Examples of Humility

Today I had the chance to go out with the elders in Delaware. We met with a couple of new converts and an investigator. It was a very good experience for me. I went out with the elders last Sunday as well. Today, during our escapades, I was humbly reminded of the importance of doing the Lord's will. The people with whom we met today and last week have been great examples of humility and faith for me.

Nothing extraordinary or earth-shaking happened; they were simple acts - but they were in their own little ways life-changing. A recent convert last week felt that her 8-year-old son was too young to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, that he should wait until he's older. She also brought up a few "concerns" regarding the meetings on Sunday's. We could tell that those weren't real concerns, but that the real issue rested on that fact that she was getting caught up in the little things and not relying on her testimony that the Church is true. I felt inspired to share D&C 18:2-3¹ and we helped her realize that she knew the Church was true, and that being the case, the organization of the Church, as directed by the prophet and apostles, is how Christ wants the Church organized. It clicked with her and she understood. Later this past week she told the elders she knew that her son needed to receive the Holy Ghost, which he did today.

Another example is Bill, the investigator we visited today. He's an alcoholic, but he knows that it's wrong. He's working on quitting and prays for help in that area of his life. He trusts the elders and is a very humble man. I think he understands the importance of doing the Lord's will, and that is why he's searching for the truth. He's very willing to do what the elders ask him to do, which to me shows the faith he'll need to eventually get an answer from the Lord about the Church and what the elders are teaching him.

Finally, the lady we met tonight is a new convert. She recently became a ward missionary and is studying "Preach My Gospel"² to better understand missionary work. She loves sharing the gospel and is very meek and ready to do the Lord asks of her. I easily felt the Spirit as we sat with her.

I was definitely impressed as we met with these people. I had a greater appreciation and understanding of the importance of humility. It has caused me to reflect on my own life and see where I get caught up with things of the world. It was a nice reality check for me. That's one thing I love about the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: we can constantly be uplifted and strengthened by each other. By the examples of those around us can we be motivated and encouraged to improve our lives and grow closer to our Savior. As the Savior once said, "Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me."³


Footnotes:
1. D&C 18:2-3

^{"Behold, I have manifested unto you, by my Spirit in many instances, that the things which you have written are true; wherefore you know that they are true. And if you know that they are true, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that you rely upon the things which are written..."}

2. "Preach My Gospel". 2004 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
3. D&C 19:23

A Gospel of Understanding

This evening I've been thinking about M. Russell Ballard's book, "Our Search for Happiness,"¹ most particularly, about the purpose he states in the introduction, as to why he writes the book. He writes, "Consider for a moment the word understanding. It's a simple word, really - one that most of us use every day. But it means something that is quite remarkable. With understanding we can strengthen relationships, revitalize neighborhoods, unify nations, and even bring peace to a troubled world. Without it chaos, intolerance, hate, and war are often the result. In other words, misunderstanding."²

Okay, so maybe where I want to go isn't that extreme. However, the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of understanding; and that understanding comes by communication. Verbs such as "preach"³, "teach"⁴, "expound"⁵, "exhort"⁶, "testify"⁷ fill the holy scriptures. The Messiah has often given the invitation, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."⁸ It is by revelation that we may receive answers to prayers and come to know our Heavenly Father. These are all forms of communication, that we may better understand who we are, our relationship with our God, and our purpose here on earth.

So where do I want to go with all of this? I want to apply this principle to our everyday lives. Consider for a moment your best friend. Why do you have such a close relationship with that person? Why are you best friends? Perhaps it is because of the level of understanding you have for one another, which understanding comes by experiencing things together, as well as communicating with one another. There's a level of trust that is built when experiencing things together; and the greater the trust that is felt, the deeper the communication becomes, which increases the level of understanding. It's a beautiful thing!

I personally believe that marriages and families would be strengthened if husband and wife, brother and sister, would communicate more with each other. Of course, a couple of factors need to be kept in mind. First, it'd be well to focus on the good qualities of each other and care for each other; otherwise, the openness might actually be too brutal. Second, the other person needs to help create a comfortable atmosphere to communicate. No one wants to share how they feel to someone who really doesn't listen, or who will tear them down.

Stephen R. Covey does a really good job conveying the importance of communication and learning how to communicate to understand. In his book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" he explains a concept he calls "Seek first to understand, then to be understood". Within this concept he talks about how we need to listen empathically. He writes, "When I say empathic listening, I mean listening with intent to understand. I mean seeking first to understand, to really understand...Empathic (from empathy) listening gets inside another person's frame of reference. You look out through it, you see the world the way they see the world, you understand their paradigm, you understand how they feel."⁹

A lot of times I think we view communication as "What do I want to communicate? How can I get people to understand me?" It's often a selfish perspective that we have, even if we don't intend it to be. Perhaps, if we try changing our view of communication to "What does he/she want to communicate? How can I understand him/her?" then the level of understanding in our society would be much better.

Joseph Smith once explained, "And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there [in the celestial kingdom], only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy."¹⁰ Communication is a part of that sociality. If we can realize how powerful our communication can be, then we can use it to bless the lives of others and help each other make the progress necessary to grow and fill our future potential as children of God.

This life is all about relationships. May we all be willing to communicate with each other and seek to understand one other, so that we can strengthen the relationships we have and build new, everlasting ones.


References:
1. Ballard, R.M. "Our Search for Happiness". Salt Lake City, Utah. 2006, M. Russell Ballard.
2. Ballard, R.M. "Our Search for Happiness". Salt Lake City, Utah. 2006, M. Russell Ballard. Page 1.
3. Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 4:17
4. Deuteronomy 6:7; Matthew 4:23
5. Luke 24:27; Alma 18:39
6. 1 Timothy 6:2; D&C 19:37
7. John 3:11; Jacob 7:11
8. Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:10-11; 3 Nephi 14:7-8; D&C 4:7
9. Covey, S.R. "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change". New York. 1989 by Stephen R. Covey. Page 240.
10. D&C 130:2