"Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear"

     So, the next talk that I have decided to share with everyone is called, "Perfect Love Casteth Out Fear." It is another great talk on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with friends by simply loving them. The message that is most clear to me in it is, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear...” (1 John 4:18).
     He begins by talking about how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is growing and how the publicity and talk of the Church grows with it. A lot of news about the Church is great as "there are prominent members of the Church in government, in business, in entertainment, in education, and everywhere else, it seems." Unfortunately the publicity is often distorted in its truthfulness and clarity so he tells us that "there are a number of things that we can do to advance an understanding of the Church."
     The first thing we must do is "be bold in our declaration of Jesus Christ." His life and teachings are what make up the Gospel as well as the many holy books written in the Bible and The Book of Mormon. Only through Jesus Christ is it possible to make it back to our Father in Heaven. It would only make sense that Jesus is central to EVERYTHING.
     Second, we must "be righteous examples to others." Just as important as sharing our beliefs is living them. When questioned about why we do not have crosses as a symbol of Christ in any of our religious buildings, the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley said, our symbol of Christ is seen by the way our members live their lives. We need to live our lives as best as we can to resemble the life of Christ. It is one thing to believe in Christ and talk about Him but to actually be like Christ, now that is something!
     Lastly, we need to "speak up about the Church." We have the opportunity to share the gospel with friends and family every day. I have come to understand that the best way to do share the gospel is by just doing it. He says two things that I really like. First, "some members seem to want to keep their membership in the Church a secret." This is where the message that I love so much comes in. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear...” Just love your neighbors and you can do it. Second, "do not try to make the Church sound better than it is. We do not need to put a spin on our message." The Gospel is true. That is a fact. We do not need to speak anything but the plainness of the truth and the message will pierce the hearts of those who are honest seekers of the truth.

Obedience

     The final Christlike Attribute is Obedience. Obedience is the first law of heaven. It requires us to act with faith. Sometimes we are commanded to do things even when we do not completely understand why. When I think of this principle, I think of the brother of Jared. "And he cried again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness? And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire... Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?" (Ether 2:22-25.) The brother of Jared is told not to make windows and then is given a reason why, however he is not given a reason as to why he should not have fires. In our time we understand that fire would not be a suitable light source in a submarine, as it would burn up all of the oxygen in the air. This scientific knowledge was unknown to the brother of Jared, and he would have had a hard time understanding it even if God had chosen to explain it to him, but he obeys anyway without delay or need for explanations. I feel that this same principle applies to us. There are many times in our lives when we are asked to do things. Sometimes we understand why those things would be necessary, but sometimes God keeps that knowledge to Himself, and we just have to be obedient, trusting that God has perfectly good reasons for His commandments. We just might not even be able to comprehend those reasons in our current mortal state.

     Many people feel that the commandments are burdensome and that they limit freedom and personal growth. But the Savior taught that true freedom comes only from following Him. God gives commandments for our benefit. They are loving instructions for our happiness and for our physical and spiritual well-being. “The discipline contained in daily obedience and clean living and wholesome lives builds an armor around you of protection and safety from the temptations that beset you as you proceed through mortality.” -L. Tom Perry (May 1991 Ensign, Called to Serve.) As you obey, you increase in faith, knowledge, wisdom, testimony, protection, and freedom.

Diligence

     The next Attribute of Christ is Diligence. Life is very busy and there are very many things in this world that we can do with our time. A lot of things may seem good to be doing, but there are always better things that we can occupy our time with. An important part of being diligent is focusing our efforts on the things that are most important. For example, should we attend the soccer game on Sunday, or go to church? Some decisions are a little less obvious; should I get my work done this evening, or spend time with my family? Whatever the case may be with our busy lives, to be diligent we must focus on the things that bring us closer to God and strengthen ourselves and our family relationships.
     Another important part of being diligent is setting goals and following through with them. How often do we make plans to accomplish a task, only to have those same plans evaporate into the heat of our busy days? When we do not set goals, our plans are without any sort of vision. We head off into the dark, and who knows if our tasks will ever actually be completed during the time we spent wandering around. We will continue to procrastinate and wait for a better time only to find that it will never actually come. Goals are the light at the end of the tunnel, the measuring stick used to evaluate our effectiveness.

     You can tell a lot about a person by how they work when they think no one is watching. How would you like to find out that your "hardest working" employees didn't actually do anything while you were out to lunch? We need to have that same attitude in all of our actions. If we are truly diligent it won't matter if anyone is watching us because we will work hard at all times. Another part of this is working till you have successfully completed the task at hand. At no point should you ever give up. "You have not failed until you have quit trying." -Gordon B. Hinckley (Nov. 1983 Ensign, Live Up to Your Inheritance.)

