Back in December, Kevin and I spoke in church. Here's the meat of my talk (my introduction was a little long since I had to remind them all about the time I cracked an [empty] egg on the pulpit when I was 13).
I have thought a lot about the topic of establishing Zion in our families and ward, and I believe that we begin by establishing Zion in our own hearts. As Sister Reyna I. Aburto said in her talk “With One Accord”:
“Even though we may not have seen our Savior with our physical eyes, we can know that He lives. As we draw closer to Him ... the love of God will dwell in our hearts; we will have the determination to be one in the kaleidoscopes of our families, wards, and communities; and we will minister to each other “in newer, better ways.””
Thus, establishing Zion in families and wards is first a matter of repenting and becoming more Christlike.
But how do we do that?
There are many Christlike attributes that we can develop, and I noticed several of them in a verse about the people of Enoch in Moses 7:
For the remainder of my talk I will speak about the Christlike attributes found in this verse and how they can help us establish Zion.
The first attribute mentioned is to be of one heart, which means to have love for each other. In her recent BYU devotional, Carolina Nunez suggested that love comes from truly making space for each other in our hearts rather than staying at arms-length. “We follow the good Samaritan’s example not by abstractly loving from afar but by truly connecting and spending time with each other, by genuinely giving of ourselves. This is not always easy: getting close often involves sacrifice and discomfort. It can be awkward, time consuming, and emotionally draining. Surely the Samaritan had other plans for his day, but he stopped to love someone who needed him.”
We can develop this kind of love as we study the Savior’s life and truly desire to be like Him. We can also learn from His many disciples throughout the world who exemplify this kind of love.
I think of the example given by the Latter-Day-Saint instructor and filmmaker Margaret Blair Young: “If someone is sad in the Congo, friends instantly rally. I have seen large groups of people sleeping on the floor of a person who just lost a spouse.”
I think of the years I lived thousands of miles away from family and felt the strength of my ward and neighbors during times of sadness. I think of how we would let each other into our homes and into our lives and always leave feeling nourished by the love we felt for each other. Even years later, when I think of these experiences together I still feel the sentiment penned by E.E. Cummings: “I carry your heart in my heart.”
There are countless other examples of being of one heart, and all of them are possible because of the love of Jesus Christ. It is His Atonement that allows us to feel transcendent feelings of unity, of being of one heart, because when we are one with Him, we can be one with each other. As the Savior taught in Doctrine and Covenants 6:32: “ where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you.”
We have busy schedules. Many of us are sandwiched between the needs of children and parents, between jobs and volunteer work, between health challenges and financial challenges. But I know that it is possible even in our busyness to draw closer to our Savior and let His love connect us with all of His children. Then we can truly be of one heart.
The next characteristic the people of Enoch had was that they were of one mind. I learned about being of one mind early in marriage.
Kevin and I met in the same major, and we would often have classes together. It was nice to have a built-in lab partner, but I confess that sometimes we would argue about our projects. We would disagree about how to code things up, how to approach math problems, things like that. As we would sit there bickering in the computer lab, I can only imagine other people in the lab thinking, “Oh brother. Here they go again. Those Moons.”
But the same thing would always happen. We would argue, shoot down ideas, try out all of the approaches we had suggested, and then . . . we would get to the right answer! What might have appeared as a nasty marital spat was just us wanting to get the right answer. And once we got it, it didn’t matter who was right or wrong. The point was that we had reached the truth together. We would then happily go home to eat dinner, laughing about the latest drama we had accidentally broadcast to the other engineers in the room.
I learned something from that experience. Being one in mind doesn’t mean that you automatically agree with anybody, even your brilliant husband. It means that you are one in purpose.
Christ forcefully taught “Contention is of the devil” when He visited the Nephites. But I don’t think we have to automatically assume any kind of difference is merely a desire to be contentious. As long as we keep love of God and love of all men at the forefront, the Holy Ghost will be able to speak to us and we will be able to build Zion together.
The key, of course, is to keep our hearts knit in unity. I have seen the difficulties that arise when people turn disagreements into evidence that the other person is systemically stubborn, selfish, or downright terrible. In these scenarios, complicated problems are made even harder because the Holy Ghost has left and is replaced by an icy emptiness.
A better approach is given in Elder Joni Koch’s talk “Apart But Still One”:
Elder Koch’s father understood and lived the Christlike principles of humility and forgiveness. Because of his commitment to the gospel, his family was blessed for generations to come.
How do we follow his example and learn to not let our differences divide us? I have learned that one crucial Christlike attribute is to see others how Christ sees them as beloved children of God. This also means we need to speak about others how Christ would speak about them. When we speak or act unkindly toward anyone, it is much harder to love them because we have already written a script for ourselves that justifies unkind behavior. If we instead show greater kindness towards those around us, praying for them and assuming the best in their intentions, we will find it easier to be of one mind and one purpose.
