Thats the trouble with me.
I give myself very good
advice, but I very seldom follow it.
from: Alice in Wonderland
by: Lewis Carroll
(i was asked to give a talk this sunday, in our sacrament meeting. i'd rather have a root canal than to participate in public speaking. But here is what i came up with and what i said.)I have been asked to speak to you today on the 13th Article of Faith. This article of faith is this years' theme for the Young Women and Young Men. I have been asked to emphasize the section which states- “if there is anything virtuous lovely or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
I think that most of us would agree that Articles 1-12 are proclamations of what we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe. We've all heard the stories of persons young and old being able to regurgitate these articles to strangers on planes, trains and automobiles or such and impressing the hearer with our sound doctrines. When we reach the 13th article though...its sounds somewhat different. President Bruce R McConkie saw it as “an addendum to the other.”
There is a lot of “we believe in being and seeking” in this article. Which really means that we should be “doing' . This article is full of action words!!! The 13th article is about how to apply and incorporate what we believe into our everyday lives. And as everyone knows is the case in every opportunity of giving a talk or lesson in this church...the subject matter isnt always for the congregation, but mostly for the bearer of the talk. This the case for me. This is a lesson I struggle with every day of my life. Im great at sitting around thinking big thoughts, making great long lists of things I should be doing. But...the weak link for me is in the doing!!! So no surrprise this topic is for me.
This is the 13th Article of Faith:
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Joseph Smith
We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Joseph Smith
While attending Womens Conference years ago, I remember hearing a retelling of the experience Peterl had with the Savior . The speaker related it this way about the story in John 21: 9-17 :
"When Peterl saw a man standing on the shore of the Sea Of Galilee, and in discovering it was Jesus, he became so eager to be reunited with his Master that he jumped into the water to hurry to the shore. There he found that the Savior had fixed a fire and cooked breakfast for him and his associates. What a scene it must have been, and what emotions must have swelled with in the disciples. They were cold and tired and hungry. They needed help and once again there was the Savior to minister to their needs.
We must be clear about this. The Savior of the Universe had already performed an eternity's worth of service to them and all mankind. He was God! And yet it was not beneath His dignity to care for their personal needs, to demonstrate His personal concern for their economic circumstances, to warm them and make them comfortable and even to cook for them.
In this atmosphere of total service and against the backdrop of His personal example of selfless concern of others, Jesus was able to teach Peter what he must do for the rest of his life- feed the Savior's sheep as the Savior had fed him that morning."
How grateful we should be to Peter
for we know- few men in history had the experiences that Peter the apostle had with Jesus. And fewer still could convey to the masses his understanding of the things of God with greater spiritual sensitivity. Most of us believe that Peter served our Savior and His kingdom better than most; from the very beginning to the very end- and he did it with great courage and selflessness. May we all strive to be a little more like Peter!!
for we know- few men in history had the experiences that Peter the apostle had with Jesus. And fewer still could convey to the masses his understanding of the things of God with greater spiritual sensitivity. Most of us believe that Peter served our Savior and His kingdom better than most; from the very beginning to the very end- and he did it with great courage and selflessness. May we all strive to be a little more like Peter!!
Do any of us remember just how long ago it was the the prophet President Spencer W Kimball coined the phrase, “just do it!?” Doesent the 13th article sound like a “to do list” : an outline for a plan of action; or in other words a lesson on “applied religion.” Jesus being our perfect example!!!
Wasnt it President Kimball who also had the word in the popular primary song, I Am a Child of God,changed from “teach me all that I must know,” to the more applicable word...teach me all that I must do.??
When we read in James 1:22, the popular scripture about doing, we usually stop at that one verse. But today I would like to share with you a little more of that passage of scripture.
22But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein,he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
James 1:22-27
Please note, that I dont take much time beholding my natural face in the the glass, for what I see there often alarms me...(how did I become my mothers face!!!??) no offence mom, Im just getting older!! But truthfully, I am the 'natural man' or woman, more than I care to admit to myself.
And being a doer of the word has always been a challenge for me, and for many of us I assume, after having read these passages a few times. I know that I often let the natural man get the best of me. We can often spout off what we believe, but...the question is...do we practice what we preach? This article of faith is a list of things we need to be doing in order to become more like Jesus and to ultimately return to live with Him someday.
