Seeking Jesus

Remembering the following counsel from a talk given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf will help me stay focused on the birth of Christ during this busy and festive season.

“Jesus Christ was born in a stable surrounded by lowly animals. He was raised in a disparaged town on the fringes of civilization. He did not go through the pattern of worldly education. He was not trained in worldly schools of philosophy, art, or literature. Some who heard His teachings questioned the origins of His education, saying, ‘How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?’  and they said also, ‘Whence hath this man (his) wisdom? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren . . . and his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?’

“The sophisticated and the proud, those who placed their trust in worldly learning, could not see Him. Jesus the Christ was not wealthy, nor did he hold a political office. He lived and taught among humble people in a nation that was in bondage to the Romans. Therefore He did not seem worthy of notice by the political leaders of the day.... They were far too busy to pay attention to a humble preacher of righteousness. When Jesus stood before Pilate, the powerful Roman governor could see only a teacher who was the cause of a disturbance in his political jurisdiction.

“The wealthy and the influential, those who were caught up in their busy affairs of commerce and government, could not see Him.

“The scribes and Pharisees... were so steeped in their own traditions and so blinded by their own narrow interpretation of scripture that they could not see the humble man who walked among them....

“The self-righteous and unteachable, those whose hearts were closed to the Spirit, could not see Him.

“But who saw Him?

“Simeon, an elderly, devout, and just man, saw the Christ. When Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the temple, Simeon knew through the power of the Holy Ghost that this was indeed the Christ, the Son of the Most High. And he took the baby in his arms and blessed Him.

“Humble fishermen and laborers saw Him. The ailing, the humble, and the distraught saw Him and recognized Him as the Salvation of Israel. But there were those among the rich and powerful who were teachable and therefore could see the Christ. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, saw Him, as did the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea and Zacchaeus the publican....

“Sometimes when we read about people who could not see the Savior for who He was, we marvel at their blindness. But do we also let distractions obstruct our view of the Savior—during this Christmas season and throughout the year? Some are external distractions—the gifts we worry about, the decorations, or the clamorous advertising—but often it is what is inside us that blinds us from seeing the Christ.

“Some may feel a certain level of intellectual aloofness that distances them from Christ. In an age when vast amounts of knowledge are at our fingertips, the familiar story of Jesus the Christ can get lost amid the flood of scientific advances, pressing news, or the latest popular movies or books.

“Some are so caught up in the details of running their lives that they don’t make time for much else. They might pay lip service to the things of the Spirit, but their hearts are so focused on the world that they cannot see the Christ...

“This is a season of rejoicing! A season of celebration! A wonderful time when we acknowledge that our Almighty God sent His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem the world! To redeem us!

“It is a season of charitable acts of kindness and brotherly love. It is a season of being more reflective about our own lives and about the many blessings that are ours. It is a season of forgiving and being forgiven.

“But perhaps most of all, let it be a season of seeking the Lamb of God, the King of Glory, the Everlasting Light of the World, the Great Hope of Mankind, the Savior and Redeemer of our souls.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Can We See the Christ in Christmas?" December 6, 2009; emphasis added)

I hope throughout this Christmas season and throughout the coming year I will be one who will seek Him.

Do Unto Others

In the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior said to His disciples, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them..." (Matthew 7:12). This is the Golden Rule. The following story illustrates the importance of this principle in our relationships with others:

"A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered

"The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

"The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

"So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

"When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

"The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

"One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. ' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

"The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

"That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled." (Author unknown)

This simple story gives us a vision of how different the world would be if each of us lived the Savior's injunction and treated other people the way we would like to be treated.

Qualities of a Disciple

On my discipleship journey, I am striving to become more like Christ. My hope is to become more like Him by focusing on developing the sublime attributes of His character. Without a doubt, this will be a lifetime process.

Elder Robert D. Hales spoke in General Conference of the attributes of our Savior:

"Christian love. The Savior valued everyone. Kind and compassionate to all, He left the ninety and nine to find the one, for “even the very hairs of [our] head are … numbered” to Him.