Elder Koch taught,
The next characteristic of the people of Enoch was that they dwelled in righteousness. I love the imagery of the word “dwell.” Righteous behavior was not just something they dabbled in occasionally. It was the basis for their lives. Jesus taught during the Last Supper to “abide in me, and I in you” (John 15:4), and these people had learned to do that.
We can do the same as we establish Zion in our own lives. As we live our lives with a real desire to abide in God’s love, our prayers, scripture study, temple and family history work, church attendance, and ministering efforts will not just be a laundry list of duties. They will be the keys to becoming like the Savior. They will keep our hearts aligned with Him and protect us from temptations toward selfishness. Without Jesus Christ at the center of our intentions, all of these outward signals of righteousness are like walls built on a home without a foundation, and they will not protect us. But with Jesus Christ at the center of our lives, what a beautiful spiritual home they frame!
The final Christlike attribute listed for the people of Enoch is that there were no poor among them. This means we need to develop generosity and compassion. And, as we contemplate Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us, our gratitude for His gift will lead us to want to serve and sacrifice as He did. As Sister Aburto said, “Miracles happen when the children of God work together guided by the Spirit to reach out to others in need.” We have seen these miracles all around the world with disaster relief and aiding refugees, but we can also see these miracles in our homes and families. With the help of the Holy Ghost, we can see those who are needy when it comes to friendship, when it comes to enduring health challenges, when it comes to feeling like a spiritual misfit. Jesus Christ knows all of those feelings, and He will help us succor each other.
Zion is not something we have to wait for the Millennium to achieve. It is something that we can build starting today in our own wards, families, and especially in our own lives. I testify that it is because of Jesus Christ that we can build it. As President Nelson said in this last conference,
“If we as a people and as individuals are to have access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ—to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us—we must clearly acknowledge Him as the source of that power.”
It is Christ’s love that replaces our selfishness with a desire to serve. It is His love that replaces fear with trust. And it is through Him that we can draw closer to God and build Zion together.
I have thought a lot about the topic of establishing Zion in our families and ward, and I believe that we begin by establishing Zion in our own hearts. As Sister Reyna I. Aburto said in her talk “With One Accord”:
“Even though we may not have seen our Savior with our physical eyes, we can know that He lives. As we draw closer to Him ... the love of God will dwell in our hearts; we will have the determination to be one in the kaleidoscopes of our families, wards, and communities; and we will minister to each other “in newer, better ways.””
In King Benjamin’s address to the Nephites, he makes similar promises. He teaches that if we repent and always remember God’s love for us, then
“ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due.
14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another . . .
15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.
16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need;”
Thus, establishing Zion in families and wards is first a matter of repenting and becoming more Christlike.
But how do we do that?
There are many Christlike attributes that we can develop, and I noticed several of them in a verse about the people of Enoch in Moses 7:
“And the Lord called his people ZION for they were of one heart and one mind and dwelt in righteousness, and there was no poor among them.”
For the remainder of my talk I will speak about the Christlike attributes found in this verse and how they can help us establish Zion.
The first attribute mentioned is to be of one heart, which means to have love for each other. In her recent BYU devotional, Carolina Nunez suggested that love comes from truly making space for each other in our hearts rather than staying at arms-length. “We follow the good Samaritan’s example not by abstractly loving from afar but by truly connecting and spending time with each other, by genuinely giving of ourselves. This is not always easy: getting close often involves sacrifice and discomfort. It can be awkward, time consuming, and emotionally draining. Surely the Samaritan had other plans for his day, but he stopped to love someone who needed him.”
We can develop this kind of love as we study the Savior’s life and truly desire to be like Him. We can also learn from His many disciples throughout the world who exemplify this kind of love.
I think of the example given by the Latter-Day-Saint instructor and filmmaker Margaret Blair Young: “If someone is sad in the Congo, friends instantly rally. I have seen large groups of people sleeping on the floor of a person who just lost a spouse.”
I think of the years I lived thousands of miles away from family and felt the strength of my ward and neighbors during times of sadness. I think of how we would let each other into our homes and into our lives and always leave feeling nourished by the love we felt for each other. Even years later, when I think of these experiences together I still feel the sentiment penned by E.E. Cummings: “I carry your heart in my heart.”
There are countless other examples of being of one heart, and all of them are possible because of the love of Jesus Christ. It is His Atonement that allows us to feel transcendent feelings of unity, of being of one heart, because when we are one with Him, we can be one with each other. As the Savior taught in Doctrine and Covenants 6:32: “ where two or three are gathered together in my name, as touching one thing, behold, there will I be in the midst of them—even so am I in the midst of you.”
We have busy schedules. Many of us are sandwiched between the needs of children and parents, between jobs and volunteer work, between health challenges and financial challenges. But I know that it is possible even in our busyness to draw closer to our Savior and let His love connect us with all of His children. Then we can truly be of one heart.
The next characteristic the people of Enoch had was that they were of one mind. I learned about being of one mind early in marriage.
