A Christlike Attribute

I spoke at church today.  I attend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  It is part of our routine for members of the congregation to be invited to speak and provided with a general topic.  The following text is the t talk I gave today.

In Matt. 11:29 the Savior says “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls”.

My assignment is to speak about a Christlike attribute and given Elder Bednar’s talk from the April General Conference Titled Meek and Lowly of Heart. So, it seems that of the many attributes the Savior exemplified, meekness is today’s topic.  It might possibly top the list. 

So, what is meekness?  A world view might equate meekness with weakness, or lack of confidence.  It might be thought of as apathy. He entreated us to “take his yoke upon ourselves”.  This imagery intrigues me.  A yoke is a beam of wood carved to fit across the shoulders of two beasts of burden – usually oxen or possibly horses. It binds the two animals together.  Are we to think of ourselves as beasts of burden?  Are we to see the Savior’s “yoke” as something to bind us and restrain us?  What else does a yoke do?  I looked it up.  Individually an ox can pull its own weight between 1500 and 3000 pounds.  Two oxen yoked together who work in tandem can pull up to 13000 pounds.  So, with the Savior as my yokemate I can manage tasks that would otherwise be insurmountable. 

He also says “take up my yoke and learn of me”.  An inexperienced ox yoked to an experienced one will learn from that guidance and association.  A weak animal can be strengthened by being yoked to a strong one.  If you think about it, can you think of a more humbling, sacred, experience than to be bound in such a way that you walk side by side with Jesus Christ?

So, again, what is meekness?  It is being willing to do the work without insisting that I have the control.  It is working beside the Lord or any of his servants in a spirit of cooperation.  Picture what happens if you yoke two mules together and they each want to drive the wagon.

Elder Bednar said that meekness is characterized by: 1) righteous responsiveness, 2) willing submissiveness, and 3) strong self restraint.  Elder Bednar relates the following story from the Book of Mormon.  Moroni was the captain of the Nephite armies who were besieged.  He wrote multiple letters home – to Pahoran asking/pleading for support for his troops but the support does not come.  Finally, in frustration he sends a letter to Pahoran condemning him and the other government leaders as slothful, neglectful, and uncaring.  Promising dire retribution from the Lord.

It turned out that Pahoran had been forced to flee into the land of Gideon taking as many men as he could, leaving Zarahemla under Lamanite occupation.  Pahoran was not in any position to assist Moroni’s army.  I can just picture Pahoran in temporary living quarters, possibly wounded, surely having lost nearly everything including people he cared about, receiving this letter of censure.  If it were me, I’m afraid my temper would get the better of me.  But Pahoran says this:

Alma 62:9 And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart. I, Pahoran, do not seek for power, save only to retain my judgment-seat that I may preserve the rights and the liberty of my people. My soul standeth fast in that liberty in the which God hath made us free.

Let’s check his response for meekness:

1.      Righteous responsiveness – does he tell Moroni to take a long walk off a short pier?  In fact, it seems pretty righteous to me that he was able to respond at all.” No, Pahoran “rejoices” in Moroni’s “greatness of heart”.  He doesn’t think "I will just forgive him for all his faults", he sees and recognizes Moroni’s strength.  He takes the time and has the wisdom to know where the passionate pleas were coming from.  It is easy to dismiss people when they are in the wrong and go off feeling smug that you were the right one.  It is far more difficult to recognize and empathize with a person’s intent even when they are wrong.

2.     Willing submissiveness – Pahoran isn’t lamenting his loss of status or power.  He doesn’t “seek for power” just to be able to protect and serve his people.

3.     Strong self restraint – well, nuff said.  I think that one speaks for itself.

Jesus referred to himself as “lowly of heart”.  Sometimes the language in the scriptures just confuses the heck out of me.  Why on earth would I want to be “lowly of heart” And just what does that mean anyway.

In a general conference talk from 2007, Bruce D. Porter of the Seventy said of being lowly of heart: “Those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit are willing to do anything and everything that God asks of them.” I contend that to be “lowly of heart” is to be humble and teachable.  I’m a teacher.  It is my job to teach those students who react to the world with anger and distrust.  Many of my students don’t believe in themselves or anyone else.  It is a kind of hopeless, helpless pride that destroys all efforts at learning and the only way to get past it is to firmly and lovingly gain control of the student’s environment to make it an undeniably safe place.  It would be fair to say that the metaphor of the yoke applies once again.  I need to be that student’s partner, guide and advocate so that they can be safe enough to let their broken hearts show.  Then the contrite spirit follows and the learning begins.

Preach my Gospel

Humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord and to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished. It includes gratitude for His blessings and acknowledgment of your constant need for His divine help. Humility is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of spiritual strength. When you humbly trust Him and acknowledge His power and mercy, you can have the assurance that His commandments are for your good. You are confident that you can do whatever the Lord requires of you if you rely on Him. You are also willing to trust His chosen servants and follow their counsel. Humility will help you as you strive to be obedient, to work hard, and to serve selflessly.

Okay, if we take up his yoke and are meek and humble what then?  I love the way the Savior always gives a promise along with his admonition.  If we follow the word of wisdom we will be able to “run and not be weary and walk and not faint.”  If we “do always remember him” we will “have his spirit to be with us” And, as the quote says, if we take up his yoke, in a spirit of meekness and humility, we “shall find rest unto our souls”.  Hmm.  Do I want “rest unto my soul?”  and when does that happen?  Is it a description of my eternal reward after death or is it a promise for some time sooner? 

President Joseph F. Smith said: “To my mind, it means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in his purpose and in his plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else, we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by the cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive. We know of the doctrine that it is of God, and we do not ask any questions of anybody about it; they are welcome to their opinions, to their ideas and to their vagaries. The man who has reached that degree of faith in God that all doubt and fear have been cast from him, he has entered into ‘God’s rest’”

See, my theory on the plan of salvation is that this earth is a training ground.  We are here to learn the skills (or attributes) of the Savior and become like him and each time we gain one of those skills we also reap the benefits from those skills immediately.  If we gain and become adept at approaching life’s challenges in meekness we will be comforted and calm in the face of them.  Sometimes the Lord calms the sea but sometimes he calms the sailor.  I couldn’t find where that quote came from but I may have to have it tattooed somewhere to remind me to partake of God’s rest.

In closing, I bear witness the Savior knows about and cares about all of our challenges.  He wants to guide us, he has invited us to walk beside Him to learn his methods and feel his love.