The Requirements
for Discipleship
What
does it take to return to live in the Celestial Kingdom
However,
what is necessary for the discipleship of Jesus Christ? Even as Jesus Christ
is, so should we strive to be (3rd Nephi 27:27). Although we do not
know much of the early life of Christ we learn in Luke 2:52: “And
Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with
God and man.” In this short verse, the savior modeled for us the perfect use of
our lives.
In Wisdom
It
is critical to note the importance of wisdom in this life. It was famed guitar
legend Jimi Hendrix who stated, “Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.”
Learning begins with enough humility to ask questions. We know that “Whatever
principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life; will rise with
us in the resurrection” (D&C 130:18). On the morn of the resurrection
we will not have our possessions, but our soul-body and spirit-and the truth we
obtained in our life. Our Heavenly Father desires that we develop our minds to
become more like him.
To
develop our mind is a life long task that requires further expansion beyond
formal schooling. In the scholarly study, Latter Day Saint Social Life: Social
Research on the LDS Church and its Members, it is noted that members with more
formal schooling are more likely to attend church, pay tithing, pray daily, and
study the gospel. For example, 80% of LDS women and 70% of LDS men who do these
things above have more than 16 years of formal schooling. Thus, we can conclude
that education does not cause secularization, but rather spirituality. It is
wise to expand our mind and learn about our Father’s creations as wisdom
correlates with gospel involvement.
It
is not completely necessary to obtain formal schooling, but rather an
unquenchable thirst for knowledge. It would be wise to pursue an academic hobby
in our free time. Said the Prophet Joseph Smith, “Seek ye diligently
and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the
best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by
faith.” What are the “best books of wisdom?” In the gospel of Matthew he
states,” By their fruits ye shall know them.” The LDS cultural movie God’s
Army contains a scene in which one sister missionary asks to a new elder,
“What are the three best books of all time?” He asks for her to go first and
she continues to list “Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, War and Peace by
Tolstoy or Ana Karina in which he retorts with the Bible, The Book of Mormon,
and the Doctrine and Covenants.” The scriptures are not only a source of
spiritual knowledge, but intellectual knowledge as well. In a talk given by
Brother Neil Clark he mentioned the Texas List of Unrequired Reading: a book
list surmising certain scholarly subjects such as philosophy, science,
literature, and history. It is easier now than ever to read books or listen to
audio books with kindles, iPads, YouTube, and the like. We will be better
prepared for greater service in the Church, the world, and especially to our
families if we seek after anything virtuous, lovely or of good report
or praiseworthy (Articles of Faith: 13).
Equivalent
to the risk of overeating is the risk of over-information. Often at times we do
all that is required of us: pray, study the scriptures, and participate in
church. However, lost in the mix of these critical elements is the beauty of
meditation. As the primary song “Search, Ponder, and Pray” states we must
ponder the truth given to us through the spirit. It is difficult to sit still
for even 10 to 15 minutes and meditate over the words of the prophets or an
academic subject, yet when we are actively engaged with seeking revelation, the
Spirit knows the desires of our hearts and pours understanding into our minds.
Strive to make meditation apart of your daily scripture study and academic
study.
To
clear you mind so that the Holy Spirit may enter, I would suggest taking an
entire week away from worldly information. Go an entire week with zero
information consumption. I first tried this last March. Most people mocked me
or called me naive. A few actually encouraged me, though. It is the most
effective way I have found to boost spiritual output and growth. It’s also the
most painful. You are going to, for an entire week, live without information
input. For one week: No reading books. No reading blogs. No reading newspapers.
No going on Facebook (even just to post). No watching TV (shows, sports, news,
anything). No watching movies. No listening to talk radio. No going on Twitter.
