Discipleship: Following in the Savior's Footsteps

As a young teenager I use to hate driving any where with my mother. The reason? She followed the rules of the road to a “T” and this annoyed me. As I sat and watched everyone pass us by I’d tell her that we needed to go faster. She would point to her speedometer (usually about 5 miles under the speed limit) and begin quoting the Twelfth Article of Faith to me.

“We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers and magistrates in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law”.

It was very frustrating to me for two reasons. First, she was quoting scripture to me. Second, because she was right. I wanted nothing more than to fit in and she wanted nothing more than to obey God and that included obeying the laws of the land as well.

It’s really very small and simple, but how many of us are actually thinking about being a disciple of Christ when we are late for an appointment? Often we think of the large and dramatic things we give up of ourselves as we work to become His disciples. There are also some very small things that many of us overlook either because they don’t stand out in the crowd or because they don’t fit with the daily care of the world we so often get caught up in. Still, learning to be obedient in little things makes it easier to be obedient in larger things.

I was thinking of this while I sat in Sacrament meeting yesterday. I was pondering how my life was conforming to Christ’s example and what I needed to improve when my eyes landed on the hymnal in front of me. It was resting in the wooden pocket designed for it on the back of the pew in front of me. The problem was it was sitting in the pocket the wrong way. It was a very little thing that I hadn’t even thought of when I’d deposited the book there. I wasn’t thinking, I was following a previously established habit. But when I had a moment to think of ways I could improve my obedience for the coming week, I suddenly remembered. I remembered the bishop had recently asked us to place our hymnals on their spine to preserve them for a little longer. Doing this would reduce the pulling and stress on the cover and spine and keep it from tearing when we needed many more years of use from them. I had completely forgotten to obey a very small and simple request from one of the Lord’s servants.

My resolve for that Sacrament meeting was to notice more of the little things I can be more obedient in. It’s the way of the disciple.

Do you remember the story of Jacob’s ladder?

11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
Genesis 28:11-12

Aside from the sleeping on a rock, there is a small message for me hidden in Jacob’s dream. Overall, the Lord’s message is of covenants and promises, but for me there is also an understanding of who I am as a person. Like Jacob, I’ve made covenants with the Lord that will lead me on a path toward heaven. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, the world can be a very hard place and I can be very weak willed at some moments. My human nature makes me imperfect, but the Lord promises me that as long as I stay on the ladder, I’m still headed toward Him. It’s something within my reach, within my capabilities, and it’s personal. It’s a progression and a promise.

The great promise to me is that what Jacob saw was a ladder, not a giant leap, not a rocket, a one-way sign. It was a ladder with angels ascending and descending, each on their own path. No matter where they were, headed up or down, they were all angels. They were all disciples of Jesus Christ doing His will and serving God. I am one of those angels, one of those disciples. Where I belong on that ladder is up to me and my Heavenly Father http://www.mormonwiki.com/Heavenly_Father , where my neighbor belongs is their personal journey. We all have a place, sometimes we’re up, sometimes we’re down. The important part is that we’re still holding on.

“An old proverb states that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Sometimes we make the process more complicated than we need to. We will never make a journey of a thousand miles by fretting about how long it will take or how hard it will be. We make the journey by taking each day step by step and then repeating it again and again until we reach our destination.
The same principle applies to how you and I can climb to higher spirituality.
Our Heavenly Father knows that we must begin our climb from where we are. ‘When you climb up a ladder,’ the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, ‘you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them.’
Our Heavenly Father loves each one of us and understands that this process of climbing higher takes preparation, time, and commitment. He understands that we will make mistakes at times, that we will stumble, that we will become discouraged and perhaps even wish to give up and say to ourselves it is not worth the struggle.
We know it is worth the effort, for the prize, which is eternal life, is “the greatest of all the gifts of God.” D&C 14:7
And to qualify, we must take one step after another and keep going to gain the spiritual heights we aspire to reach.
An eternal principle is revealed in holy writ: “It is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize.” Mosiah 4:27
We don’t have to be fast; we simply have to be steady and move in the right direction. We have to do the best we can, one step after another.”
Joseph B. Wirthlin, “One Step after Another,” Liahona, Jan 2002, 27–30

When God made covenants with Jacob in that dream, He gave Jacob everything he needed to succeed in His promises. God showed him the ladder, the path and the purpose, then gave him the promises of eternity. He does the same for each of us as we dedicate our lives to Him and make our own covenants. I love the promise this covenant contains.

15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
Genesis 28:15

Jacob’s ladder gives me hope because it shows me everyone’s path is not the same. It shows me that we each have a purpose to serve as disciples of Jesus Christ. It shows me that as long as I hang on to the ladder and keep asking the Lord to guide my path, up or down, He’ll be with me.

I ran across a beautiful set of scriptures the other day as I was celebrating the return of spring. They’re found in John 15.

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 15:1-11

It goes on with more great counsel and blessings, but I’d like to focus on just these verses for a moment.

I like the imagery of the vine and the fruit. I wonder how much nourishment I’m taking from my Master to bear sweet fruit. He gives us a wealth of council and knowledge which, if heeded will make us something more wonderful than we could ever imagine for ourselves. The less we heed that same counsel and knowledge, the more we shrivel and die on the vine. We can also become weakened and experience insults from outside of the vine. Again, the choice is ours as to whethe r or not we will treat these problems, or let them destroy us and cut us off from the vine. There will be times in our lives when we will find ourselves without so much fruit; times when the Master prunes and picks to allow us to become stronger and experience further growth. We decide how we will respond to these trials, as well.