Who was more virtuous or lovely or praiseworthy than our Savior? This list of qualities found in this article of faith are the heart of the gospel!! We must be going about doing good to all men and acting with benevolence in all that we do.
The Savior always sought out those on the fringe of society. The leper, the prostitute, the crippled and the tax collector. He didnt repulse the uneducated or the widow and the downtrodden either. Remembering this should cause us to pause and reflect a bit.
So lets us review a few of the key words found in the 13th article of faith:
Honest - truthful, genuine, full of integrity, worthy, free from deceit or fraud.
True - faithful, loyal, reliable, upright.
Chaste - morally pure in thought and conduct.
Benevolent - an inclination or tendency to do kind or charitable acts.
Virtuous - (listed twice) exhibiting moral excellence or uprightness in conduct.
Doing "Good" - genuine, high quality, superior to the average.
Lovely - (We often think of the secondary meaning of a beautiful person in appearance, but the initial meaning is): full of love, inspiring love or affection, having pleasing qualities, enjoyable, delightful.
Good Report - the reputation of having desirable qualities superior to the average, of high or moral excellence.
Praiseworthy - highly commendable, worthy of honor and highest esteem.
The Savior always sought out those on the fringe of society. The leper, the prostitute, the crippled and the tax collector. He didnt repulse the uneducated or the widow and the downtrodden either. Remembering this should cause us to pause and reflect a bit.
So lets us review a few of the key words found in the 13th article of faith:
Honest - truthful, genuine, full of integrity, worthy, free from deceit or fraud.
True - faithful, loyal, reliable, upright.
Chaste - morally pure in thought and conduct.
Benevolent - an inclination or tendency to do kind or charitable acts.
Virtuous - (listed twice) exhibiting moral excellence or uprightness in conduct.
Doing "Good" - genuine, high quality, superior to the average.
Lovely - (We often think of the secondary meaning of a beautiful person in appearance, but the initial meaning is): full of love, inspiring love or affection, having pleasing qualities, enjoyable, delightful.
Good Report - the reputation of having desirable qualities superior to the average, of high or moral excellence.
Praiseworthy - highly commendable, worthy of honor and highest esteem.
(The American Heritage Dictionary, Houghton Mifflin.)
I consider myself an optimistic person. And I think I may be even more so now that I have been introduced to your remarkable daughters. What a blessing and privilege it is to serve with your YW. Who knew that serving in young womens would be so wonderful?! Only those that have done it before I suppose. I am awed and inspired by them every time I get to meet with them. They are poised, and knowledgeable, They are all so bright...in countenance and in spirit. They are all so “lovely!”They each have unique gifts that I am so enjoying getting acquainted with.
Aleia's honesty is refreshing and forthright.
Toshi is serious,wise soul and is 'doing good” to all she meets.
The girls in the K________ home are leaders and lovely in an inspiring way.
The F____ girls are so talented and are 'doing good' where ever they may be and are definitley of good report.
The W____ sisters are true to the faith and lovely in every way and are powerful examples to others.
Caroline most definitely of good report and is the most gentle of souls and so very kind.
These girl that I meet with each Sunday and on Wednesdays are all beautiful beyond description. They are doing their best to be virtuous in an unvirtuous world.
Lizzy and Aspen and Summer are full of life and love and energy and compassion towards others. They are a delight to be around.
Ashley is true and honest and its a delight to be in her company.
The benevolence and of going about doing good in Lisa and Sarah is remarkable for ones so young. (I know they dont consider themselves young...but look at me....and they are babes in arms!!)
McCall seems wise beyond her years and is as kind and generous as they come.
Tiana is without guile and one of the most cheerful girls I've ever known.
If I were to attempt to sum up all these girls in one phrase or virtue I think I would say they each and every one of them are full of love and good report; which remember, means again that they exude a reputation of having desirable qualities superior to the average, and of striving for high moral excellence.
And though the world is becoming increasingly unrighteous-
I am encouraged...a great deal...by your girls and also the young men who I dont know as well,but have been equally impress by. And then there are the amazing women I work with here in the ward and all of you ward members whom Im slowly beginning to meet and appreciate for your vast goodness and charity towards me and [My Builder] in this new calling and in our newness in the ward. (a plug for RS-my visiting teachers are amazing ladies too!!!)
