Becoming Like Christ

What is the point in reading the Book of Mormon? It’s long. There are a bunch of people with strange names. It doesn't have a happy ending. So why read it?

The title of the book has the answer – The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the reason we read it. Through the Book of Mormon, we can learn of Christ and his teachings. But we must do more than just read of Christ; we must emulate him. Christ is the way to eternal perfection. As we emulate Christ, we become like Christ, perfect and holy.

Moroni, in some of his closing words to us, summarized what Christ did, and what we must do. Moroni did this by describing charity. Today, we may think of charity as giving money, or donating time. These are consequences of charity, but charity is something more. As Moroni explains, “Charity is the pure love of Christ…” (Moroni 7:47). There was only one true example of charity, and that was Jesus Christ. As before, the best we can do is emulate him. But, as we emulate and become more like Christ, does this not involve coming to possess some of that pure love of Christ? Indeed, it does.

Lucky for us, Moroni also supplied us with a quick blueprint of this charity:

“And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (Moroni 7:45).

Just as we could easily replace the word “charity” with “Christ” in this verse, we should one day hope to replace “charity” with our own name. And then, as Moroni points out, “Whoso is found possessed of it (charity) at the last day, it shall be well with him” (Moroni 7:47).

The Book of Mormon may not have a happy ending for the Nephite nation, but it was never intended to be just a story of them. It was also a story of us. And with that ending, we have full control.

Trial of Our Faith

Faith is an incredible thing. During his ministry on earth, Christ promised “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove” (Mattew 17:20). In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Moroni explains “Yea, and even all they who wrought miracles wrought them by faith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after” (Ether 12:16). But what is faith exactly?

As the prophet Moroni additionally explained, “And now I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). In this, Moroni points out two important principles: one that faith is a hope for things not seen, and two, our faith and hope is not confirmed until after it has been tested.

Faith need not start out big. In fact, it can start as a tentative hope. As mentioned earlier, an important principle that Moroni points out though, is that our faith must then be tested. It is through this testing that our faith can consequently grow. For example, we may start out with a tentative hope that there is a God. If we give up that hope after one day because God didn’t show himself to us, well, we did not develop much faith. But each day we continue in that hope that there is a God, even though we can’t see him, our faith, out of necessity, grows stronger and stronger. Through trials, whether they simply be one more day without a heavenly manifestation, or a tragic, life-altering event, our faith is tested. Each time we refuse to let it go however, it grows stronger as well.

Thankfully, in this we are not left entirely alone. We may not see Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ face-to-face in this life, but there is a third member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost, which provides us with a witness in our minds and hearts that our faith is in something true.  Eventually one day though, we will stand before our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ, and then we will no longer possess faith, but knowledge.

Until then, we must decide whether or not we will continue to build our faith. We must do this with the understanding that trials of our faith must come before the witness, and the eventual undeniable confirmation, of that which we hope for. 

For Our Day

“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing” (Mormon 8:35).

There is a reason The Book of Mormon is so powerful and important – it was written for today. While the above verse was written my Moroni, the son of Mormon and the last prophet to write in The Book of Mormon, he was not the only one with that knowledge. In fact, as Mormon was abridging all of the Nephite records and selecting parts to make up The Book of Mormon, he did it with us in mind.

It should come as no surprise then that so much of it is applicable and relatable. Mormon and Moroni knew us, and knew what we needed to hear. For example, in a time when so few know or understand the Plan of Salvation, it is explained multiple times in The Book of Mormon.  Additionally, in an age when the very existence of Jesus Christ is doubted, he is taught and testified of repeatedly in The Book of Mormon. In fact, one of the greatest ways for a person to gain their own testimony of Jesus Christ is to sincerely read The Book of Mormon.

Personally, I enjoy The Book of Mormon because it is easy to understand, and yet something new can be constantly learned from it. Moroni’s words bring great comfort to me as well, because they serve as proof that God still loves and cares for us today, so much so that he preserved an entire work of scripture specifically for our day.

