“Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.” [1]
 
Our earthly experiences have been described as a “life amid broken harmonies.” [2]  These broken harmonies, with the rich lessons and essential experiences they provide, are possible only as a result of disobedience to law through the fall of Adam. Adam’s transgression initiated our life on earth and provided us with the circumstances necessary for our instruction, which include the “broken harmonies” of good versus evil; faith versus doubt; hope versus despair; joy versus sorrow; pleasure versus pain; life versus death. With Adam’s transgression, the circumstances and conditions required for our earthly education and subsequent eternal progression were formed. Furthermore, each of us sins of our own accord and incurs the consequence of wrongdoing. In either case, we are incapable of reinstating what has been lost or creating a justification for forgiveness in our fallen state.

This creates a condition remedied in only one of two ways: Justice must be obtained and punishment exacted on the actual sinner or God must fulfill the claim against us, appeasing justice through a vicarious Atonement on our behalf. The first possibility would prevent the purposes of God from unfolding and would violate our promise for eternal life. The second option is the only valid alternative. God must appease the demands of justice, allowing mercy to establish its claims and redeem a fallen humanity.

The Apostle Paul instructs us that “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

“The law entered that sin might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” [3]

Underlying this gift of grace is God’s boundless love for us manifest in His tender mercy, mercy which is simply love in action. God’s love for us prompts Him to satisfy justice by enduring the penalty due to Adam’s sin. God’s love for us prompts Him to suffer for the individual sins of humanity; to exact the price of each person’s sin. This love prescribes the sinner’s claim on mercy.

That is the gospel, the great plan of happiness. That is the “good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people.” [4]
​
Jesus Christ is the personification of mercy and mercy is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our savior’s sacrifice on the cross was an unparalleled act of mercy on our behalf. His earthly ministry encompassed compassion toward the needy and neglected, the ill and the infirm and the disheartened and downtrodden. The extent of compassion that we extend to others is the expression of our distinct discipleship to our Redeemer.

“Our salvation,” wrote Harold B. Lee, “rests upon the mercy we show to others. Unkind and cruel words, or wanton acts of cruelty toward man or beast, even though in seeming retaliation, disqualify the perpetrator in his claims for mercy when he has need of mercy in the day of judgment before earthly or heavenly tribunals.... Blessed are all you who are merciful, for you shall obtain mercy!”  [5]

King Benjamin suggested that we are all beggars, dependent upon 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 now,” he declares, “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… O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.” [6]

Mercy is not the disposition of the arrogant, the conceited or the self-centered. If we expect a claim on mercy, our nature must be one of compassion, gentleness, kindness, patience and respect toward others.

Bruce R. McConkie recognized that mercy is a reward reserved for the merciful. “In that great day of restoration and judgment,” he wrote, “when every man is rewarded according to the deeds done in the flesh, those who have manifest mercy to their fellowmen here will be treated mercifully by the Merciful One. Those who have acquired the godly attribute of mercy here shall have mercy restored unto them again in that bright day.” [7]

As we learn to become more merciful, compassionate, gentler and kinder, we will earn a greater claim on mercy from God who will be generous in His mercy toward us.
 
Bill Wy​lson

 
[1] Alma 12:34.
[2] Roberts, B.H., Seventy’s Course in Theology, Vol. 4, Deseret Book Company, 1911.
[3] Romans 5:20,21.
[4] Luke 2:10.
[5] Lee, Harold B., Stand Ye in Holy Places, p. 346, Deseret Book Company, 1974.
[6] See Mosiah 4:19,21.
[7] McConkie, Bruce R., The Mortal Messiah, Vol. 2, pp. 122, 123. Deseret Book Company.

“Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed--yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty.” [1]
 
Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount by specifying eight stipulations for human happiness, the third being “Blessed are the meek.” [2] The term meek has customarily implied being humble, free of pride and arrogance. David O. McKay referred to humility as “the solid foundation of all the virtues.” [3]

Humanity disdains the quality and characteristic of the humble and meek, but Jesus describes humility as the distinctive trait of His disciples. It is one of the greatest Christian virtues. Submissiveness to God is not a weakness but an eternal quality of the faithful. King Benjamin portrayed the humble and submissive as yielding “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.” [4]

The world does not place humility high on its list of desirable attributes. The humble are most often viewed as compliant and cowardly, timid and retiring, weak-willed and wary, submissive and subservient; attempting nothing, accomplishing nothing, and adding nothing to society. These false worldly views should not dissuade us from developing this attribute that the Savior himself personified.

Humility is an attribute of those with a healthy sense of self-worth. Being sensitive to shortcomings and aware of our weaknesses is essential to our personal growth and progress. Self-esteem and self-conceit are counterparts, not equivalences.