Note that in all these cases the vine is still there at this point. It is the fruit and the branch that has changed. Eventually, that connection will change. Eventually, the Master will remove the dead fruit and the bare branches, so that those which are still growing can do so unimpeded. That is yet to come. Right now each of us is still on the vine with a choice to make. That choice concerns exactly how much of our Savior’s love we are willing to let into our lives and how much of the world we will keep out.

Let’s talk about the figurative worms and pestilence that can attack us in the world. These can and should be treated. Even when under attack the fruit can still be saved. Especially with the Master as the vine, each of us can be restored no matter how hopeless the situation seems. The choice is still ours; we decide if we can and want to be healed. He reaches out to honor our wishes and love us as much as we will let Him.

Consider the advice of James E. Faust.

“I believe that all of [you] want to be happy and find the peace that the Savior promised. I think many of you try very hard to keep up with all of your responsibilities. I do not wish to offend anyone. I am reluctant to mention a matter but feel it should be said. Sometimes we carry unhappy feelings about past hurts too long. We spend too much energy dwelling on things that have passed and cannot be changed. We struggle to close the door and let go of the hurt. If, after time, we can forgive whatever may have caused the hurt, we will tap “into a life-giving source of comfort” through the Atonement, and the “sweet peace” of forgiveness will be ours. Some injuries are so hurtful and deep that healing comes only with help from a higher power and hope for perfect justice and restitution in the next life. [You] can tap into that higher power and receive precious comfort and sweet peace.”
James E. Faust, “Instruments in the Hands of God,” Ensign, Nov 2005, 114

The Savior’s plea to each of us in these verses is to “Abide in me, and I in you.” He asks us for permission to enter our hearts and lives. He asks that we let Him love us. If we do that, we are called His disciples and our lives are filled with sweetness and peace. How do we invite Him in? How do we receive His greatest blessings? How do we feel His love? The answer is also given, “keep my commandments” and you will have joy. By simply using Christ as our example and living God’s laws, we can be filled with His love. He nourishes us and blesses us. He abides in us when we are trying to abide in Him.

“For the fruit of the gospel to blossom and bless our lives, we must be firmly attached to Him, the Savior of us all, and to this His Church, which bears His holy name. He is the vine that is our true source of strength and the only source of eternal life. In Him we not only will endure but also will prevail and triumph in this holy cause that will never fail us. May we never fail it nor fail Him . . . ” Jeffrey R. Holland, “‘Abide in Me’,” Liahona, May 2004, 30–32

It may seem like a strange goal in life, but I want to fade into the background. I’m not one who honestly enjoys being in the public eye, on the other hand I love watching my work make someone happy. My favorite place to be is in the background, quietly finding all the little things I can to do help the project along, whatever it may be. That’s my favorite place in the gospel as well.

There is a song I was introduced to many years ago that talks about becoming someone who reflected God’s love so well that those around couldn’t see beyond the glow. It was an honest prayer to live a life that testifies of Christ and draws people to Him. That’s the life I want. I want to be the person in the scriptures who only has one line, but provides a little bit of help or knowledge that leads to greater things. I want to be the man who offered his upper room for Passover; the same upper room that would see Christ administer the sacrament for the first time. Or, the one who offered his tomb. I want to be Rhoda, who happily announces the presence of a prophet whether she is believed or not. Or Lydia, who worshiped God with an open heart. I admire Eunice and Lois, the mother and grandmother of Timothy. Eunice’s letter to her son Timothy contains some of the most quoted scriptures among disciples of Jesus Christ. Though they bring us great faith and courage, we often associate them with the prophet Timothy, not his mother. What are these famous words?

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, . . . 2 Timothy 1:7-8

These are the types of people I admire. I want to be that quiet force for good, the one who gives the council no one really remembers where it came from, but pass on to others around them. I want those around me to truly see Christ in me. I want to radiate His goodness and my love for Him. I don’t mind staying out of the limelight, because that’s where I can do the most good as a disciple of Christ.

The desire of a disciple’s heart is to be of service, to express love for the Savior in every aspect of our lives. That role is not the same for everyone, but each undertaking is an important part of His gospel. Find your role, the place where Christ most needs you to be. Whether great or small, embrace the tasks God gives you and let Him work through you. Take the council of Eunice to heart and let God’s power, love and thoughts work through you as you proudly share a testimony of the Savior. Try fading into the background and letting Christ have the starring role.

I don’t know about you, but as a parent I have selective hearing. I’ve honed my ability to tune out whining and minimal bickering as well as pleas for candy in the grocery store. I’m normally very easily distracted, so even on other tasks I’ve trained myself to stay very focused or the job will go undone.

But, in this process it becomes very easy to just stop noticing things at all. There have been many times I’ve walked down the halls at church or even in the grocery store and not even noticed that someone said high or smiled at me until they’re long gone and the message finally makes it through all my carefully placed filters. Though I have perfected the ability to screen input, I haven’t perfected it as well as the Savior did. For Him it did not matter how busy He was or what the task at hand was, when there was a need, He saw it.

I need to be a little more like that at times. With so much sorrow, hurt and pain in the world perhaps I’m screening out more than I should be. I’m missing opportunities to ease those burdens that I run across on my path of life.

Though there are many things of the world I don’t need to concern myself with, but my fellow man will never be one of them. I need to become more aware, to open my eyes and ears more often and do my best to spread a little more joy and praise than I do now. I should never become so focused on my own life or goals that I don’t see someone smiling at me and not smile back. I should structure my life and time so that I can be the one to share the first smile more than I am now.

As a line from a children’s movie puts it, the disciple’s goal should be to “See a need. Fill a need.”