On Values and Consequences

The following two passages from The Book of Mormon are taken from times of war, and describe the efforts of a top military official. Let’s do a comparison:

1. “And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it – In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children – and he fastened it upon the end of a pole… And it came to pass that when Moroni had proclaimed these words, behold, the people came running together with their armor girded about their loins…” (Alma 46:12, 21). 
2. "And it came to pass that I [Mormon] did speak unto my people, and did urge them with great energy, that they would stand boldly before the Lamanites and fight for their wives, and their children, and their houses, and their homes. And my words did arouse them somewhat to vigor, insomuch that they did not flee from before the Lamanites…” (Mormon 2:23-24).

In case you missed it, there are two main differences: that for which the people where to fight for, and the ensuing enthusiasm for the fight. What we have with this comparison then, is an interesting look at values and consequences.

When Moroni inspired his people, he used a specific order of things, and the best way to describe this order is to use the domino theory. When people lose their God, they lose their religion. Moroni suggests that subsequently they would lose their freedom, then their peace, then their wives, and lastly their children. But do we have proof of that? In fact, we do – just look at Mormon’s people.

In the second passage, Mormon starts with wives and children, not because he was less inspiring than Moroni, but because the people he was working with were in a very different situation. They had given up their God, and subsequently their religion. Without this, they had been through numerous wars in which they lost/ gave up their freedom and their peace, and now all they had left were their wives and children. In no doubt a desperate effort, Mormon threw in houses and homes for the people to fight for.

The importance of these values can be seen in the people’s response to the charge; the people of Moroni came running to him, “armor girded” ready to fight to the death. The people of Mormon? He simply stopped them from hightailing it from the Lamanites. Yes they fought, probably for their wives and children, but with much less enthusiasm than the people of Moroni.

More convincingly, the importance of these values is revealed by the aftermath of the two situations. The people of Moroni came together, and soundly defeated the Lamanites. The people of Mormon were utterly destroyed; men, women, children, everyone. In fact, not fifty years after Mormon’s charge the Nephite nation – a nation that had been in existence for almost 1000 years – was extinct.  

The people of Moroni valued God first, and as such He watched over and protected them; all other values were protected as well. When the people of Mormon rejected God, they lost that protection and everything consequently crumbled.

And for us?

The moral of the story is clear: first and foremost, we must value God. 

Will a Man Rob God?

While among the Nephites, Christ repeats to them a teaching found in the Old Testament book of Malachi: “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say: Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings” (Malachi 3:18; 3 Nephi 24:8).

But what is a tithe, and why have we robbed God if we don’t pay it?

A tithe simply denotes a tenth part. For instance, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we are asked to pay a 10% tithe on all our “increase.” In modern days these tithes are used to further God’s work, such as building chapels and temples. But why does failing to pay this tithe equal robbing God?

Imagine you have a very wealthy friend with multiple homes. Now imagine this very wealthy friend allows you to stay in one of his fully furnished homes, with full access to everything within it. This becomes a comfortable arrangement, until one day your friend asks to borrow a screwdriver – his screwdriver – that is at the home you’re staying at. You happen to be in the middle of a very important bathroom renovation project, and so you deny him the screwdriver. However, the screwdriver is rightfully his, and he technically does not even need to ask for permission; have you not now robbed your friend? God is the Creator of Heaven and Earth; everything is rightfully His. When God asks for just a tenth of what we happen to be earning – all of which is his already – and we deny him, we rob God.

But why does God even need anything if everything is already his? The answer may be that we need it more than him. So often we forget whose house we happen to be living in, and our tithes act as ways to remember, and thank our God. A true thank you will also consist of something dear to us, like a screwdriver we happen to really need at the moment. In this way we let God know that we love Him more than we love whatever it is we are giving up. God is not ungrateful either; often that screwdriver was simply needed to finish off a deluxe tool kit – a gift to finish the renovation.

Indeed, God has promised, “Bring ye all the tithes…and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10; 3 Nephi 24:10).