The humble submit themselves to the will of God and find increased strength and greater power. We should develop humility simply because God commands us to be humble but the blessings of being humble clarify also our constant need for this Christian virtue. Some of the benefits of being humble are specifically outlined in the scriptures.
The Lord “shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.” [5]  

The Lord’s grace is sufficient for the humble and He will “make weak things become strong unto them.” [6]

The humble will be made strong and “receive knowledge from time to time.” [7]

The spirit will be sent to enlighten those who are humble. [8]

The “ignorant” will “learn wisdom by humbling himself.” [9]

The “veil shall be rent” and the humble will see and know the Lord. [10]

No one can assist in the work of the Lord “except he shall be humble.” [11]

The pragmatic appeal of personal humility is in its ability to notice a failing and accept the instruction and consequent correction that come from that failing. Humility is the indispensable element in improvement and personal growth, despite mistakes and disappointments. Progress, whether in business, education, religion, or elsewhere is accelerated when we quickly and humbly learn from our mistakes and failures.

The humble are teachable and open-minded. They are taught by their contemporaries as well as by God because they are not concerned with their own self-image and self-importance and can truly listen and learn. As humble followers of Christ, they recognize that there is a standard of perfection to be pursued.

Pride, on the other hand, disconnects us from God and disengages us from others. Pride deadens our sense of relationship with our Father in heaven. It dictates that “my will,” not “thine,” be done.

Pride wears many guises. It ascends in the arrogance of the academic and parades in the pompousness of the prosperous. It hides in the hypocrisy of the self-righteousness and struts in the sanctimoniousness of the socialite.

The proud isolate themselves from others. Grateful that they are “not as other men are,” [12] they shun sympathy, compassion and kindness toward others. The humble, on the other hand, abandon arrogance and accept that in God’s guidelines there can be no constraint on love.  

The love Jesus exemplified is boundless. He despised the self-importance and presumptuousness of the Pharisees. They perform “all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long. They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the market place.” [13] Conceivably the most treacherous characteristic of their conceit was that they saw themselves as not needing repentance. [14] But of us, Christ invites a profound, personal, and positive humility that will collapse our conceit and dissolve the defenses between us and God and between us and all of humanity.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “As things are now constituted, the meek do not inherit the earth; even He who said of himself, ‘I am meek and lowly of heart’ (Matt. 11:29) had in fact no place of his own to lay his head. This world's goods were of little moment to him, and he had neither gold nor silver nor houses nor lands nor kingdoms. Peter was even directed to catch a fish in whose mouth a coin was lodged, that a levied tax might be paid for the two of them. The meek—those who are the God-fearing and the righteous—seldom hold title to much of that which appertains to this present world. But there will be a day when the Lord shall come to make up his jewels; there will be a day when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the faithful of ancient Israel shall dwell again in old Canaan; and there will be also an eventual celestial day when ‘the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.’ (D&C 88:17.)” [15]

The day will soon come when eternal principles will prevail on earth. What humanity despises today will eventually be acknowledged and appreciated as an essential attribute of a righteous and Christ-like character.
 
Bill Wylson 
 
 [1] Alma 32:15
[2] Matthew 5:5.
[3] McKay, David O., Ancient Apostles, p. 118.
[4] Mosiah 3:19.
[5] D&C 112:10.
[6] See Ether 12:26,27.
[7] See D&C 1:28.
[8] See D&C 136:33.
[9] D&C 136:32.
[10] See D&C 67:10.
[11] See D&C 12:8.
[12] Luke 18:11.
[13] Matthew 23:5-7 (NET).
[14] See Luke 15:1-7.
[15] McConkie, Bruce R., The Mortal Messiah, Vol. 2, p. 122. Deseret Book Company.

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” [1]
 
Nephi’s example and teaching from the preceding verse are essential for any member of the church seeking reassurance of the basic rudiments of gospel living with its encumbrance of daily taking up the cross of Christ and following Him.[2]

In writing about heroes from the Book of Mormon, Russel M. Nelson tells us that “Nephi was a multifaceted genius. Endowed with great physical stature, he was a prophet, teacher, ruler, colonizer, builder, craftsman, scholar, writer, poet, military leader, and father of nations. Nephi had a sincere desire to know the mysteries of God. He became a special witness and trusted prophet of the Lord… Appropriately, his final testimony closed with the words that could be known as his signature: “I must obey.” [3]

Very few prophets of the past have spoken with such genuine intensity to the denizens of our day. Nephi's life, calling and dedication to the Lord were destined to be a blessing not only to his own people but to generations and generations of God’s children.