Many of us have heard the analogy of the thread and the tapestry. In this example you learn about the relation of small things to their ability to form something large and beautiful. It can be the members of a family working together, or an even larger group. It can also be the pattern of our individual lives.

I think sometimes we focus on the big things. We try to see the whole picture and ponder and pray about the big decisions in our lives. We see these as the things that define who we are and what our tapestry will look like.

But in reality, the one who know the whole picture is the weaver and He works with individual threads not chunks of yarn or puzzle pieces. Yes, we all have big decisions to make that can change the course of our lives, but how often do we think about the little things? There are a million little things that get woven into our tapestry every day. Perhaps what our life is like or how it might change during those big decisions is actually a result of the pattern we’ve laid with all the little things along the way.

Every day we make a dozen small decisions that will affect our final tapestry. As we choose, the Master weaves. When we realize we’ve made a mistake, He takes it out and renews the area to the beauty of the entire peace. If we do not realize, or choose not to correct, our failings and mistakes remain. When you look at the final piece these glitches might be noticeable, or they might not, but they still define who we are and who we will become.

If we are discussing the pattern and whether a mistake is visible to the eye our first argument is then revisited. Wouldn’t tiny mistakes from every day living be overlooked more easily than a large wrong choice? I think the problem is that mistakes all start out small. Every mistake starts with one wrong stitch. It’s those tiny decisions that dictate what our actions will be when the large choices come along.

Consider these examples:

If we find ourselves faced with the temptation to be unfaithful to our spouse, how will that decision be affected by our previous smaller choices? If we have made tiny mistakes such as looking at inappropriate images in the media, then we add the tiny mistake of dwelling on the images, then we add the tiny mistake of dwelling on the difficulties in our marriage instead of the love, then we add the tiny mistake of thinking about what it might be like to have chosen a different path or different partner – how then will our decision for a larger temptation be weighed? If on the other hand we have tried a little bit each day to love and value our partner, to avoid images that plant inappropriate thoughts in our minds, or avoid being alone with those of the opposite sex where temptations might be fed- how is that decision weighed?

If our mother provided us with music lessons, how are our future choices founded by our immediate decisions about whether or not to practice or find enjoyment in the learning?

If we casually disregard the speed limit, do we then forget other rules of the road that keep us safe?

While it is true that every decision is still up to us, we choose the path our feet will follow with each step not each mile. As we stray it becomes harder to find our way back the further we go.

May we pay a little more attention to the little things in life.
May we notice God’s small blessings.
May we smile at a stranger, or drop our spare change in the donation buck instead of our wallet.
May we hold our tongue just a little longer when frustrations build.
May we choose with each step to follow Christ even if the step seems too small to matter.

If we can do these types of things the tapestry the Lord weaves from our lives will be beautiful – one thread at a time.

Do you remember hearing the saying “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, as long as you do your best”? It’s most often used for children on sports teams and in other forms of competition. Some of us believed that, some of us didn’t.

What made the difference? Was it the type of competition we were facing, or the attitude of those around us, was it our own attitudes about what winning and losing meant to us?

I think many of us carry those childhood beliefs about wining and losing into our adult lives with us. There are so many things in this life that we are supposed to “get right” or “win” at, not the least of which is our path toward Christ. But, who decides if we win or lose?

Sometimes we decide, sometimes we base our wins on the opinions of others – family, friends or peers. How often do we let Christ decide?

If He were giving us a pep talk about our lives do you think it would be “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, as long as you do your best”? I’m not so sure it would be. Our Savior loves us dearly, he paid a great sacrifice for us to be able to make up for our shortcomings, but I don’t remember anywhere in His teachings where it says, “You must win at all games if you expect to win with me.” They don’t really say much about the win or lose part. But they do have a lot to say about “Do Your Best”.

What is our best, in terms of Christ’s standards? It’s a very personal thing. “Best” is not the same for everyone, nor is it the same for everything one person does. “Best” is based on who we are, and what God knows of our hearts.

“Best” is not trying to excel above another. “Best” is not even trying to excel within our own life to a level that takes us away from Christ. “Best” is a measure of where our heart is, and what we hope to accomplish with our actions. It’s not our own analysis of what we could have done better. That can be helpful for the future, but it is not helpful for judging things that have already passed.

Does that seem a little odd? “Best” is a measure of the moment. It is a question of – in that moment, in that situation, were we doing the best we could? Jesus Christ does not require us to be in competition at all. He does not require us to be perfect in everything or even one thing in this life. He does ask us to take the gift of life that we are given and make the most of it every day. He asks us to be a little more perfect each day, or in other words to be more like Him with every passing day. Some days our best may be much greater or less than other days, and that’s okay. He is not comparing us against our neighbor, or even Himself, He is only looking at us through our own potential and path.

I think we are often harder on ourselves and each other than we need to be. We are not judges, we do not have the perspective and knowledge to be such, and yet we seem to spend an enormous amount of time doing just that. We judge ourselves, we judge our neighbor, and none of it turns out very well at all. I wonder why we continue to do it then? Because somewhere along the line we each learned that life is a competition and we didn’t believe the well-meaning person who said winning or losing didn’t matter when it clearly defined that one was better than the other. We all want our best to be The Best, but unfortunately our limited perception does not let us see the Lord’s definition of what that is.

We need to spend more time figuring out what the Lord needs from us and less time trying to figure out how we measure up against our neighbor. How would our lives change if we looked to Him first rather than the rulers of the world? How would it be if we took our pep talks from Christ rather than our peers?

His council never changes, “do your best” that’s all. Are we actually trying to do that? Then our best will always be good enough for the Lord.

I’ve been thinking today of a parable the Savior told.