No worldly information input – only spiritual input and output! You may
only listen to or read the words of the prophets and/or the scriptures. You
must force yourself to spend an entire week with yourself and the people
immediately surrounding you. This will, first and foremost, force you into
action by stripping away every activity you run to in order to avoid actually
doing the work you know you should be doing. Besides that, it will increase
mindfulness, increase the respect you have for your own revelations, you’ll
have more ideas, unsolvable life problems may begin to make sense, you’ll have
an increased appreciation for the news that actually matters, you’ll become
more social, you’ll gain perspective, and you’ll become more original. It
sounds too good to be true but it’s not. It’s what happens. The only way for
you to appreciate this is to do it. Afterwards, continue with a
moderate level of worldly information. States economist Tyler Cowen, “The more
information that’s out there, the greater the returns to just being willing to
sit down and apply yourself. Information isn’t what’s scarce; it’s the
willingness to do something with it.”
This
gospel demands action from the information it gives to its members. Each action
may be weighed against the following phrase, “Will this choice put a question
mark next to my worthiness to enter the Kingdom of God
As
we sojourn throughout this life, we will be faced with opposition. Even the Savior,
the greatest of us all faced the temptations of the Devil. In the book Sayings
of the Spartans, Plutarch declares “Spartans do not ask how many are the
enemy but where are they.” More information rarely helps unless we are ready to
act on it. After you might go through with the information-deprivation week I
encourage all of us to take a “Technological Sabbath” one day each week where
our minds are turned away from the world and adjusted towards heaven. This is
akin to the weekly challenge, but a day rather than a week where you only
partake of spiritual information and seek for revelation.
In Stature
Returning
to Luke 2:52, we learn that Jesus increased in stature. Along with developing
our minds, we are expected to develop the bodies that have been given to us. A
disturbing pattern found among the world, especially in the United States , is
the sedentary lifestyle. Such is the case where we may lounge about all day,
accomplishing little and destroying our bodies. These gifts are temples and
must be cherished-not diminished. What is the standard for maintaining a body
that reflects the cleanliness, beauty, and structural soundness of a temple?
The answer lies in revelation given to Joseph Smith: the Word of Wisdom. This
revelation came about as a consequence of the early brethren using tobacco in
their meetings, the Prophet was led to ponder
or meditate upon the matter; consequently, he inquired of the Lord concerning
it. It is interesting to note this revelation was conceived numerous years
before medical science derived the same conclusions. States Joseph, “Inasmuch
as any man drinketh wine or strong drink among you, behold it is
not good…strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your
bodies…tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good
for man…And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly…verily I say unto
you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution,
nature, and use of man…Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the
fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with
thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly…And it is
pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or
of cold, or famine… And these hath God made for the use of man
only in times of famine and excess of hunger…All grain is ordained
for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life…as also
the fruit of the vine… And all saints who remember to keep and do
these sayings, walking in obedience to the
commandments, shall receive health in their navel and
marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and
great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And
shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.
It
is important to note that we will be blessed if we adhere to the guidelines set
forth by the prophet Joseph Smith who was receiving revelation from The Lord
concerning the temples we have been given-our bodies. We learn that alcohol,
coffee, tea, tobacco, or any other substance that may cause damage to our
temples is an abomination “For the Lord cannot look upon any sin with the least
degree of allowance” (D&C 1:31). Further, often we hear that as Latter-day
Saints we must only eat meat sparingly. However, what does sparingly mean?
Nothing could be clearer than “and it is pleasing unto me [God] that they
[animals] should not be used, only in times of winter, cold, or excess hunger.
Rather, “all grain is ordained for the use of man…as also the fruit of the
vine.” Meat every meal is certainly not in adherence to the word of God, which
may become overlooked time and again. As is ice cream and other sweets, which
are capable of being abused by even the most faithful members. The prophets-who
receive revelation on our behalf from our Father in Heaven-have further
commanded us to eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and
avoid extremes in diet or exercise (For the Strength of Youth pg. 25).
At times, the gift
that we have been given is cast aside for more instant pleasures. Anything,
whether it be of physical, economical, spiritual, or mental nature that allows
for short-term benefits but long-term causalities is not a wise pursuit. I
believe the popular slang term ‘YOLO’ (You Only Live Once) was prophesied in
the Book of 2nd Nephi 28:8: “And there shall also be many which
shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in
committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one
because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there
is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and
if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at
last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.”
