuade. Such great words! There's no force or heavy handedness in them. So I ask myself, does this movie I'm watching invite and entice and persuade me to do good, to love God and to believe in Christ? Does the music I'm listening to invite and entice and persuade me? Is this book of scripture I'm reading invite, and entice, and persuade me to do good and love God and believe in Christ? Does this environment that I'm in invite, and entice and persuade me to do good? Yes? Then it is of God and it is good and true. All good things come from Christ. That's clearly stated in verse 22, and in 24. "In Christ there should come every good thing". So if you find something good in this world, you can know for certain that it has been inspired and influenced by Christ through the Spirit. So in this case here, in gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I ask myself, does what I'm studying and learning in the Book of Mormon invite, and entice, and persuade me to do good, to love God, and believe in Christ. Yes? Then the Book of Mormon is of Christ. It's true. I have used my judgment and I have a testimony of it then. At least I know that it's good and therefore of Christ. And that is the beginning of testimony. Over time, and with more study and prayer and judgment, I can also come to know that it's true.
The major difference, I believe, between the two formulas is that Moroni's places more of the responsibility for "the answer" on God and the Spirit. Mormon's way places a bit more of the responsibility for the witness on the individual--on us. Now I'm not saying that one way is better than the other. It's just two different ways. If one doesn't seem to be working for you, and if you've tried Moroni's way and feel like that manifestation of the Spirit has been delayed in forthcoming, then perhaps give Mormon's formula a chance. In a sense, God says, "I’ve given you a mind, a conscience, the light of Christ, you can judge! You come to a conclusion about these words. How have they affected you positively? Do they make you a better person? Do the principles taught within lead to happiness? Do they testify and lead you to believe in Christ and love God? Then you know something, don't you? It's of me". Perhaps you'll find some success in trying that formula. I know of many individuals who have gained a testimony in just that way. They study the Book of Mormon, and as they do, and as they apply what it teaches, they gain a testimony of its truthfulness by the change it makes in their life. How it makes them a better person. How the principles taught within it ring true in their spirits. How their lives are improved by living the truths taught by it. Mormon's formula gives just as powerful a witness as Moroni's. And you know, in truth, this really isn't a Moroni vs. Mormon kind of thing. I hope I'm not playing that up too much. We can very easily combine both formulas. Perhaps the pondering that Moroni speaks of in 10:3 is referring to this process of judging as good. Moroni himself also taught this formula of his father's back in Ether chapter 4. In fact, he says it a little more succinctly. Take a look at verses :11-12
So once again, we know that it's true because it persuades us to do good and to believe in Christ. And once we know that's it's good, we have a responsibility to bear record of it.
Well there's another key element in the first step of this formula. I have this innate, God-given gift of judgment, but then what do I do with it? See if you can find the key phrase in verse 19. I "search diligently" for those good and true things with my judgment, with that light of Christ. That phrase suggests effort. I proactively seek for good things. I don't want to be passive. Part of the purpose of our lives here in mortality, and may I suggest part of the joy of it, is in diligently seeking for the good things of life. Speaking of collections here, that idea fits nicely. Not only am I collecting qualities, but I'm also collecting good and true things. In coin collecting, there is such a thing as counterfeit coins. Well I don't want counterfeit coins in my collection. I want the real thing. So I use my judgment. Satan is in the business of producing spiritual counterfeits. He tries to pass off evil things as good. The world may say, this is a great movie or television show, we'll give it all the awards. This is a great book, it's very influential. This is great art, it challenges us. Sometimes though, three is evil in these things. They're just counterfeits. I'm going to need to use my judgment to determine whether it is good and true, or evil and false. There will be indicators that will show whether it's real or fake. I decide if it invites, entices, and persuades to do good and believe in Christ or if it invites and entices and persuades to do evil. Then, I spend my life collecting good and true things. Personally, I find goodness and truth in outdoor activities. When I'm in the beautiful creations of my Father in Heaven, it persuades me to love God and believe in Him. I find it in great art, music, and literature. I find it in scripture, in culture, in history. I find it in science and biology as I come to a better understanding of the mechanical workings of my Heavenly Father's universe. There is so much truth and goodness out there for us to discover and enjoy in mortality. There's also a lot of garbage. God desires that we spend a lifetime searching for the good diligently. Like a collector trying to complete their collection. As the latter end of the 13th Article of Faith advises:
"If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."