John 10:1-7 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow: for they know his voice.

And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

John 10:27 – My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

I’ve been thinking about hearing the Savior’s voice, knowing Him, and following Him with full faith. I’ve been wondering how often I let other voices sneak into my life that try to distract me from my Master. I’ve been praying for the strength to know the difference and “follow not the stranger”. I want to always be found in the Good Shepherd’s fold. I want to always be one of His lambs. I can’t think of a better place to be. That is a disciple’s true desire: to emulate and follow Christ by coming to know Him personally, to understand who He is and what we mean to Him.

His voice will always lead us to do good, to feel the comfort and safety of His love even in the darkest hours of our lives. We find it in the scriptures as we read and study him . It’s in the inspiring words of those in our congregations and families. It’s there in the smile and wave from a neighbor. The freshly fallen snow, the blossoms in spring, the cry of a newborn, all testify of Him. Are we listening?

I think of the story of Elijah from the Old Testament, when he is called to the mount to stand before the Lord. A strong wind comes, but the Lord was not in it. An earthquake comes, but the Lord was not in it. Fire comes, but the Lord was not it. Then, Elijah hears the still small voice of the Lord. Sometimes we forget the part of the story that explains the Lord came with the wind and the earthquake and fire, but it was not until there were no distractions that Elijah recognized His presence and heard His voice.

1 Kings 19:12 – And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice

It may not be strictly true, but I wonder sometimes if the Lord had to send the large and noticeable things in order to get Elijah’s attention, to help him focus and really hear what the Lord had to tell Him. I also wonder if this same thing happens in my own life. Have there been times when I’ve been called to come closer to the Lord, but He has needed to use something large to get my attention and humble me so that I am ready to listen?

How many times during the day do I miss the ways the Good Shepherd calls to me? What does it take for me to hear those calls? It takes awareness. It means noticing the Lord’s hand in everything around us, becoming in tune with His many blessings and His Spirit. Then, it takes quite, pondering, searching, and reaching deep into our soul. Then, His voice is heard.

Does God still talk to man? Does the Savior still call for His sheep to follow Him?

Yes.

The real question is— Are we listening?

By the time I was about 10 years old until late into my teens, my father held some rather significant leadership positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This meant that often, we were the only ones, or the last ones to be inside the church building at the end of the day. When this happened I had a responsibility. While my father packed up his briefcase and closed down his office, I was supposed to go around the entire building and ensure that all the lights were out and all the doors were locked.

If you have never been inside of an LDS chapel, most are shaped into a square. The largest areas where the congregation all meets together and sometimes a gymnasium take up the center of the building. The ancillary classrooms and offices all wrap around these from a continuous hallway that forms a U shape. Occasionally, other small hallways will branch off leading to other tucked away areas, but for the most part it’s a very simple and straight forward pattern.

My job required me to walk from one end of the large U around to the other end of the U, checking all the doors, windows and lights as I went. Then, I cut through a small passage way between our main chapel and the gymnasium to return to my father’s office in time to depart. Many would consider this quite the adventure, but not a real problem. Unfortunately, I was a very creative child. This made my adventure a little more daring than most would find it.

Church building or not, I was sure that once the lights went out there were monsters, muggers, and boogey men lurking in every door way and waiting to pounce around every corner. It was a very long, very dark walk. Often, I’d catch myself holding my breath as I swiftly walked down the dark hallway not releasing it until I reached the next outside access. Since these doors were all glass, the street lamps from outside could shine a small amount of light into the building at these points. I lived for those small pockets of light.

Aside from taking place in a church building, what does this have to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Simply that, as I got older I began to discover there were many ways to find yourself either in the dark or in the light. It can also be a measure of our character when we assess how comfortable we are with the amount of light or darkness that we find in our lives.

Christ has said He is the Light of the World.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. John 8:12

It is His light, His power that gives life, power and influence on everything around us. It represents His law and gospel that can illuminate our way back into His presence. Because we are all God’s children, we are blessed with a small portion of this light when we come into this world. Some call it the conscience. It the basic part of our nature that gives us a sense of right and wrong. It is this light of Christ that influences all people toward goodness. If we are mindful of that light, it can lead us to Christ and His gospel. If we walk away from it, we will find ourselves in darkness. Eventually, if we drag our feet long enough, we may lose sight of the light all together. The more we crave and seek out the light, the brighter its influence and comfort in our lives will be.

As disciples of Christ, may we always find ourselves bathed in the light of His goodness and truth. If the path becomes dark may we run, not walk, toward the nearest source of light.

Within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the very first covenant, or promise, we make with God is baptism. When we recognize our testimony of Jesus Christ and feel those first stirrings that encourage us to be more like our Savior, we want to cast off as much of the world as we can and form a connection with the Heavens. When we are baptized, that connection is made.

One invitation to be baptized is found in the Doctrine and Covenants.

“All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church.” D&C 20:37

Baptism within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serves a couple of purposes.

First, it establishes our alignment with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With baptism our membership in the gospel is established. Our name is recorded with the millions of others who have made the same commitment.

Second, it establishes the connection between us and Jesus Christ. Because of the priesthood authority present in the ordinance, we make promises with Heavenly Father and in return He makes promises with us.

Third, it opens the way for us to make more covenants and receive more blessings from our Heavenly Father. Step-by-step we commit, promise, and turn our lives over to Him.

In all of these, the central theme is Jesus Christ. When we choose to enter the waters of baptism:
We are inviting Him into our lives.

We are promising to carry His name.
We choose to honor and represent Him in every aspect of our lives.
We are committing ourselves to try our best every day to live His commandments.
We step out of the darkness of the world to join His flock and grow in His light.