Kevin and I met in the same major, and we would often have classes together. It was nice to have a built-in lab partner, but I confess that sometimes we would argue about our projects. We would disagree about how to code things up, how to approach math problems, things like that. As we would sit there bickering in the computer lab, I can only imagine other people in the lab thinking, “Oh brother. Here they go again. Those Moons.”
But the same thing would always happen. We would argue, shoot down ideas, try out all of the approaches we had suggested, and then . . . we would get to the right answer! What might have appeared as a nasty marital spat was just us wanting to get the right answer. And once we got it, it didn’t matter who was right or wrong. The point was that we had reached the truth together. We would then happily go home to eat dinner, laughing about the latest drama we had accidentally broadcast to the other engineers in the room.
I learned something from that experience. Being one in mind doesn’t mean that you automatically agree with anybody, even your brilliant husband. It means that you are one in purpose.
Christ forcefully taught “Contention is of the devil” when He visited the Nephites. But I don’t think we have to automatically assume any kind of difference is merely a desire to be contentious. As long as we keep love of God and love of all men at the forefront, the Holy Ghost will be able to speak to us and we will be able to build Zion together.
The key, of course, is to keep our hearts knit in unity. I have seen the difficulties that arise when people turn disagreements into evidence that the other person is systemically stubborn, selfish, or downright terrible. In these scenarios, complicated problems are made even harder because the Holy Ghost has left and is replaced by an icy emptiness.
A better approach is given in Elder Joni Koch’s talk “Apart But Still One”:
“The meetinghouse where my family attended church was to experience major remodeling. My father, who had previously presided over that unit for years, expressed his very strong opinion that this work should be done by a contractor and not by amateurs.
Not only was his opinion rejected, but we heard that he was severely and publicly rebuked on that occasion. One wondered what his reaction might be after this incident. Would he persist with his opinion and continue to oppose the decision already made?
My dad, decided to remain one with our fellow Saints. Some days later, when ward members were gathering to help in the construction, he “invited” our family to follow him to the meetinghouse, where we would make ourselves available to help in any way.”
Elder Koch’s father understood and lived the Christlike principles of humility and forgiveness. Because of his commitment to the gospel, his family was blessed for generations to come.
How do we follow his example and learn to not let our differences divide us? I have learned that one crucial Christlike attribute is to see others how Christ sees them as beloved children of God. This also means we need to speak about others how Christ would speak about them. When we speak or act unkindly toward anyone, it is much harder to love them because we have already written a script for ourselves that justifies unkind behavior. If we instead show greater kindness towards those around us, praying for them and assuming the best in their intentions, we will find it easier to be of one mind and one purpose.
Elder Koch taught,
Brothers and sisters, we have no right to portray anybody, including from our Church circle, as a badly finished product! Rather, our words about our fellow beings should reflect our belief in Jesus Christ and His Atonement and that, in Him and through Him, we can always change for the better!
The next characteristic of the people of Enoch was that they dwelled in righteousness. I love the imagery of the word “dwell.” Righteous behavior was not just something they dabbled in occasionally. It was the basis for their lives. Jesus taught during the Last Supper to “abide in me, and I in you” (John 15:4), and these people had learned to do that.
We can do the same as we establish Zion in our own lives. As we live our lives with a real desire to abide in God’s love, our prayers, scripture study, temple and family history work, church attendance, and ministering efforts will not just be a laundry list of duties. They will be the keys to becoming like the Savior. They will keep our hearts aligned with Him and protect us from temptations toward selfishness. Without Jesus Christ at the center of our intentions, all of these outward signals of righteousness are like walls built on a home without a foundation, and they will not protect us. But with Jesus Christ at the center of our lives, what a beautiful spiritual home they frame!
The final Christlike attribute listed for the people of Enoch is that there were no poor among them. This means we need to develop generosity and compassion. And, as we contemplate Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us, our gratitude for His gift will lead us to want to serve and sacrifice as He did. As Sister Aburto said, “Miracles happen when the children of God work together guided by the Spirit to reach out to others in need.” We have seen these miracles all around the world with disaster relief and aiding refugees, but we can also see these miracles in our homes and families. With the help of the Holy Ghost, we can see those who are needy when it comes to friendship, when it comes to enduring health challenges, when it comes to feeling like a spiritual misfit. Jesus Christ knows all of those feelings, and He will help us succor each other.
Zion is not something we have to wait for the Millennium to achieve. It is something that we can build starting today in our own wards, families, and especially in our own lives. I testify that it is because of Jesus Christ that we can build it. As President Nelson said in this last conference,
“If we as a people and as individuals are to have access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ—to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us—we must clearly acknowledge Him as the source of that power.”
It is Christ’s love that replaces our selfishness with a desire to serve. It is His love that replaces fear with trust. And it is through Him that we can draw closer to God and build Zion together.
Comments
Post a Comment