To Teach and To Learn

As mentioned in previous posts, Christ spent some time among the Nephites after his resurrection, teaching and healing the people. One evening, after a long day of teaching, Christ spoke these words:

“I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time. Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again” (3 Nephi 17: 2-3).

There are two principles I would like to pull from these verses. The first is found in verse two, when Christ “perceives [the people] are weak” and stops his lesson for the day. Christ was in tune with his audience, and understood when they needed a break. This is a great example for us, in any teaching we may do. We must understand that first and foremost, we are teaching people. People are weak, and people are flawed. We may not understand things right away, and we get tired. As a teacher, we must be conscious of those we are trying to teach, or we may find our lessons ineffective. For this kind of teaching, patience is necessary.

I want to quickly make clear that I do not specifically meaning religious teaching. Any kind of effective teaching requires patience, and attention to the learner. Imagine trying to teach children to be responsible by outlining every single thing they must do in one blow, and leaving them to it. Would the children change their behavior? No. They would probably shut down and tune your voice out entirely.

Which brings me to my next principle, this time on the part of the learner: learning takes time. For example, it takes years for a person to learn and develop how to be responsible. For this principle I would like to focus specifically on spiritual things however.

Christ instructed the people to go home, ponder, pray, and prepare for Spiritual guidance. This is a blueprint on how we can gain our own personal knowledge and instruction on spiritual things. To go home is to remove oneself from the crowds and distractions of the world. Pondering involves highlighting a specific area of interest, and then using the powers of intelligence we have been given to try to come to our own conclusions. Or in other words, we must put forth some of our own effort. Then, through prayer, we involve our Heavenly Father as we converse with him. After prayer we cannot just shut down though, and expect to be hit in the face with answers and knowledge. We must prepare our minds for the Spirit to edify and enlighten us (as we cannot be taught directly from Jesus Christ like the Nephites).

All of this learning takes time, and is a constant process. We cannot expect to become enlightened immediately, nor can we assume we know everything after one experience with this process. For me, I know I am still learning how the process even fully works. In a world where instant gratification is becoming easier and easier, a slow process such as Christ outlines can be frustrating; but I guess that means we should start it as soon as possible. 

One by One

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Just as Christ taught the people in Jerusalem, there is a record, found in Third Nephi of The Book of Mormon, about Christ coming down and teaching among the Nephites. These people had eagerly anticipated His arrival, but were not visited until after he had completed his mission on the earth, and been resurrected and reunited with the Father.  Once with them, however, he spent a great deal of time teaching and healing them individually. For example, soon after Christ descends among them, it is recorded that,

“And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come” (3 Nephi 11:15).

This demonstrates the incredible love and patience Christ has for us individually. It is simple enough, and I know I have done this for years, to quickly read over the part that mentions a multitude going up to Christ one by one. That must have taken hours, and yet Christ took the time for each and every person to discover for themselves that he was the Messiah.  

This experience also highlights the individualism of the Atonement. Those prints in his hands and feet, and that wound in his side, where physical markers of the Atonement he performed. He could have just showed everyone the marks at once, but instead Christ let everyone have their own personal experience. It was also up to the people to go up to Christ to feel the marks. In this way, we must come unto Christ before the full potential of the Atonement can be felt in our lives. We must face the pains he bore for us.

The Atonement is real, and individual. Christ suffered, so that we don’t have to. He is patient, and eager to heal our wounds, if we will only go to him. 

As a Little Child

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While Christ was in Jerusalem, he once told the people “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16). Some of these other sheep were the Nephites and Lamanites in the Americas, as recorded in the book of Third Nephi of The Book of Mormon. While there he, among other things, taught and counseled. Even before he visited the people in person, his voice was heard testifying of the fulfillment of his earthly mission and issuing a call to repentance. During this time Christ stated:

“Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved” (3 Nephi 9:22).

Being some of his first counsel, it stands to reason Christ considers becoming like little children to be very important. In fact, the plea to become as little children is often repeated by Christ during his ministry in Jerusalem and the Americas. But what is it about being like little children that is so important?