I might add we seek "diligently" after these things.
Another important idea about searching for that which is good, before we move on, comes in verse :24. We learn that "there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good". Some of those ways discussed in this chapter include angels, prophets, and scripture. But there are other ways that truth and goodness can be revealed to us on. There are diverse sources of good and true things. The latter-day church doesn't hold a monopoly on ALL goodness. I can apply this judgment of mine to all things I encounter. Therefore, I can find goodness and truth in the art of Michelangelo, and Cassatt, and Van Gogh. I can find it in the writings of Shakespeare, and Tolstoy, and Alcott, in the poetry of Wordsworth, and Dickinson, and Angelou. I can find it in the music of Beethoven, and Rachmaninoff, and in African American Spirituals. I can find it in movies, and architecture, and sculpture. I can find it in the writings and wisdom of the world's great religions. You will find truth and goodness taught in the Dhammapada, the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, and the writings of C.S. Lewis. Of course, you will also find the bad and false in many of these areas as well. Not all literature and art and movies and world scripture are good and true. How will we know the difference? As stated before, the light of Christ is there to help us.
A really good place to see this dynamic is in a very short section of the Doctrine and Covenants. Section 91, where Joseph Smith, in his inspired translation of the Bible, came to what's called the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha is a collection of scriptural books that were not included in the canon of Biblical scripture but accepted as possibly legitimate religious writings. Catholic Bibles normally include the Apocrypha while many Protestant ones do not. Well Joseph wondered if there was truth in them. Should he even translate them? I think we can apply the answer he got regarding the Apocrypha to all that we encounter.
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you concerning the Apocrypha—There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly;
2 There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men.
That's probably a good description of much of what we find in this world. In art, literature, movies, etc. Some things that are good and true and others that aren't.
How should we approach these kinds of things? Only stick to scripture and prophetic writings and completely ignore the rest of what God's children have produced in this world? No.
4 Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth;
5 And whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom;
So I take that Spirit and apply it to all that I encounter to find that which is true and that which is not. I judge with the plainness that the Spirit offers me, and I can find benefit therefrom. I can read the Bhagavad Gita and identify that which is true and that which is not--which is an interpolation by the hands of men. I can study and learn in a science or history class and identify that which is true and that which is an interpolation by the hands of men. I can watch a movie and be inspired by it and learn from it, and also identify that which is contrary to what I believe or judge that it is inappropriate for my Spirit and turn it off. God has shown us the way to judge and assured us that it is plain. As plain as night and day.
So, what does a peaceable follower of Christ do? They search diligently for that which is good and true by judging all things in the Light of Christ.
:19-25, 28
Now, we are not done with our formula yet here. At this point, we have "gained a testimony" so to speak. We've used our judgment to discover something that is good or true. Whether that's through Moroni's way or Mormon's way or more than likely a combination of both. But that's not enough. Knowledge is only the beginning. I must do some additional things after I've obtained that knowledge
Back to verse 19. What do I do once I've found those good things in my diligent search? I must "lay hold upon them". I draw them to myself, embrace them and make them an integral part of my life. Discovering truth and laying hold upon it are two very different things. Somebody may come to the conclusion that the Book of Mormon is good, but then do nothing to act on the truths and principles it teaches. If searching diligently with our judgment is the KNOW part of the equation. Laying hold on it is the DO portion. And this is key because Mormon repeats this idea three more times in verses 20, 21, and 25.
Then, we have one more phrase to add to our formula and we find it in verse 28. Once I've judged, and searched, and I've laid hold on those good things, then my faith will lead me to do something more. What is it? I will cleave to those good things. Laying hold on something isn't enough. Just as there were people who initially laid hold on the iron rod who still ended up leaving it because that's all they did. It's not enough. After I lay hold on good things, I then tighten my grip and continually hold fast to them. The word cleave, in a scriptural sense, means to "adhere strongly to", "stick fast to", or "hold to". It's also used in scripture to describe the relationship between a husband and wife. "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh". We too must become one with truth and goodness, so that it integrates into our very nature and character. If searching is the KNOW, and laying hold upon is the DO, then cleaving is the BE. We become truth and goodness and it reflects in everything that we believe, that we say, that we do, and that we are.
So, the peaceable follower of Christ lays hold upon and cleaves to every good thing.
