“Meekness is one of the attributes of Deity. Instructively, Jesus, our Lord and exemplar, called attention to Himself as being “meek and lowly in heart.” (Matt. 11:29.) Paul extolled the “meekness and gentleness of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:1.) The Greek rendition of the word meek in the New Testament, by the way, is “gentle and humble.” Actually, meekness is not an attribute which is essential only in itself, said Moroni. It is also vital because one cannot develop those other crucial virtues-faith, hope, and charity-without meekness. In the ecology of the eternal attributes, these cardinal characteristics are inextricably bound up together. Among them, meekness is often the initiator, facilitator, and consolidator. In fact, if one needs any further persuasion as to how vital this virtue is, Moroni warned, “none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart.” (Moro. 7:43-44.) If we could but believe, really believe, in the reality of that bold but accurate declaration, you and I would find ourselves focusing on the crucial rather than the marginal tasks in life! We would then cease pursuing lifestyles which, inevitably and irrevocably, are going out of style! There would be little reason for speaking to you of meekness if you were not serious candidates for the celestial kingdom. You live in coarsening times, times in which meekness is both misunderstood and even despised. Yet meekness has been, is, and will remain a nonnegotiable dimension of true discipleship-a remarkable achievement, but especially in this age. Furthermore, whether you realize it or not, you are a generation drenched in destiny. If you are faithful, you may be a part of some of the winding up scenes for this world, and as participants, not mere spectators, though on later occasions you might prefer to be the latter. Even so, why the stress on meekness? Merely because it is nice to be nice? The reasons are far more deeply imbedded in the “plan of happiness” than that! God, who has seen billions of spirits pass through His plan of salvation, has told us to be meek in order to enhance our enjoyment of life and our mortal education. Will we be meek and listen to Him? Or will we be like the Gadarene swine, that pathetic example of totus porcus-going whole hog after the trends of the moment? Perhaps, brothers and sisters, what we brought with us as intelligence into our creation as spirit children constitutes a “given” within which even God must work. Add to that possibility the clear reality of God’s deep commitment to our free agency-and we begin to see how essential meekness is! We need to learn so much, and yet we are free to choose! (See 2 Ne. 2:27.) How crucial it is to be teachable! There “is no other way” in which God could do what He has declared it is His intent to do. No wonder He and His prophets emphasize meekness time and time again! Since God desired to have us become like Himself, He first had to make us free to learn and to experience; hence, our humility and teachability are premiere determinants of our progress and our happiness. Agency is essential to perfectibility, and meekness is essential to the wise use of agency-and to our recovery when we have misused our agency.” Neal A. Maxwell, “Meekness-A Dimension of True Discipleship,” Ensign, Mar 1983, 70 classic.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=3e34744047e7c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
Posted on: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:17:50 +0000
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