"Christian faith. Despite temptations, trials, and persecutions, the Savior trusted our Heavenly Father and chose to be faithful and obedient to His commandments.

"Christian sacrifice. Throughout His life the Savior gave of His time, His energy, and ultimately, through the Atonement, gave Himself so that all of God’s children could be resurrected and have the opportunity to inherit eternal life.

"Christian caring. Like the good Samaritan, the Savior was continually reaching out to rescue, love, and nurture people around Him, regardless of their culture, creed, or circumstances.

"Christian service. Whether drawing water from a well, cooking a meal of fish, or washing dusty feet, the Savior spent His days serving others—lifting up the weary and strengthening the weak.

"Christian patience. In His own sorrow and suffering, the Savior waited upon His Father. With patience for us, He waits upon us to come to ourselves and come home to Him.

"Christian peace. Throughout His ministry He urged understanding and promoted peace. Especially among His disciples, He taught that Christians cannot contend with other Christians, notwithstanding their differences.

"Christian forgiveness. He taught us to bless those who curse us. He showed us the way by praying that those who crucified Him would be forgiven.

"Christian conversion. Like Peter and Andrew, many recognize the truth of the gospel as soon as they hear it. They are instantlyconverted. For others it may take longer. In a revelation given through Joseph Smith, the Savior taught, “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day,” the perfect day of our conversion. Jesus Christ is “the light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth.”

"Christian endurance to the end. In all His days, the Savior never gave up doing His Father’s will but continued in righteousness, goodness, mercy, and truth to the end of His mortal life." (Robert D. Hales, "Being a More Christian Christian," Ensign, November 2012, emphasis added)

This is a good reminder of what I need to focus on to become a better disciple of Christ. I hope that through His grace I can receive the help to more fully develop these qualities.

 

Happy Thanksgiving

I am grateful for the blessings I have received.

Alma taught that we should "live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which...[the Lord] doth bestow upon" us (Alma 34:38). Bonnie D. Parkin said:

"Gratitude is a Spirit-filled principle. It opens our minds to a universe permeated with the richness of a living God. Through it, we become spiritually aware of the wonder of the smallest things, which gladden our hearts with their messages of God’s love. This grateful awareness heightens our sensitivity to divine direction. When we communicate gratitude, we can be filled with the Spirit and connected to those around us and the Lord. Gratitude inspires happiness and carries divine influence.” (Bonnie D. Parkin, "Gratitude: A Path to Happiness", Ensign, May 2007)

The hymn Count Your Blessings teaches me of blessings that flow from a grateful attitude:

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed.
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost.
Count you many blessing; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what The Lord has done. 

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count you many blessings; ev'ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by. 

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has proimised you his wealth untold.
Count you many blessings; money cannot buy,
Your reward in heaven nor you home on high. 

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count you many blessings; angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end. 

Count you blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count you blessings;
See what God hath done.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught"

"The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy."(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Forget Me Not", Ensign, November 2011)

I hope that I will recognize and be grateful for my blessings not just today but every day throughout the year.

Rushing to Judgement

At times we react to the behavior of those around us based on incomplete information. We fill in our information gaps with broad and often incorrect assumptions about the motives of others. We make rash judgments. Anger and pride cloud our understanding and distort our assumptions. Fractured relationships can ensue. The following old Welsh story illustrates the problems we can get ourselves into when we rush to judge others' motives based upon incomplete information and faulty assumptions.

"...A prince...returned home to find his dog with blood dripping down its face. The man rushed inside and, to his horror, saw that his baby boy was missing and his cradle overturned. In anger the prince pulled out his sword and killed his dog. Shortly thereafter, he heard the cry of his son—the babe was alive! By the infant’s side lay a dead wolf. The dog had, in reality, defended the prince’s baby from a murderous wolf." (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "One Key to a Happy Family", Ensign, Oct. 2012.)