CONCLUSION
Now right here I might break for just a minute to really let what we've learned here sink deep into our hearts. God has given us various ways of discovering and confirming truth in our hearts. He's blessed us with a powerful light and means of judging good and evil, truth and falsehood. I hope that we can make a consistent effort to ask ourselves whether what we see, and hear, and read, really does invite and entice and persuade. I admit that it's much easier to just sit and passively consume whatever it is the world has to offer. To just watch the movie, to just read the book, to just listen to the popular song, to just go with the flow of what most of the world is doing and believing. BUT, consciously employing our gift of judgment requires concentrated effort. Like a collector, may we spend our entire lives searching diligently for truth and goodness. And when we've found them, I pray that you and I will lay hold upon those things and cleave to them.
:25-43
Well, let's continue to fill in our Christian Qualities collection. There's more that Mormon has to teach us here. There are two major principles discussed in this particular section. Those two principles are faith and hope. What it is that's going to help us to act on that which we know to be good. What is the power by which we are able to lay hold upon and cleave to every good thing? It's faith.
:25 "And thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing".
:28 "And they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing".
And then there's much more about faith here. Not only will it help my to lay hold upon and cleave to good things, but what else will it do?
:26 Whatsoever thing I ask in faith, believing that I shall receive it will be done unto me.
:33 if ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
:34 If I have faith in him, I may be saved.
:37 I may work miracles .
Then, faith's sister principle, hope. What specifically can we have faith and hope in?
41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you
that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the
power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and
this because of your faith in him according to the promise.
42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for
without faith there cannot be any hope.
We will have faith in Christ, and hope through his atonement and resurrection. Now since we really dug deep into those two principles a few weeks ago in Ether 12, i'm going to leave it at that. There we talked about hope and faith in a better Celestial world, a better terrestrial world, and a better us as individuals. Each of those ideas are reflected in these verses. So remember that the peaceable follower of Christ has faith and hope in the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
:39-44
A little bit of overlap here with the last section. This portion of Moroni 7 sounds very similar to what Paul taught us in the masterpiece known as 1st Corinthians 13. It's there that he lauded the three great Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity. But Mormon seems to add a fourth for us here. A prequel and prerequisite virtue. Something that leads to faith, hope, and charity. Let's see if you can find it.
Moroni 7:39, 7:43, 7:44 and you can also see it in 8:26
What's the virtue? Meekness and lowliness of heart. Or we might say humility. Meekness and humility are the only type of soil that faith, hope, and charity can grow in. As he says in verse 43 "he cannot have faith and hope save he shall be meek and lowly of heart. So if I wish to be a peaceable follower of Christ, I must first be humble enough to recognize my need for Christ and his gospel. I've got to crush the pride of the natural man that tells me that I don't need any help, or wisdom, or commandments, or church.
Like C.S. Lewis said:
“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
So the peaceable follower of Christ is meek and lowly of heart (humble).
:44-48
And now the crowning virtue of them all. This is the big one, because it embodies and embraces all of the others. What is the greatest Christian virtue? Paul said the greatest of all is this. It's charity.
According to both Paul and Mormon, If I have not charity, I am nothing, wherefore I must needs have charity. Paul taught that even if I can speak with the tongue of angels, or prophecy, or have great faith, or give everything to the poor--if I don't have charity, all of that, means nothing. Well if it's that important, I'd better make sure I know what charity is. Mormon is going to teach in the next three verses, and granted, it's a quality that's a little hard to define. So he'll start by telling us what charity does. Then he'll tell us what it is.
45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and
is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
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.
Now there is an entire sermon that could be taught for each of those phrases. We're not going to do that here but I'd invite you to ponder what each of those qualities looks like and ask why they are important. And I want you to notice something about that list there. Is it a list of feelings or actions? They're actions right? That's important to keep in mind. But let's come back to them in a second.
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—
47 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.
So what is charity? It is the pure love of Christ. What does that mean? The pure love OF Christ. I think the meaning hinges on that tiny two letter word: OF. You could interpret that in at least three different ways. One way to look at it is that charity is the type of love that Jesus had for others. The pure love of Christ. We need to have that same kind of love for others, so it’s love LIKE Christ. But there's another way to interpret it as well. It’s the love that we have for Jesus , our love FOR Christ, and if we have that love, it will cause us and motivate us to act in certain ways, and finally, it could also be interpreted as the love that he has for us, the pure love of Christ. Recognizing his love for us, will change us, our attitudes and behaviors, and we will act in certain ways because of that love we feel he has for us. So it could also be love FROM Christ.