In return He promises us the gift of the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion and give us the knowledge and guidance we will need to continue our course of faithfulness.

Elder Robert D. Hales once said: “The gift of the Holy Ghost, given to us when we are confirmed, gives us the ability to discern the difference between the giving ways of the kingdom of God and the taking practices of the world. The Holy Ghost gives us the strength and courage to conduct our lives in the ways of the kingdom of God and is the source of our testimony of the Father and the Son. As we obey the will of our Father in Heaven, this priceless gift of the Holy Ghost will be with us continually.” (Robert D. Hales, “The Covenant of Baptism: To Be in the Kingdom and of the Kingdom,” Ensign, Nov 2000, 6–9)

With the Lord’s help we become who we want to be, disciples of Christ who carry His name in our lives and His image in our joyful countenance.

There are some things that we must learn with our head. There are other things that we can only learn through the heart. Spirituality is one of those things. Yes, there is an element of intellect involved. We have to study what we know about God, Jesus Christ, and the world in general and understand the beliefs of any religion we are a part of.

Still, what really holds us there has very little to do with logic or learning. It’s definitely a matter of the heart. That’s where a true testimony of our convictions comes from, that’s what holds us to a course as disciples of Christ; to be better and do better. It’s not easy, but we know it’s right. Our heart holds us to the course of happiness when our mind would have us believe a different path might be easier, or more rewarding, or what ever argument would pull us in another direction. Our heart, the feelings we have for the Savior, gives us a sense of greater purpose that is sometimes foreign to the world around us.

This point is illustrated over and over again in the scriptures.

Mormon 9:27 instructs us to come unto the Lord with all our heart.

Matthew 22:37 tells us to love the Lord with all our heart.

Proverbs 3:5 bids us to trust the Lord with all our heart.

Lastly, Matthew 6:21 cautions us that what our heart loves will be what we treasure above everything else.

A disciple’s heart will treasure the Lord. If it does not, we may not have the strength of conviction and love that will hold us to the course when the winds of the world try to lead us astray.

There is a specific example from the Book of Mormon that I’d like to share with you. It concerns a young man named Nephi and his two older brothers: Laman and Lemuel.

The Book of Mormon begins with Nephi’s words.

“I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.” 1 Nephi 1:1

Now, it is important to note that Laman and Lemuel grew up in this same household, but their perceptions of the Gospel were vastly different from Nephi’s. Though they would share many of the same spiritual experiences, including seeing angles and many miracles, Laman and Lemuel did not believe. They did not put their trust in the Lord and they often fell away from His paths. Why is that? Here is the main difference.

“Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.” 2 Nephi 4:16

Nephi’s heart was centered on the Gospel. In contrast, his brother’s closed their hearts.

“Ye are swift to do iniquity but slow to remember the Lord your God. Ye have seen an angel, and he spake unto you; yea, ye have heard his voice from time to time; and he hath spoken unto you in a still small voice, but ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words; wherefore, he has spoken unto you like unto the voice of thunder, which did cause the earth to shake as if it were to divide asunder.

And ye also know that by the power of his almighty word he can cause the earth that it shall pass away; yea, and ye know that by his word he can cause the rough places to be made smooth, and smooth places shall be broken up. O, then, why is it, that ye can be so hard in your hearts?” 1 Nephi 17:45-46

Faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel is focused on the condition of our hearts. My favorite description regarding the nature of a disciple’s heart is found in the Book of Alma.

“And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.

And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.

And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?

Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption braised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?

I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?” Alma 5:12-16

Take a moment today to ponder the feelings and emotions that drew you to Christ. What fueled your yearning to learn His word? Where was your heart that you wanted to be like Him? Write them down, remember them. Seek out those feelings again and again as you serve Him, and enjoy the strength and testimony that follows.

“And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?” Alma 5:26

Paul ends his instruction on charity with this powerful statement. In fact, some have found it so powerful that it is often quoted. The women's organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, chose it as their motto at its formation in 1842. What makes this statement so powerful? Like many scriptures, I think it can be understood and applied on several different levels. As we have discovered, charity itself holds some great promises. Is it any wonder that Paul's final statement on the nature of charity would be to promise us that taking heed of charity in our own lives, developing aspects of its nature, can hold great blessings for each of us?

“Never faileth” denotes an eternal nature, a resistance to the trials and the extremes of passing time. It identifies an anchor of surety in a world that is drowning in chaos most of the time.

What are the things that we can count on? Paul shared them with us in the verses we have been discussing:

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-8

This message is again reiterated in The Book of Mormon by the prophet Mormon.

“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—

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.”
Moroni 7:46-47

Focusing our energies toward Jesus Christ, committing ourselves every day to be the best disciple we are capable of, gives us a certain power. It allows our eyes and hearts to focus on things of an eternal nature even when the world would have us focus on pain, suffering and despair. I think this is part of the great blessings of charity. The Lord is promising us three things:

First, that charity can always be found on the earth until He comes again. No matter how bad things get, there will always be those who still believe and still strive for Christ-like love. There will always be pockets of sunshine and silver-linings in a world that appears otherwise dismal and hopeless.

Second, that the Lord desires us to be part of those disciples who are searching for and participating in the good things of life that lead us back into His presence. He tells us that no matter the trials and adversity we face personally if we will stay focused on Him, and serving others in His love, we can not fail at our mission in life.

In the words of Marvin J. Ashton: “Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself. And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again. . . Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other.” (“The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword,” Ensign, May 1992, 19)

Lastly, I think it is a personal promise to each of us that His charity, His tender mercies, will always be extended to those who seek Him. No matter the amount of times we stumble and fall, when we reach up He’ll be there. His charity never faileth.

“Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins;

Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer.

Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.

Verily, I say unto you that ye are chosen out of the world to declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing, as with the voice of a trump.
Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.”
Doctrine and Covenants 29:1-5

In the spring of 1838 Joseph Smith received a revelation that is now recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants section 115. It contained specific instructions regarding the Savior’s newly reorganized church. Included in these instructions was the official name of the church.

“For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” D&C 115:4

Some consider this to be a mouth full. It’s no wonder that many use abbreviated versions when asked what church we attend. “Mormon” is a widely known, but generally inaccurate, term. “LDS” (an abbreviation for Latter-day Saint) is another. Just as another would say “I’m Lutheran” or “I’m Baptist” when asked about their religious beliefs, many of us would first reply “I’m LDS” rather than using the full name of the church we belong to, because our audience generally expects a quick and concise answer. The full title can sometimes feel as if you’re delivering a small speech instead of an identifying factor. As convenient as these abbreviations can be, they are unable to tell a full story unless the person we are speaking to has a good frame of reference.

The name given to this church is very specific and clear and carries a wealth of information. Many, hearing the term “Mormon” assume that means non-Christian. Many hearing the term “LDS” might assume we fumbled our identification of a commonly known street drug rather than our heart felt belief in the Savior. On the other hand, when the full name of the church is identified, there can be no doubt in either party’s mind exactly whom we worship and revere, nor is there a question of our role in that church.

What exactly does it mean to be called a “Latter-day Saint”?

The term “saint” does not refer to one who has achieved an epitome of holiness, or someone who should be worshiped for their goodness. Rather, it is synonymous with the term disciple. A saint is one who believes in, and has expressed a commitment to follow, Jesus Christ. A saint is one who has been:

“called unto the fellowship of … Jesus Christ our Lord” 1 Cor. 1:9
“to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people.” Mosiah 18:8

We are seeking after the way of life that He has shown us is possible. We are striving for goodness, but we are far from perfect.

The term “Latter-day” refers to the time in which we live. As many believe, the world is in its final stages of its mission as a place of trial and experience for God’s children. The final scenes are unfolding that will lead to the second coming. Latter-day expresses our presence in the last days, in the Lord’s reckoning, before that glorious second coming.

When we call ourselves “LDS”, we are really saying we’ve made a commitment to Jesus Christ to stand up for His name, to act in His name, until He comes again. That’s a powerful statement that many miss when we announce our faith in this way. We carry a strong testimony and love for Jesus Christ. We’re trying a little harder every day to give our heart, might, mind and strength every day of our lives. We love, serve, sacrifice, and seek for beauty and purity in the world around us. We come from many countries and many backgrounds. We all have individual weaknesses and challenges, but we are trying because above all else, we love our Savior Jesus Christ.

We are his disciples.

We are Latter-day Saints.

The New Year always begins as a time of reflection and resolution. For me, at least, it can be a little frustrating. I want to make positive changes, to place my feet further down the path to becoming more Christ-like. Yet, there is someone else who doesn’t want me to find my way. Satan knows me very well; he tries to use my times of reflection to nudge me into feeling bad about my many inadequacies. He wants me to think that no matter how hard I try, it will never be good enough. He wants me to think that I should not try because it would only lead to another failure to feel bad about. He’s pretty clever. Fortunately, I trust my Heavenly Father more than I trust Satan’s power to influence my thoughts and feelings. I trust the power of the atonement to make up for my weaknesses as I honestly press forward and do the best I can.

This year many thoughts have danced through my brain: things I’d like to try, things I’d like to do better. Some of these things have very selfish motive behind them. If I want to place my trust in Heavenly Father, His Son- Jesus Christ and, His atoning sacrifice for me, I need to look for different motives. I need to look for those things that the Spirit is gently prodding me about, not the glaring faults the world would have me worry about. I will look to my Savior for the best way to be me- to show goodness and mercy as He would. I am His disciple, not Satan’s.

I am reminded of President Howard W. Hunter’s first address after his call to serve as the president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a soft spoken man, frail in body but with a gentle warming spirit that touched the members deeply.

President Hunter said: “I pledge my life, my strength, and the full measure of my soul to serving Him fully. …

To the membership of the Church in every country of the world and to people everywhere … I pray that we might treat each other with more kindness, more courtesy, more humility and patience and forgiveness. …” (“The Way of an Eagle” By Elder James E. Faust, Ensign 1994, August.)

I can’t think of a better resolution.

Our minds are amazing things. It is sometimes unfathomable the amounts of information it can hold and store. It also just as amazing the amount of things we seem to forget, just when we need them most. While our intelligences are very individualized so are our thoughts and their capacity for good or evil can determine a lot about the paths our life can take.

I love the purity and simplicity of the thinking of a little child. The world is basically a good, beautiful place to learn and enjoy. Unfortunately, as we grow older we are introduced to more and more aspects of the world that aren't quite as beautiful and innocent. We can become very troubled and burdened down with worldly cares. Our thoughts can become cluttered with things that keep us from the purity and goodness of the Savior’s gospel.

How can we guard against thoughts and feelings that the Lord feels contaminates our ability to be close to Him, to understand His nature, to act as His disciples in a world filled with darkness? Our thoughts can either lead us to do good or do evil. We are very rarely guilty of sin when it first hasn't been considered and contemplated, allowed to dwell in our thoughts. Likewise, we are very rarely engaged in acts of goodness, of kindness, of service, if we have not considered and pondered these things.