May I add that
I also have cause to be optimistic due to my job. I am privileged to meet with a diverse group of wonderful people who come here each week to st george to hike on our glorious red rock. They come from all over the country to hike and get healthy. I am happy to report that a great majority of these people are God fearing people. We enjoy sharing our varying ideas and testimonies of our purposes here on earth. Sure there are theological differences,, but I find we are alike in many ways, for we all seem to be trying to improve this world, because we all feel accountable to a “higher law” and power and hope to be judged by our works in the end. The light of Christ is strong in many a soul here on earth!! Its heartening to know that there are a great deal of good, moral, God fearing people sharing the planet with us. I think sometimes we forget this, as we have a tendency to dwell on all thats wrong in the world, because we are reminded quite frequently to shore up our homes and protect ourselves from all appearance of evil....I love knowing and being reminded that we mormons are not alone in our struggle against good and evil in the world.
I guess my point in all this is that being virtuous and seeking anything virtuous, lovely, praiseworthy is more important than we may know. Being virtuous and lovely and praiseworthy is a powerful tool for bringing light and knowledge to the world.
I remember when Elder Quienten Cook gave that great sermon on...Let There BE Light. And I was so grateful when I stumbled upon it again while trying to prepare for this talk.
He talked about being a light to the world and to our families and to the community. Be sure to go check it out again. Its worthy of our time to reread!!
He speculated on and wanted us to think about the impact there could be on our society if our youth (and we grownups of course ) didnt cheat in school, and if adults were honest in their workplaces and if we were faithful in our marriage vows. Imagine the impact!!
If we were all truthful, genuine, full of integrity, and free from deceit or fraud all the times!!! What an impact we would make on the world. I hardly think we would recognize it!!!
What if we were to really treat ALL of Gods children as our brothers and sisters!!?? In other words if we practiced true benevloence.
What if we all tried a little harder to seek after only the best of things to bring into our homes?And to try harder to keep out the wicked or questionable things from our minds, behavior, tvs, music, activities etc. (again speaking to myself!!!)
What if we ran to holy places? ie the temple. If we all held temple recommends.... imagine the possibilities!!
'Seeking' suggests what? Its another 'doing' word. We seek for the perfect hair color or that perfect night cream or the perfect body structure and weight... do we seek after the things of God as fervently?
The 13th article of faith helps us to be that beacon of light on the hill to all the world. It helps us to practice what we preach. The article is a list of character traits that we all must attain some day, sometime along the way.
In D&C 84:45-53 we read-
45For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
46And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
47And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.
48And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world.
49And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.
50And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.
51For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.
52And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.
53And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.
D&C 84:45-53
I consider myself an optimistic person. And I think I may be even more so now that I have been introduced to your remarkable daughters. What a blessing and privilege it is to serve with your YW. Who knew that serving in young womens would be so wonderful?! Only those that have done it before I suppose. I am awed and inspired by them every time I get to meet with them. They are poised, and knowledgeable, They are all so bright...in countenance and in spirit. They are all so “lovely!”They each have unique gifts that I am so enjoying getting acquainted with.
Aleia's honesty is refreshing and forthright.
Toshi is serious,wise soul and is 'doing good” to all she meets.
The girls in the K________ home are leaders and lovely in an inspiring way.
The F____ girls are so talented and are 'doing good' where ever they may be and are definitley of good report.
The W____ sisters are true to the faith and lovely in every way and are powerful examples to others.
Caroline most definitely of good report and is the most gentle of souls and so very kind.
These girl that I meet with each Sunday and on Wednesdays are all beautiful beyond description. They are doing their best to be virtuous in an unvirtuous world.
Lizzy and Aspen and Summer are full of life and love and energy and compassion towards others. They are a delight to be around.
Ashley is true and honest and its a delight to be in her company.
The benevolence and of going about doing good in Lisa and Sarah is remarkable for ones so young. (I know they dont consider themselves young...but look at me....and they are babes in arms!!)
McCall seems wise beyond her years and is as kind and generous as they come.
Tiana is without guile and one of the most cheerful girls I've ever known.
If I were to attempt to sum up all these girls in one phrase or virtue I think I would say they each and every one of them are full of love and good report; which remember, means again that they exude a reputation of having desirable qualities superior to the average, and of striving for high moral excellence.