First off, Christ asks us to be child-like, not childish. So if we were to strip children of the childish qualities that are simply the result of still developing minds, what are we left with? Curious, happy, loving, forgiving, and humble individuals. For example, how long does a child hold a grudge? How often does a child ask innumerable questions? How many children pick flowers for their parents, just hoping they’ll love them? Little children are humble and teachable. They want to please. They are innocent. Perhaps most important, they look to their parents, always.

We are children of a Heavenly Father who wants nothing more than to love and teach us. He wants us to turn to him in all things. To be compared to a little child is not an insult; it is a saving quality. 

We Need Not Fear

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In the latter half of The Book of Mormon there is a group of people known as the Gadianton robbers, who plague the Nephites and Lamanites almost incessantly. By the beginning of the book known as Third Nephi, the Gadianton robbers had increased greatly in size due to desertions from the Nephite nation. Holed up in the mountainous wilderness, they would repeatedly pester the Nephites down below. Eventually their leader, Giddianhi, decided it was time he took everything the Nephites had, so he sent a letter to the leader of the Nephites, Lachoneus, ordering Lachoneus to surrender or “I swear unto you with an oath, that on the morrow month I will command that my armies shall come down against you, and they shall not stay their hand and shall spare not, but shall slay you, and shall let fall the sword upon you even until ye shall become extinct” (3 Nephi 3: 8). For many people, fear would be the normal reaction. Not Lachoneus though; no, “this Lachoneus, the governor, was a just man, and could not be frightened by the demands and the threatenings of a robber; therefore he did not hearken to the epistle of Giddianhi, the governor of the robbers, but he did cause that his people should cry unto the Lord for strength against the time that the robbers should come down against them” (3 Nephi 3: 12).

Lachoneus understood that God was entirely more powerful than any force Giddianhi could have mustered. In a way he was like Elisha, when Elisha reminded his servant to “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6: 16). Lachoneus was not irrational, and understood he needed to make preparations for Giddianhi’s assault. For this reason, all the Nephites were gathered together into one defendable body, and when Giddianhi did attack, they were ready. The battle was not easy, but with God’s help, the Nephites prevailed.

So that is all fine and dandy, but what does this mean for us? While not entirely impossible, odds are we will not have a band of robbers threatening us with extinction. The world is a pretty crazy place though. Every day there seems to be a new kidnapping or shooting, North Korea recently tested a nuclear bomb, there is still a lot of instability in the Middle East, yesterday an asteroid capable of obliterating an entire city missed Earth by 15 minutes, and today a meteorite passed into the atmosphere creating a sonic boom that shattered glass and injured a thousand people or so. Additionally societal values appear to be constantly shifting, long held truths are being questioned, religion is becoming old-fashioned, people are confused, and life is generally unfair. By many standards we have every right to be afraid.

Don’t be.

Our Heavenly Father is in control, believe it or not (believe it). He is in control, and he has assured us that when we remain on his side, we will be okay. Even as the world around us implodes, we can trust in the stability and hope that our Heavenly Father and his plan brings. This is not to say we can take no thought for ourselves, but when we do our part like Lachoneus did, and then “cry unto the Lord for strength” (3 Nephi 3: 12), he will protect us. We may still experience trials like the Nephites did (they were not completely spared in the battle), but the end result – the part after we leave this Earth – that is the part where all will be okay. In that, God has guaranteed. 

How to Beat the Pride Cycle

There exists a concept, known as the Pride Cycle, that outlines a common behavior among people. At the top of this cycle, we start with “prosperity.” As prosperity continues, it turns into “pride,” which will lead to “sin.” Sin leads to “destruction,” destruction to “sorrow,” and sorrow to “humility.” Humility leads one to “repentance,” repentance brings “blessings,” and blessings turn into “prosperity” once again, at which point we continue the cycle. To gain a better understanding of this cycle, one need only look in the book of Helaman found in The Book of Mormon, where the pride cycle spins so quickly among the people of Nephi that it would be comical if it were not so sad and disheartening.