Regardless of how you interpret it, we know that we absolutely must have this pure love of Christ or we are nothing. If my actions are motivated by anything other than this pure love, they are meaningless. If everything I do is self-serving, and it's all about me, or how people view me, then those actions are not going to have any power. If I teach without that love, my teaching will lack power. If I serve without that love, my service will lack power. If I lead without that love, my leadership will lack power. We must develop the quality of charity.
Now back to our list of actions in verse 45. I think that often when we say the word “love” , we think of feelings. I need to feel a certain way about the people around me--but charity is a matter of the will and character and action, and not so much about feelings. If I have charity, I will do certain things. I'll be patient. I'll be kind to other people. I won't be envious, prideful, selfish, or contentious. I'll have pure thoughts and rejoice in good things. I'll endure to the end in every meaning of that phrase. Now that's a big list and a lot to take in. But allow me to simplify this a little for you. Do you want an easy way to determine how you should act and be? Is there some example of what all these qualities look like? Yes. The perfect example for each of these qualities is Jesus Christ himself. That's what Mormon is describing here., or rather WHO he is describing. He's describing the character of Christ. This verse is a description of "the pure love of Christ". In that light, you could read that verse this way:
45 And CHRIST suffered long, and was kind, and envied not, and
was not puffed up, Christ sought not his own, he was not easily provoked,
he thought no evil, and rejoiced not in iniquity but rejoiced in
the truth, Christ bore all things, he believed all things, he hoped all
things, Christ endured all things.
Therefore, when Mormon asks us to have charity, he’s really asking us to seek to be like Christ. If you wish to have charity, then all you really need to do is follow the example of Jesus Christ and strive to become like him.
It would take far too long to do this here, but an insightful activity would be to take each one of those phrases and think of ways that Christ demonstrated that quality. Can you think of examples from the scriptures when he was kind? When he sought not his own? When he was not easily provoked? A time when he endured all things? I'm sure you could.
And with that understanding of the gift of charity, I think it should come as no surprise that Mormon tells us that charity never faileth. I think we often interpret that to mean that charity always works or that it is always going to be successful. I'm not sure that's what it means. Yes, I believe that approaching any situation with charity is going to yield something better than it would otherwise. In that way, charity never faileth. But, Christ was the embodiment of charity and they crucified him. A parent may have all those qualities and love for a child, but that won't always change a heart. It doesn't guarantee success. I think that's important to understand. If I feel that charity is always going to be successful, and I fail, then the only conclusion that can come to is that I must not have had enough charity, and that could be quite discouraging.
But instead of meaning that it's always successful, what if It means that charity is always necessary. It’s always going to be needed, in mortality and throughout the eternities. That's why he says in the next verse that it endureth forever. In Moroni 8:17 he gives another definition of charity. He says it is "everlasting" love. Charity is a different kind of virtue. And here, I'll be honest with you in saying that I'm not completely sure that I understand what he means exactly by "all things must fail, but charity endureth forever", but perhaps it means that there are other virtues or gifts of the Spirit that will not be needed in the next life. I mean, when we are standing in the very presence of God and the Savior, I imagine that faith and hope take on a different meaning. It's no longer hoping for something that I can't see when I CAN see it right in front of me. I no longer need to hope for resurrection and exaltation when those blessings have been granted. There won't really be any need for certain manifestations of the gift of tongues or the gift of healing or the gift of miracles when I'm living in a glorified eternal world--at least not in the same sense that they are used here. Could that be what that means? Charity on the other hand really does endure forever. If it's the character of Christ we're talking about, then possessing that pure love for God and my fellowman is always going to be needed, because it will be who I am, and what I have become in mortality. Verse 48 appears to support that interpretation.
48 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.
Developing charity is the act of becoming like Christ. Therefore, whoso is found possessed of that quality at the last day it shall be well with him. They will see that they are like Him, after spending their entire lives striving to be kind as he was kind, to suffer long, as he suffered long, to rejoice in the truth as he rejoiced in the truth and so on. If we've developed those qualities in this life, then we will be blessed with another one of his qualities. We will find that we have become pure even as he is pure. Charity never faileth, and if we don't have it, we are nothing.