Nephi then
continues in verse 21 with, “And others will he [the Devil] pacify, and
lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion ; yea, Zion
prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls,
and leadeth them away carefully down to hell”
In statesman
Benjamin Franklin’s life he was concerned with “Living the Virtuous Life,” in
which he laid out a list of virtues he deemed to be worth paying attention to.
Each week, he would jot down a mark for every time he lied or womanized or
something of the sort and then would notice his tendencies of where to improve.
Furthermore, he worked to focus on one particular virtue each week in order to
live “a perfect moral life.” His very first virtue was “temperance” dealing
with his physical health. As a lover of short, easy-to-remember sayings he
stated for temperance: “Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.” Franklin began his list
of virtues with temperance because it was the virtue that would develop the
self-discipline necessary to adhere to the other 12 virtues. Temperance calls
for a man or woman to avoid overindulgence in food or drink. By conquering
primal urges for food and drink, one will have the confidence to start making
improvements in other areas of one’s life.
Favor with God
Our
mind and body require constant nourishment throughout our life. This gives
reference to the Lord’s desire for us to endure to the end. However, another
critical element that we too must develop is our spirit-one half to our soul.
The definition of a soul lies in Doctrine and Covenants 88:15: “And
the spirit and the body are the soul of man.” Not
only is it critical for us to pursue worldly academic interests to serve one
another, we must also become spiritual scholars. States Matthew in 6:33: “But seek ye
first the kingdom of
God
It
is not enough to read the scriptures or general conference messages as if they
were worldly material-casually glossing over the words, filling your quota of
one page or one chapter a day. These words were meant to be in and change your
life. Several people have sacrificed their own lives so that you may read the
revelations of God’s prophets. Such is the example with William Tyndale, an
English scholar who became a leading figure in Protestant reform in the years
leading up to his execution. He is well known for his translation of
the Bible into English in which later brought his demise.
Similar is the case of Moroni
and Joseph Smith who preserved the Book of Mormon so that we may grow closer
spiritually to our Heavenly Father. Daily scripture study provides an excellent
base to begin the day. As Benjamin Franklin would say, “Early to bed, early to rise
makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Turning off the television or Smartphone
to retire to bed early will provide one with ample time to greet the day and
begin it properly. Said my Grandma McGuire, “People die in bed.”
In
the quiet hours of the morning, our minds are more alert and suppler to be
molded by the revelations of the Spirit. If we study the scriptures with a
question in mind-that is to say, read a passage carefully, analyze it,
meditate, and then write our feelings down-the Lord will pour understanding
into our minds and hearts. Our Heavenly Father knows our desires and in his
time we will better understand his will and align ourselves with it. I have
never met a person who apostatized from the church who was studying the
scriptures and praying daily. Thus, a daily regime of scripture study will
invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and give us comprehension.
To
further our relationship with Heavenly Father, it is essential to develop a
continuous stream of revelation. Stated in the ninth article of faith: “We
believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that
He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God
Time
and time again have Prophets predicted certain calamities. It was President
Gordon B. Hinkley who spoke of Joseph’s dream of the seven years of plenty and
the seven years of famine exactly 7 years and one week before the economic
crisis of 2008. His declaration before the disaster was to get out of debt. The
words of the prophets are a key element to any student in The Lord’s spiritual
school.
The
price for gospel scholarship demands order. Inspiration-roughly translated from
Latin means “to be breathed upon” referring to genius ideas being gifts given
by God. These ideas cannot enter into our minds if our constitution is
cluttered. This is to say, it is not conducive to a spiritual environment to
conclude, “I’m sure Bruce R. McConkie said one time in a conference talk that
we should honor our Father and Mother.” We must know the exact source of truth.
If you wish to thrive in this world, you must develop order. But the laws of
physics tell us that the universe and everything in it tends towards chaos and
disorganization. You must fight against these natural laws and the path of
least resistance. Yet taking on complex organization systems will only cause
more imbalance in your life. Instead, make small changes by rectifying each
slip into disorganization the moment it happens. Do it now.