James Allen once wrote:

“As the plant springs from, and could not be without, the seed, so every act of a man springs from the hidden seeds of thought, and could not have appeared without them. This applies equally to those acts called ‘spontaneous’ and ‘unpremeditated’ as to those which are deliberately executed. …

In the armoury of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. … Between these two extremes are all the grades of character, and man is their maker and master. … Man is the master of thought, the moulder of character, and the maker and shaper of condition, environment, and destiny … Let a man radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life. Men imagine that thought can be kept secret, but it cannot; it rapidly crystallizes into habit, and habit solidifies into circumstance. ” (As a Man Thinketh [1983])

The first defense is to guard against evil thinking in the first place. Because of the great blessing that our mind is, because if its very nature, once we have allow negative influences in, they are very difficult to purge. It can be done, but as with many things an ounce of prevention is proven the best medicine.

The leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have provided specific guidelines to help its members keep their thoughts pure and centered on Jesus Christ. Among these are warnings against the types of media we fill our leisure time with. We are asked to reject music, books, magazines, computer programs, games, movies and television shows, that portray or glorify violence, pornography, a general disregard for morals or any thing else that compromises the ability of the Holy Spirit to be our companion, guide and protector against evil.

In its place we are encouraged to seek out the beautiful and uplifting things of the world. (Articles of Faith 1:13) I have seen the effects of this counsel play out in my own life. As a young family we had some choices to make about the kinds of influences we would let our children indulge in. We saw the problems we were beginning to encounter even when our children were very small. We made drastic choices according to the world's standards in order to maximize our influence for good on our children and minimize the world's influence for evil. We allowed nothing in our home that we wouldn't be comfortable with our young children seeing or hearing. For the years that we were able to hold to this standard of accountability the overall nature of our family unit changed for the good. We enjoyed each other more, we were kinder, more considerate, we all had a greater regard for human life and values. Sadly, our human frailties eventually got the better of us as the years passed and many things have managed to creep in that should never found their way into our hearts, homes and minds. Many of those things hang on for dear life long after the incident has passed.

When this happens, when we find ourselves thinking thoughts that darken our spirit, our next defense is the same as Joseph (Genesis 39:12) of the Old Testament. We must turn and run leaving evil behind us. We must develop a plan of defense to re-center our thoughts and feelings on that which is good and uplifting. No man can serve two masters; our minds are the same. It can only dwell on what we allow it to. Choose a song, scripture, poem, math equation, and physical movement, whatever ever works for you individual to leave temptation behind you.

As a man thinketh so is he, and charity thinketh no evil.

It seems to be a common problem of this earthly life. Frogs do it, some birds do it, and people do it. We all tend to be guilty of trying to puff ourselves up in the eyes of someone else. We want them to think highly of us, we want to impress them, we want to prove our worth, we want them to love us. What ever the reason, there is a small part of each of us that wishes we could have the brightly colored feathers of the male peacock and nary another care in the world but to say, “Look at me, I’m awesome!” Well, okay, maybe we wouldn’t say it quite that way, but we say it none the less.

To “vaunt” means to make a vain display of one's own worth or attainments, to brag or boast to another. In terms of the Savior’s command to seek charity in our lives we are instructed that the Savior’s love does not put itself on display to make itself look better, or make someone else look worse. In Christ’s life we learn that there were times for public displays of His love and power, but there were also many private, quiet times when the Lord held His peace instead of displaying his power or issued a command to go, and tell no one.

Specifically, I think of a time of teaching: the parable of the Pharisee and the publican:

“The Pharisee stood [in the temple] and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

“I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

“And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” (Luke 18:10–13.)

The Pharisee spent a great deal of time comparing himself to those around him and publicly declaring himself to be above them. Are we guilty of this same sin? Have you ever secretly looked at another member of your congregation and thought, I’m so much better off than so and so? Have you ever walked past the man on the street and disdainfully wondered why he doesn’t get a job? Sometimes it’s very fleeting and subtle, other times we allow those thoughts to linger, in our weakest moments we might share these unrighteous thoughts with another.

Oh, to be more like the publican and quietly share our hearts with God, acknowledging that He knows us better than any other, that He is aware of our every fault and loves us still. That He alone can save us, and bring us back into His presence.

My other favorite example comes from the Book of Mormon. It is a story found in Alma 31. Alma, acting as a missionary, goes among a people called Zoramites. These people have a particular worship tradition similar to that of the Pharisees. They were a wealthy group of people who felt it necessary to dress in all of their finery once a week then taking turns standing on a highly visible tower and reciting a memorized prayer thanking God for all the ways He had made them better than their neighbors.

Maybe it’s just me, but I can almost see Alma rolling his eyes at them. Fortunately, there was another group of people living in the same area, who were not wealthy. They were not allowed to worship on the tower. They were humble and meek and hungry to know God.

I know which group I’d rather be found among. I also know I have a long way to go.

There are many tiny ways our pride peeks through:

• Not giving a Sunday school teacher our full attention because we feel we know more about the subject than she or that she seems ill prepared.
• Not keeping appointments, being consistently late, or not keeping promises.
• Taking credit for another’s work.
• Placing blame where it does not belong.
• Displaying or gathering worldly goods to prove we can “keep up with the Jones’”.
• Pushing ourselves, or our family members to better grades, better salaries, more awards, while costing everyone their sanity and happiness in the process.
• Even wearing costly apparel, or spending too much time and money trying to perfect our bodies.

May we all be a little more aware of our personal tendencies toward puffed behaviors and be a little more like the meek and humble who readily accept their dependence on the Lord. Who accepted those around us on their own terms with no desire to prove ourselves their better.