Therefore, the final and crowning Christian quality in this collection is charity. The peaceable followers of Christ have charity.
CONCLUSION
Well that's quite the collection isn't it. What a display. I hope that we can "waste and wear out our lives" in searching diligently, but not for coins, or baseball cards, or stamps, but for virtues, for character, for charity. That's a collection worth any effort and any sacrifice. The way that I felt when I completed that booklet of pennies when I was a kid, will pale in comparison to the way that I'll feel when Christ helps me to push in that final quality--to fill that last gap, if I ever do, God willing. May there be no gaps or counterfeits in our collections when we stand before God to be judged. Hopefully, God will see the imprint of his Son in our countenances, that our collection will mirror and reflect Christ's perfectly.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
To liken the scriptures here, after that discussion, it may be helpful to give your students some time to reflect personally on the state of their own Christian collection. I've put together a handout that asks a question based on each of the qualities that we've discussed here and then gives them some possible applications to each question. This certainly isn't the kind of activity that they fill out and turn in. It should self-reflective and personal. I won't read through this entire handout but let me just read one question so you can get a feel for what it's about.
CHRISTIAN QUALITIES QUIZ
Do I walk peaceably with the children of men?
I am frequently angry and frustrated with the people around me. I find myself in contention with many. I'm sarcastic, judgmental, and I love a good argument.
I strive to be kind to those around me but often fail. It's easy to get wrapped up in my own little world and ignore others and their needs.
People tend to feel better after being around me. I seek to lift them up and guide them through their challenges. I encourage others to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ and look for opportunities to share it with all I can.
OTHER:
Do I do good works with real intent?
I do what I'm supposed to out of a sense of social pressure. I really don't enjoy things of a spiritual nature.
I sometimes find it hard to feel a desire to do the right thing. I find myself hesitant and often have a negative attitude when it comes to going to church, volunteering to help, or fulfilling my calling. I try to do the right things, but I don't always feel that I do them with the right attitude.
I want to do what's right and be the best I can. I can honestly say that I enjoy the things of the Spirit even though at times it's still difficult. I make an effort to quietly, but faithfully fulfill my callings and obey the commandments of God.
OTHER:
Do I search diligently for that which is good by judging all things in the Light of Christ?
I don't really care much about discovering what is true or good. I basically just go with the flow of what is most popular and entertaining. Testimony just isn't a priority in my life.
I try to do what's right and keep the worst of bad influences out of my life, but I know that I also allow for a lot of worldly influence as well. I do have a testimony of the gospel but find that I tend to plateau in my spiritual development. It's been a long time since I've felt that the Spirit was guiding me.
I am in an active search for truth and testimony. I strive to recognize the spirit and make judgments based on whether things persuade me to do good and believe in God and I reject those things that do not. Feeling and following the guidance of the spirit is a frequent experience in my life.
OTHER:
Do I lay hold upon and cleave with faith to every good thing that I find?
I'm not yet convinced of the truthfulness of the church, or the Book of Mormon. I really have no desire to change my current behavior or character even if they are true.
I believe the church is true and believe in the Book of Mormon, but that knowledge bears very little on what I do or who I am.
I have a testimony of the church and the Book of Mormon and that knowledge has changed my very nature. I'm a different person because of it. I seek to apply and live what they teach.
OTHER:
So the question here: Do I have faith in and hope through the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ?
I'm not sure I believe much in the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Do I really need to be "forgiven" for the things I do in life? It seems like wishful thinking to believe we can be resurrected from the dead.
I believe in the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ but still struggle to have hope through them. I am often discouraged and hesitate to fully commit to his path.
I have great confidence and optimism in the power of the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I know that if I remain faithful that one day I will stand before God with a resurrected eternal body and my soul perfected by the atonement of my Savior.
OTHER:
Do I strive to be sufficiently meek?
I don't feel like I need the church, or commandments, or God to tell me what to do or how to live. I can manage just fine on my own.
I go to church, I try to be obedient, but there are quite a few commandments and standards of the church that I question. I can recognize the wisdom in some of them, but others I just don't agree with.
I know I need Christ and his gospel in my life. I recognize the necessity of divine guidance and strive to live all his commandments to the best of my ability. I know that God's ways are higher than my ways and I'm willing to trust in his wisdom.
OTHER:
Do I possess charity?
