by Margaret Turley
While preparing the home evening lesson on becoming more like Christ for our singles group this week from the Preach My Gospel manual, I was impressed by how many scriptures repeat the same theme.
In D&C 4 - Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.
13th Article of faith: “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men . . . If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are hones, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
2 Peter 1: 5 – 8 “giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”
D&C 121: 41 “long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile.”
Alma 7: 23,24 “be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works.”
So my thoughts are, what am I seeking for in the literature I read, music I listen to, movies or other media I watch? What example am I setting with my actions, words, and deeds? When I write do I portray these things as My Father in Heaven would have me do? Am I as diligent in following these actions when around family, friends, co-workers or in private? I hope to strive to be the best I can be so that some day I may reach the admonition of being perfect, even as He is perfect.
With sincerity,
Margaret Turley
Great questions, Margaret! We should all be thinking about those things. I remember when we first moved to Eagar, AZ, I was so excited to be moving to a place where more than fifty percent of the population believed is seeking that which is virtuous, lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy. What I learned was...we all have a different definition of what that means! Whew! I am so grateful for the scriptures and the way they teach us!
ReplyDeletebtw...All of your writing that I have read sets a beautiful example and always brings me light. Thank you!
I've been spotchecking myself on these very ideas. Running about 80% to the good I think BUT you are sooooooooo right about where we are in our spiritual journeys regarding what is good or lovely. I once thoroughly enjoyed R-rated action movies. And every once in a while I feel like I'm missing out. But later I discover I missed nothing, not really.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Margaret, and great quotes. I especially like Moroni's last chapter when he says (among many great things) (in 20-21) "Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity. And except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God; neither can ye be saved in the kingdom of God if ye have not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope." (I'm thinking that with the difficulty of engraving on gold plates, he must have thought it important to use that much repetition.)
ReplyDeleteI know lots of people who love to categorize by drawing a dividing line between good and evil, between heaven and hell, but I picture a continuum -- a line from evil to perfection, and see us as scattered all along the line. And where we are presently it is not nearly as important as the direction we are facing.