Said
Elder Richard G. Scott concerning the clout of scriptorian abilities, “Great
power can come from memorizing scriptures. To memorize a scripture is to forge
a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time
of need, give inspiration and
comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change.”
It
was my English teacher; Ms. Wilson who believed similarly the command of the
mind you will feel when you memorize great words. She stated, “You must
memorize at least one poem because if you are either trapped in an elevator or
incarcerated you will have something to hold onto.”
Elder
Richard G. Scott then relays his favorite Psalm that brought him much comfort: “The
earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell
therein. “For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the
floods.
“Who shall ascend into the hill of
the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?
“He that hath clean hands, and a
pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
“He shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of
his salvation” (Psalm 24:1-5).
Spiritual
learning brings a greater understanding of the purpose our lives have in The
Lord’s Plan of Happiness, it is a necessary element to cherish and magnify.
Favor with Man
Finally,
after we have set forth a reputable path for discipleship in wisdom, stature,
and favor with God, we must become akin to the Savior who increased in favor
with man. This is to say, we should develop ourselves socially and “Go into all
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” as
stated in Mark 16:15. Likewise, Matthew affirmed, “Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).
To
develop ourselves socially, we are obliged to craft good listening skills. The
foremost difference between hearing and listening is comprehension. Hearing is
acknowledging the sound reaching your ears whereas listening is understanding
that sound. Often it is better to be silent than to dominate a conversation.
Said Benjamin Franklin, “Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself;
avoid trifling Conversation.” Our culture contains an unhealthy amount of
humility. In the Persian Culture, a certain game is played between two people
in whom each must try and be more humble than the other. For example, if you
asked how much a book was in a Persian book store, the shopkeeper would respond
with “it’s worthless” to compliment you about how you are so good-looking and
intelligent that you should just take the book because it’s worthless for you.
You may respond with how the Persians say ‘thank you’ which translates into “I
would lay down my life for you.” And so the conversation continues with the
humility game, ‘taarof.’
We
live in an age of constant noise and chatter. Etiquette and polite manners have
sadly not kept pace with developments in technology and our quickly changing
culture. You must learn when and when not to open your mouth.
My
mom always stresses to make small-talk with friends and strangers and most
importantly focus the conversation on them. It is also wise to be yourself as
you listen. People love to talk about themselves. When people talk of
themselves you then learn of their interests.
To
then use these interests to spark a gospel conversation will invite the spirit
into both your life and the person whom you are conversing. We should not be
afraid of our mouths and direct the conversation to a higher level of
spirituality. Said Matthew: “Ye are the light of the world. A city
that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and
put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that
are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”
(Matthew 5:14-16).
We
as Latter-day Saints in this time were saved for a specific purpose. This
purpose laid out in Moses 1:39: “For behold, this is my work and
my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of
man.” If we align ourselves with the will of God and his purpose, we will
experience numerous blessings. For we are among the “noble and great ones”
spoken of by The Lord when describing to Abraham the creation of man. Spiritual
service is among our many roles we will carry-out during our time on this
earth. Spoke King Benjamin, “And behold, I tell you these things that ye may
learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in
the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of
your God.” Service to God requires that we get out of our comfort zone, gain
favor with man or in other words develop ourselves socially, so that we may
move the work forward. “Remember the worth of souls is
great in the sight of God” (D&C 18:10). “For behold the field is
white already to harvest” (D&C 4:4).
In
conclusion, the requirements for discipleship are relatively simple. We must
strive to become the manner of man that Christ is through developing ourselves
mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. Therefore, through continual
personal growth we will be able to invite all others to come unto Christ. “By
their fruits ye shall know them.” It is critical that we set an example even as
our Savior did throughout his life. Through being a disciple of Jesus Christ we
can live again with our Father in Heaven in the celestial kingdom with our
family for eternity. Nothing is more beautiful than the gift of eternal life.
Testimony