There have been many discussions here on LDSBlogs.com about pride. You can find a few of these discussions here:

Be Thou Humble
Pride: Enmity against Our Fellow Man
The False Gods We Worship
Pride: Fighting Against God

The Savior Himself has declared that if we wish to be recognized as His disciples we must have a love of our fellow man. If that is what He desires for us, what is this love and how do we obtain it?

It is feeling the love the Savior has for each of us and returning those feelings of love, or charity, to everyone around us. Yes, everyone.

Moroni 7:47 describes charity as the pure love of Christ. It was this love, this power that held Him to the cross, which gave Him the ability to submit to the will of the Father and atone for all our sins. Developing this type of love in our own lives is a tall order and a life long project.

The first step remains being able to recognize the great love of the Savior for you as an individual. Through this recognition comes the ability to accept others as He would. Then comes the ability to reach out to them in love as He would. As this love fills our lives we desire to share it with others, to strengthen and build up our fellow man. We become kinder, gentler, more forgiving and peaceable. We lose our desire for sin and worldly pursuits. We look to the Father with full hearts and full purpose, ready to serve as He would have us touch the lives of others around us. We serve and bless others for the sheer joy of that service and are rewarded with a greater affirmation of the Savior’s love and of the gift of charity in our own lives. Charity has the power to change the world.

1 Corinthians 13 outlines the entire concept of charity in this way.

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity

During the coming weeks I’ll look more closely at the gift of charity as it is outlined in these verses. I’ll examine ways we can invite this gift into our every day lives. Charity involves molding ourselves to reflect Christ more and more each day. Charity can seem a huge and overwhelming task; yet, the Lord has commanded that if we would be His, we would be filled with charity. Join me as I explore the gift of charity.

With the passing of “black Friday” and “cyber Monday”, we’ve just finished a week of shopping frenzies. Around this time of year we all eye our wallets and spend a good deal of time thinking about, preparing for, and going out shopping. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are continually counseled to get out of and avoid debt as much as possible. Still, this is a time of year when many feel the pressure to ignore this counsel as they try to fulfill the wishes of those around them in the spirit of giving. As disciples of Jesus Christ, the Christmas season should be a time of joy, of thanksgiving, and a time to reflect on the most precious gift all of us have ever been given: the life of Jesus Christ.

It’s all too easy to get caught up in the wrong types of spending. The scriptures tell us not to concern ourselves with the costly things of the world. Rather we’re to focus on things that lift and expand our spirit in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 6:19-21
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal; For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Let’s first consider how to limit the wrong kind of spending, then focus our thoughts on what we can do to increase proper Christmas spending. Here are just a few thoughts for limiting spending on things that don’t matter so you have more of what matters to spend on things that will last for eternity.

? Give gifts from the heart rather than the pocketbook.

? The three wise men brought three types of gifts. Limit children to three gifts each: one for knowledge, one for the gospel and one for fun.

? Share before you ask. Start looking around for blessings you have experienced over the past year from people and places that have touched your life. What can you give back to them for the blessings they have given you.

Here are a few things it’s ok to overspend on this Christmas season:

Spend a little more time with a neighbor or friend.

Spend a little more on the little red bucket. Add a hot chocolate and a thank you for the person ringing the bell at that little red bucket.

Spend a little more time on your knees.

Spend a little more time singing.

Spend a little more time with your family.

Spend a little more kindness. A little more patience. A little more forgiveness.

A little more, Savior, like thee.

In Mark 15, we read the heart wrenching account of the Savior’s death. Verses 20-22 tell of the trip to Golgotha. After enduring more than any other man could ever withstand, He stumbled through the streets of Jerusalem under the weight of His own cross.

He was weak, He was tired, yet He bore it all with dignity and majesty until the Roman soldiers became impatient with His slow, stumbling progress. They pulled a man from the crowd and told him to carry the cross of Jesus. This was the custom of the times. The Romans could demand that a Jew carry their load. The scriptures do not tell us whether the man Simon offered any protest. We simply know he took up the cross and followed. If he was a disciple of Jesus Christ what must this have meant to him? On the one hand he was offering a humble service to his Lord, on the other it was a service that would end with His death. It must have been a difficult burden to bear. How would you have felt knowing that you were easing the Savior’s burden only to be a facilitator to his death in the end? It must have been very hard.

Today, our tasks as disciples of Jesus Christ are no less difficult. One of the first covenants we make with Heavenly Father comes at the time of our baptism. We bear witness that we desire to become members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but more importantly we covenant that we are willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ. We renew this promise every week during the sacrament as we humbly pray we will be able to always remember Him.

We are being asked to carry His name, for good and for ill, just as Simon was once asked to carry His cross. Do we bear this honor with dignity? As we walk forward through the streets of our daily lives can those around us recognize whose name we carry with us? As Christ’s disciples do we focus our actions, our words, our thoughts, and our appearance in such a manner that those around us can see the goodness and beauty of Jesus Christ through us?

Carrying His name means we carry a deep commitment to become like Him. It means beginning each new day with His name on our lips as we pray for guidance on our daily path. It means expressing gracious kindness in the face of offense. It means helping a neighbor. It means taking time with a child. It means being his disciple even when it’s hard and the outcome seems dreary. In return He offers us peace and eternal life and an assurance that on the days when it seems we can’t carry on, He will be there to help us with the load. (Matthew 11:28-30) Even in the process of carrying His cross for Him, the Savior offers tremendous blessings.

I may not have carried His cross in Jerusalem, I may not wear a symbol of that cross around my neck, but I carry His name every day in my heart for everyone to see. I, like many of you, am willing to carry His name as far as He needs me to. He will bless and guide our efforts as we covenant to bear His name.