Like Nephi, the Apostle Paul also reassures us: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” [4]

Our Heavenly Father loves all his children. He wants to guide and direct us along paths of peace and safety. He also understands that we cannot be guided in arrogance or directed in pride.  When we are enduring the tests and trials of our lifetimes, when things just aren’t going well, we can and should understand that our loving Father is leading us through life experiences that will both bless and better us. With the prayer of faith and a determination to obey, we can recognize what the Lord requires of us and be assured that the way has already been prepared for us.

Henry B. Eyring has challenged us that when we are experiencing a severe trial, we should ask ourselves the following question: “‘Am I trying to do what the Lord would have me do?’ If you're not, then adjust your course. But if you are, remember the boy outside the walls of Jerusalem who…said, ‘I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.’” [5]

No obstacle in life is insurmountable when God commands and we obey. President Eyring continues…. “The Lord will always prepare a way for you to escape from the trials you will be given if you understand two things. One is that you need to be on the Lord's errand. The second thing you need to understand is that the escape will almost never be out of the trial; it will usually be through it. If you pray to have the experience removed altogether, you may not find the way prepared for you. Instead, you need to pray to find the way of deliverance through it.” [6]

Joseph F. Smith assures us that if “the Latter-day Saints are content to obey the commandments of God…our heavenly Father is bound by his oath and covenant to protect them from every opposing foe, and to help them to overcome every obstacle that can possible be arrayed against them, or thrown in their pathway.” [7]

Whoever we are and no matter how difficult our situation, the Book of Mormon offers us the reassurance that whatever our Father commands us to do to qualify for the blessings of eternal life, it will not be beyond our capacity to obey.
 
 Bill Wylson
 

[1] 1 Nephi 3:7
[2] See Luke 9:23.
[3] Nelson, Russel M., Heroes from the Book of Mormon, Deseret Book Company, 1995.
[4] 1 Corinthians 10:13.
[5] Eyring, Henry B., To Draw Closer to God, Deseret Book Company, 1997.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Smith, Joseph F., Gen. Conf., April 1883. JD 24:176.

“Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves--It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.”  [1]
 

Much like music and art, the Book of Mormon reveals a whole new world to us. We become associated with God’s law and live in harmony with correct gospel teachings. Our religious belief moves beyond mere duty to something akin to passion. It creates in us a hungering and thirsting after righteousness that must be filled.

The quest for truth is essentially an experiment upon the words of Christ. The experimenter is encouraged to "prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [2]

Comparing this religious fervor to a fruit tree, Alma promises us that “ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.” [3]

Lehi envisioned the fruit of the tree of life as filling his soul “with exceedingly great joy” and that “it was desirable above all other fruit." [4]  

From a similar vision, Joseph Smith, Sr. described the fruit of the tree as "delicious beyond description."
"The more we ate," he explains, "the more we seemed to desire, until we even got down upon our knees and scooped it up, eating it by double handfuls." [5]

In his book, Living by the Power of Faith, Gene R. Cook asks:
“How do you correctly recognize that feeling and know that the seed (the word) is from God? Alma gives three definite evidences that tell you if the seed comes from the Lord:
“1. It begins to enlarge your soul.
“2. It begins to enlighten your understanding.
“3. It begins to be delicious to you.” [6]

This is the beginning of true faith. It is an introduction to the fruits of the Spirit. In his epistle to the Galatians, Paul enumerates the fruits of religion: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.” [7]

The Apostle Peter also wrote: “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. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [8]

It is evident from these inspired writings that the fruits of the spirit are to be realized and savored in our present earth life as well as in our eternal life. These spiritual gifts are offered to us today, as well as tomorrow.

The Book of Mormon will live in our hearts and in our lives when we begin to delight in the word of God. Then we will become true disciples of Christ, realizing the destiny described so articulately by President Ezra Taft Benson: "I have a vision of homes alerted, classes alive, pulpits aflame, with the spirit of the Book of Mormon message. I have a vision of the whole church getting nearer to God by abiding the precepts of the Book of Mormon." [9]

Our religious convictions will not shelter us from all sorrow and suffering, nor do they promise us a life of prosperity, but they do assure us the precious fruits of the spirit—peace, joy, love, and a purposeful life.


Bill Wylson


[1] Alma 32:28.

[2] 1 Thessalonians 5:21.

[3] Alma 32:42.

[4] 1 Nephi 8:12.

[5] Smith, Lucy Mack, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother. Deseret Book Company, 1979. Pp. 49, 50.

[6] Cook, Gene R., Living by the Power of faith. Deseret Book Company, 1985.

[7] Galatians 5:22,23.

[8] 2 Peter 1:5-8.

[9] Benson, Ezra Taft, General Conference, Oct. 1988.