Humility

     The next Christlike Attribute is Humility. I think a good way to understand humility is to take a look at its opposite, which is pride. "Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart, or core, is still missing. The central feature of pride is enmity—enmity toward God and enmity toward our fellowmen. Enmity means 'hatred toward, hostility to, or a state of opposition.' It is the power by which Satan wishes to reign over us." -Ezra Taft Benson (May 1989 Ensign, Beware of Pride.) Pride is also competitive. If you are prideful you seek to have more and presume that you are better than others. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." (Romans 8:16.) If we are all children of God, how could any one of us possibly be greater than another? God loves each of us individually as His son or daughter we should all learn to humble ourselves and love one another.
     "For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and for all the riches which we have of every kind?
     And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.
     And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another." (Mosiah 4:19-21.) If we can humble ourselves and understand that we really have nothing in this life, save it be through God, we will be far better off than we were when we worried about what was "ours".
     When we are humble we are happy and have an appreciation for the life we have. We understand that we are completely reliant on the Lord. We appreciate our talents and abilities that we have been given and acknowledge that they are gifts from God. It is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; it is an indication that we know where our true strength lies. We can be both humble and fearless. We can be both humble and courageous.

Patience

     The next Christlike Attribute is Patience. It is one of the most difficult traits, in my opinion, for most people to acquire. Patience is synonymous with words such as endurance, long-suffering, and tolerance. Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. “Life is full of difficulties, some minor and others of a more serious nature. There seems to be an unending supply of challenges for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such challenges, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required.” -Thomas S Monson (November 1995 Ensign, Patience—A Heavenly Virtue.) It is the ability to do God’s will and accept His timing. When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully. Patience is related to hope and faith; you must wait for the Lord’s promised blessings to be fulfilled. "Have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions." (Alma 34:40-41.)
     You need patience in your everyday experiences and relationships. You must be patient with all people, yourself included, as you work to overcome faults and weaknesses.

Knowledge

     The next Attribute of Christ is Knowledge. I feel like all people in the world have a desire to obtain more knowledge. The reason may not always be the same though. Some people seek knowledge to impress people, some seek knowledge to better understand their world, some seek it simply to be "smarter". Knowledge, however, is a gift from God that allows us to learn and progress in this life, which in turn allows us to be happier in the life to come. We should seek knowledge in order to understand God and our purpose of life. Knowledge is the light that guides us through our dark path of life. Would you rather have a candle or a flashlight? A spotlight? A sun? The amount of knowledge that we gain determines our ability to find our way. It is good to attain a knowledge of the things of the world, but our first priority should be to learn about our great God and His glorious plan for us. We can do this by studying our scriptures daily. "Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3.)

     How did Christ give the greatest example of one who has knowledge? Knowledge is what gave Christ the ability to confound the hypocritical Pharisees and Scribes of His day. How else would we get priceless teachings, such as the Sermon on the Mount, if it were not for the extraordinary amount of knowledge that the Savior had? The Savior Himself even quotes the scriptures of the Old Testament (the scripture available to the common man in His time) several times in the New Testament as well as the Book of Mormon. Let us always be striving to follow His great example in our own pursuit of spiritual and temporal knowledge.

Virtue

     "The mind is like a stage. Except when we are asleep the curtain is always up. There is always some act being performed on that stage. It may be a comedy, a tragedy, interesting or dull, good or bad; but always there is some act playing on the stage of the mind.
     Have you noticed that without any real intent on your part, in the middle of almost any performance, a shady little thought may creep in from the wings and attract your attention? These delinquent thoughts will try to upstage everybody.
     If you permit them to go on, all thoughts of any virtue will leave the stage. You will be left, because you consented to it, to the influence of unrighteous thoughts.
     If you yield to them, they will enact for you on the stage of your mind anything to the limits of your toleration. They may enact a theme of bitterness, jealousy, or hatred. It may be vulgar, immoral, even depraved.
     When they have the stage, if you let them, they will devise the most clever persuasions to hold your attention. They can make it interesting all right, even convince you that it is innocent—for they are but thoughts.
     What do you do at a time like that, when the stage of your mind is commandeered by the imps of unclean thinking?—whether they be the gray ones that seem almost clean or the filthy ones which leave no room for doubt.
     If you can control your thoughts, you can overcome habits, even degrading personal habits. If you can learn to master them you will have a happy life." -Boyd K Packer (January 1974 Ensign, Inspiring Music—Worthy Thoughts.)

     What is Virtue? Virtue begins in our innermost thoughts and desires. "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God." (D&C 121:45.) To me, virtue is equivalent to righteousness. Someone who has virtue focuses on wholesome, uplifting thoughts and drives wicked thoughts from their mind. Virtuous people obey all of God's commandments. They watch themselves and avoid sin at all costs. They keep themselves clean and pure spiritually; unspotted from the world. If a virtuous person commits sin, they repent of it quickly. What you choose to think and do when you are alone and you believe no one is watching is a strong measure of your virtue.

     Living a virtuous life brings a multitude of blessings. You will find yourself receiving guidance from the Holy Ghost on a daily, even hourly basis because you will always be worthy to receive such inspiration. You will have peace of mind and a better standing with God. Your relationship with your Heavenly Father will become. intimately close. Other people will be inspired by your righteous example as a disciple of Christ. 