I feel it's most important to look out for number one. Fulfilling my needs, my wants, and my desires are what matter most to me.
I love my family and friends and I hope the best for them. Still, I find it hard to take the time to help and serve them. I guess I'm just too busy.
I want to be like Christ. To live like he lived and love like he loved. He is my ultimate example and I hope to develop a character like his.
OTHER:
Moroni 8-9
Well, I hope you don't feel gypped here but I'm not going to do much with chapters 8 and 9. These two chapters are taken from letters that Mormon wrote to Moroni during his ministry. The major focus of chapter 8 is on infant baptism and Mormon really hammers that idea. It apparently was an issue amongst the Nephites and he must have known that it would be an issue in the last days. I personally don't feel that I have any great insights to offer you on this matter. I would say the major principles I draw from this chapter are that God is a god of order and his ordinances must be performed correctly. That's why the sacrament prayers must be repeated word for word, that's why a baptism must be repeated if even a small part of the body is not immersed in the water, and that's why we have recorders, and witnesses, and certificates. Ordinances are important and must be done correctly. Another truth? Little children are innocent. God will not condemn anyone that has not reached a state of accountability. That's just and it's fair.
Moroni 9 is a bit of a darker chapter. Mormon goes into detail about the depravity of the people and how far they have fallen. I believe we took a look at a few of the verses in chapter 9 back with my first video in Mormon regarding the wickedness of Mormon's world. Most of chapter 9 is an extension of the "fullness of iniquity" theme. The Nephites and the Lamanites have become a depraved, brutal, and bloodthirsty people and Mormon really has no hope for them to change at this point.
However, look at the beginning of verse 4. What does Mormon do under these circumstances? He says "Behold, I am laboring with them continually". And then verse 6.
6 And now, my beloved son, notwithstanding their hardness, let us labor diligently; for if we should cease to labor, we should be brought under condemnation; for we have a labor to perform whilst in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest OUR souls in the kingdom of God.
Regardless of their wickedness and refusal to repent, Mormon still continues to teach and labor with them. We could fit this into our theme of living righteously in a wicked world. What must we do when the world around us is descending into grosser and grosser wickedness? When they've fallen beyond our ability to help them? We must continue laboring , and teaching, and trying to conquer Satan and his works, even when there is no hope in changing the world around us--for our sakes. For our souls.
It reminds me of this little story written by Ellie Wiesel about a righteous man who goes to Sodom and Gomorrah to preach repentance to the people.
"One of the Just Men came to Sodom, determined to save its inhabitants from sin and punishment. Night and day he walked the streets and markets protesting against greed and theft, falsehood and indifference. In the beginning, people listened and smiled ironically. Then they stopped listening; he no longer even amused them. The killers went on killing, the wise kept silent, as if there were no Just Man in their midst.
One day a child, moved by compassion for the unfortunate teacher, approached him with these words: “Poor stranger, you shout, you scream, don't you see that it is hopeless?”
“Yes, I see,” answered the Just Man.
“Then why do you go on?”
“I'll tell you why. In the beginning, I thought I could change man. Today, I know I cannot. If I still shout today, if I still scream, it is to prevent man from ultimately changing me.”"
Source: Quoted in Wiesel, Elie. One Generation After. NY: Schocken Books, 1982.
Maybe that's part of the reason Mormon continued to teach even when he knew they wouldn't listen or change. When the world ignores us, when they reject our pleas for change, when they refuse to listen to God's wisdom , we should not cease to labor diligently, we should not cease to preach. For if we do, they may succeed in changing us.
And then one final thought. Mormon's last words in this chapter are very sweet. Mormon had a life full ugliness, and violence, and war, and abomination, but there was one bright ray of light in his life. His son Moroni. I'm sure he found great joy and satisfaction in the one soul that he did influence for good.
21 Behold, my son, I cannot recommend them unto God lest he
should smite me.
22 But behold, my son, I recommend thee unto God, and I trust in
Christ that thou wilt be saved; and I pray unto God that he will
spare thy life, to witness the return of his people unto him, or
their utter destruction; for I know that they must perish except
they repent and return unto him.
25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I
have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may
Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the
showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and
long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life,
rest in your mind forever.
26 And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in
the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right
hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto
him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen.
This is my prayer for all of you as well. We may not be able to change the world through our influence, but even if we can only change one, it will be worth it.