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf notes the following about this sad tale: 

"Though this story is dramatic, it demonstrates a point. It opens the possibility that the story we tell ourselves about why others behave a certain way does not always agree with the facts—sometimes we don’t even want to know the facts. We would rather feel self-justified in our anger by holding onto our bitterness and resentment. Sometimes these grudges can last months or years. Sometimes they can last a lifetime." (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "One Key to a Happy Family", Ensign, Oct. 2012.)

In our lives, we need to ensure that we aren't rushing to judge the motives of others. We need to be cautious about assuming what people's real intents are toward us. We need to avoid taking offense. As we do, we will avoid fracturing our relationships with others and better live the Savior's command to love one another.

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The Fable of the Porcupine

I am grateful to my friend Sister Marie Hartmann for sharing this fable with me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions. After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.

The moral of the story is: The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person's good qualities.   

A Blessing of Personal Revelation

“I believe that the busy person on the farm, in the shop, in the office, or in the household, who has his worries and troubles, can solve his problems better and more quickly in the house of the Lord than anywhere else. If he will leave his problems behind and in the temple work for himself and for his dead, he will confer a mighty blessing upon those who have gone before, and quite as large a blessing will come to him, for at the most unexpected moments, in or out of the temple will come to him, as a revelation, the solution of the problems that vex his life. That is the gift that comes to those who enter the temple properly, because it is a place where revelations may be expected.” (Elder John A. Widstoe, Temple Worship, A Lecture, delivered under the auspices of the Genealogical Society of Utah, at the Assembly Hall, Temple Block, Salt Lake City, Tuesday evening, October 12, 1920.)

"If you understood the ordinances of the House of the Lord, you would crawl on your hands and feet for thousands of miles in order to receive them!" (Spencer W. Kimball as quoted in Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism, p. 58-59)

“The House of the Lord”

“The House of the Lord is a place where we can escape from the mundane and see our lives in an eternal perspective. We can ponder instructions and covenants that help us understand more clearly the plan of salvation and the infinite love of our Heavenly Father for his children. We can ponder our relationship to God, the Eternal Father, and his Son, Jesus Christ. We learn from the Doctrine and Covenants that a temple is a place of thanksgiving, “a place of instruction for all those who are called to the work of the ministry in all their several callings and offices; 

That they may be perfected in the understanding of their ministry, in theory, in principle, and in doctrine, in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God on the earth. (Doctrine &Covenants 97:13–14.)

"Regular temple work can provide spiritual strength. It can be an anchor in daily life, a source of guidance, protection, security, peace, and revelation. No work is more spiritual than temple work." (Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Seeking the Good,” Ensign, May 1992, 86)

Becometh as Christ

One of my favorite passages of scripture is Mosiah 3:19 from King Benjamin’s magnificent sermon which succinctly states the purpose and challenge of life. Recently when re-reading this scripture, I substituted the word sanctified for “saint” since sanctification is the process of becoming saintly and Christ for “child”. These substitutions gave me some new insights. Making these substitutions, King Benjamin said,

“For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh…[sanctified] through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as…[Christ], submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as…[Christ did]submit to his father.” (Mosiah 3:19)

For me this process of developing the Christ-like attributes enumerated by Benjamin is a gradual process best described as occurring “grace for grace” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:20). This refining process takes place when we humble ourselves, follow the Spirit, and rely on Christ’s grace. The Lord told Moroni:

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” (Ether 12:27)

I view regular temple attendance as crucial in the development of these Christ-like attributes. The temple is a holy and sanctified place where the Spirit is present in abundance (Doctrine and Covenants 109:12-13). Paul taught that, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…” (Galatians 5:22-23). These are very similar to the attributes specified by King Benjamin. In the temple, I am in the presence of the Spirit and I can more quickly develop these ennobling qualities. Perhaps this is what it means, “to grow up in” the Lord (Doctrine and Covenants 109:15). Is it any wonder that the Spirit entices me to attend the temple?