Charity and Love

     The next Attribute is Charity and Love. With the passing of Valentines day I only see it fitting. Charity is the pure love of Christ. I look at that two different ways. First, that we should love Christ as much as ourselves. Second, that we should love others as much as Christ loves them. It is the love that Christ has for the children of men and that the children of men should have for one another. It is the highest, noblest, and strongest kind of love and the most joyous to the soul. We are to seek to develop that kind of love. When you are filled with charity, you obey God’s commandments and do all you can to serve others and help them receive the restored gospel. As it says in the scriptures, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17.) If we could just lose ourselves in the service of others we would find it a lot easier to show love towards one another.
     A man once asked Jesus, “Which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus replied: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:36–39.) I find it interesting that the second greatest commandment is to love others when you see very little of that in the world today. It seems as though with all these "Christians" in the world there should be very little hate towards one another and a lot more peace and kindness. However, that is not the case so something must be askew.
     In the Book of Mormon it tells us that Charity is a gift from God and that we must ask for it. If we will just humble ourselves to come to God and have him help us we will all be able to feel a special love for each individual on the earth. You will come to feel a sincere concern for the eternal welfare and happiness of other people. You will see them as children of God with the potential of becoming like our Heavenly Father. I challenge all to seek the help from God in having charity in our hearts and loving all of those around us.

Hope

     The next Christlike Attribute is Hope. Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. It is believing and expecting that something will occur. When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good. Hope helps you conquer discouragement or despair.

     The adversary uses despair to bind hearts and minds in suffocating darkness. Despair drains from us all that is vibrant and joyful and leaves behind the empty remnants of what life was meant to be. Despair kills ambition, advances sickness, pollutes the soul, and deadens the heart. Despair can seem like a staircase that leads only and forever downward. 

     Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear.

     There are many times in my life where I have felt that all is lost. In these times of need, I often turn to my Father in Heaven in prayer and ask for that comforting guidance and reassurance that all will be well. I was once told that everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end. When I think of those few simple words I always seem to get the boost I need to get me to the end.

Faith

     The first Christlike Attribute is Faith in Jesus Christ. Now a lot of times you will hear that you have blind faith if you believe in things that other people tell you or if there is no proof to back it up. Well, I guess that brings us to the question: What is faith? Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. I guess that would mean that all faith is blind. 

     Now back to the specifics of Faith in Christ. When you have faith in Christ, you believe in Him as the Son of God, you accept Him as your Savior and Redeemer, you believe that your sins can be forgiven through His Atonement, and you follow His teachings. Faith in Him means that you trust Him and are confident that He loves you. Faith leads to action, including repentance, obedience,and dedicated service. When you have faith in Jesus Christ, you trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments, even when you do not completely understand the reasons for them. Faith is a principle of power. God works by power, but His power is usually exercised in response to faith. He works according to the faith of His children.Your faith in Jesus Christ grows as you become better acquainted with Him and His teachings. Through faith you receive answers to your prayers and personal inspiration to guide you in the Lord’s work. 

     As I study my scriptures each and every morning I have seen my faith in Jesus Christ grow immensely. Even though there are many days us missionaries experience in which people feel that they are too good to hear the humble words we have to share, there is always that shining moment in your day when you realize that Christ did the same thing as you and his trials were way worse. Relating myself to Christ has helped me immensely to understand Him and develop an undying love for Him. My faith in Him increases as well as my desire to be like Him. 

Christlike Attributes

     Many of us have a desire to be as Christlike as possible, as this is the ultimate goal for us in this life. As spirit children of our Heavenly Father, we do have the potential to incorporate Christlike Attributes into our life. The Savior invites us to learn His gospel by living His teachings. In order to be Christlike we need to learn the basics of the gospel, and lucky for us Christlike Attributes are the basics. However, they are not so easy to develop in this life on our own. Christlike Attributes are gifts from God. They cannot be developed without His help. The scriptures describe a number of Christlike Attributes we need to develop during the course of our lives. They include faith, hope, charity and love, virtue, knowledge, patience, humility, diligence, and obedience. Christlike Attributes come into our lives as we exercise our agency righteously. Developing Christlike Attributes can be a painful process. We need to be ready to accept direction and correction from the Lord and His servants. As we develop Christlike Attributes in our own lives, step-by-step, they will “bear [us] up as on eagles’ wings.” (D&C 124:18.) Since becoming a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I have learned how much I am lacking in many of these Christlike Attributes. I know as well as anyone how hard it can be to develop these characteristics, so in these next few blog posts I will share some experiences on how I have helped myself improve on them each individually. As you read and seek to develop the attributes described in this blog and other attributes found in the scriptures, the following pattern may be helpful:

     • Identify the attribute you wish to develop.

     • Write a definition and description of the attribute.

     • Record questions to answer as you read.

     • List and study thoroughly passages of scripture that teach about the attribute.

     • Set goals and make plans to apply the attribute in your life.

     • Pray for the Lord to help you develop the attribute.

     • Evaluate your progress periodically in developing each attribute.