And though the world is becoming increasingly unrighteous-
I am encouraged...a great deal...by your girls and also the young men who I dont know as well,but have been equally impress by. And then there are the amazing women I work with here in the ward and all of you ward members whom Im slowly beginning to meet and appreciate for your vast goodness and charity towards me and [My Builder] in this new calling and in our newness in the ward. (a plug for RS-my visiting teachers are amazing ladies too!!!)
May I add that
I also have cause to be optimistic due to my job. I am privileged to meet with a diverse group of wonderful people who come here each week to st george to hike on our glorious red rock. They come from all over the country to hike and get healthy. I am happy to report that a great majority of these people are God fearing people. We enjoy sharing our varying ideas and testimonies of our purposes here on earth. Sure there are theological differences,, but I find we are alike in many ways, for we all seem to be trying to improve this world, because we all feel accountable to a “higher law” and power and hope to be judged by our works in the end. The light of Christ is strong in many a soul here on earth!! Its heartening to know that there are a great deal of good, moral, God fearing people sharing the planet with us. I think sometimes we forget this, as we have a tendency to dwell on all thats wrong in the world, because we are reminded quite frequently to shore up our homes and protect ourselves from all appearance of evil....I love knowing and being reminded that we mormons are not alone in our struggle against good and evil in the world.
I guess my point in all this is that being virtuous and seeking anything virtuous, lovely, praiseworthy is more important than we may know. Being virtuous and lovely and praiseworthy is a powerful tool for bringing light and knowledge to the world.
I remember when Elder Quienten Cook gave that great sermon on...Let There BE Light. And I was so grateful when I stumbled upon it again while trying to prepare for this talk.
He talked about being a light to the world and to our families and to the community. Be sure to go check it out again. Its worthy of our time to reread!!
He speculated on and wanted us to think about the impact there could be on our society if our youth (and we grownups of course ) didnt cheat in school, and if adults were honest in their workplaces and if we were faithful in our marriage vows. Imagine the impact!!
If we were all truthful, genuine, full of integrity, and free from deceit or fraud all the times!!! What an impact we would make on the world. I hardly think we would recognize it!!!
What if we were to really treat ALL of Gods children as our brothers and sisters!!?? In other words if we practiced true benevloence.
What if we all tried a little harder to seek after only the best of things to bring into our homes?And to try harder to keep out the wicked or questionable things from our minds, behavior, tvs, music, activities etc. (again speaking to myself!!!)
What if we ran to holy places? ie the temple. If we all held temple recommends.... imagine the possibilities!!
'Seeking' suggests what? Its another 'doing' word. We seek for the perfect hair color or that perfect night cream or the perfect body structure and weight... do we seek after the things of God as fervently?
The 13th article of faith helps us to be that beacon of light on the hill to all the world. It helps us to practice what we preach. The article is a list of character traits that we all must attain some day, sometime along the way.
In D&C 84:45-53 we read-
45For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
46And the Spirit giveth light to every man that cometh into the world; and the Spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit.
47And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father.
48And the Father teacheth him of the covenant which he has renewed and confirmed upon you, which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world.
49And the whole world lieth in sin, and groaneth under darkness and under the bondage of sin.
50And by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me.
51For whoso cometh not unto me is under the bondage of sin.
52And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me.
53And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.
D&C 84:45-53
This is heavy stuff and even though we hear the groans of sin throughout the world..we can be the light and the beacon that can help lead others to do the same. Just as is this glorious generation of youth that we have in our midst...we all can be an instrument in bringing light and knowledge to those that dont yet have it. And the 13th article of faith is the road map to how it can be done!!
Hasn't the Lord shown us the plain road and made our path straight by way of the 13th Article of Faith? Elder McConkie stated, "It is the hope and prayer of this disciple that the doctrines announced and the truths taught in the Articles of Faith may live in the hearts of the Latter-day Saints and of all who will yet join with them in striving to gain that eternal life which is the greatest of all the gifts of God. There is no salvation in an unused truth: it is only when men conform to the truth and make it a part of their very being that they advance and progress and finally qualify to return to the Eternal Presence. (A New Witness For The Articles of Faith, p.702.)
I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that Our Savior has done everything He can to show us the way. To make the way plain and uncomplicated, if we would just pay attention to the details. I pray that I may always strive to be a light to those that might not enjoy the joy and peace that I have been blessed with because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Amen!!!!