But for the pride cycle to be of any worth, we must look at it within our own lives. How easy is it for us to forget our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ when things are going well? Unfortunately, it can be too easy to focus entirely on our contribution to such success; this can lead to pride, and you know the rest from there. When I was younger, I used to look at the cycle and mourn the fact that I was doomed to destruction before I could return to the prosperity part. Well guess what? It doesn't have to be that way. The pride cycle, as it turns out, has a short cut that leads straight from “prosperity” to “humility.” When we remember to acknowledge our Heavenly Father’s large contribution to our prosperity, and are humbled by it, we can skip the entire ugly half of the cycle. This type of life is not easy, but it is the one we must work at if we desire to stand worthily in the presence of God someday.

Unfortunately there must be opposition in all things, and as it turns out there exists a short cut from “sorrow” to “pride” as well. I cannot imagine how painful it must be to become stuck on this sort of cycle. I would never want to end on a bad note however, so I will let you in on a little piece of information: you can stop circling the bad end of the cycle any time you like; just stop where you are, and cut straight to humility. When pride starts to creep into your life, don’t let it continue – cut straight to humility and avoid the sin, destruction, and sorrow.

If this option seems too good, too merciful, it’s probably because it is. But that is the way our Heavenly Father works. He loves every one of his children with more love than any of us can comprehend, so much so that he sent his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to complete what we call the Atonement, that we might stand a chance of being like our Heavenly Father one day. Now that is a reason for humility. 

Not Taking Offense

In around the year 62 B.C. there was a great war raging between two nations of peoples, the Nephites and the Lamanites. The military commander of the Nephites was a man named Moroni, and the civil leader a man named Pahoran. This Moroni had suffered a great deal of hardship during the war, and needed more provisions and men; however, every time he asked his civil leader Pahoran for them, none came. Eventually, Moroni became fed up, and sent a very strongly worded letter to Pahoran which contained, among other things, these words:

“Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you?” (Alma 60:7)

“Behold, could you suppose that ye could sit upon your thrones, and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and he would deliver you? Behold, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain…and behold, it is to your condemnation” (Alma 60:11-12).

These would be rough words for anyone to hear, but as it turns out, Pahoran had not been sitting on his throne in a “thoughtless stupor.” In fact, an insurrection had occurred in which Lamanite sympathizers had taken over the government, and Pahoran was currently trying to gather people to retake the government. Consequently, Pahoran had every right to become offended by Moroni’s harsh language, and send a response to the effect of, “I’m trying my best Moroni, and I’m actually in a tough situation, and I would appreciate it if you tried to understand the situation before you judged me so harshly.” At least, that would probably have been my reaction. Pahoran’s actual response, however, is the second best example of not being offended.

“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” (Alma 61:9).

This response has always impressed me, because of the understanding Pahoran shows. Not only is he not mad that Moroni insulted him, but he is happy that Moroni cares so much for the people that he is willing to go against a corrupt government. I think this is a great example for all of us. When we try to understand the intentions of others, I think we may find it easier to not take offense at those things that were said or done against us.

Even if these offensive things were done with the meanest of intentions, I think we can look to the number one example of not being offended – Jesus Christ – when, during the crucifixion process he pleaded “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Because honestly, I think none of us understands exactly what it is that we are doing when we hurt one another. Not taking offense though, is the best path to building that understanding. 

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To Be Like Moroni

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"Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."  Alma 48:17

Wow...what a recommendation. So how can we be like Moroni? First we'll have to look at who Moroni was.

First, he was the Chief Captain, or Commander in Chief, of all the Nephite armies. He was also very young, being only twenty-five years old when he was made Chief Captain. He was also described as "a strong and mighty man," with a "perfect understanding," who "did not delight in bloodshed," but "whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country." (Alma 48: 11) He was also grateful to God, and "firm in the faith of Christ" (Alma 48: 12-13).

Being young and the commander of a large fighting force are a bit out of our control, and possibly even being strong and mighty, but the rest we can emulate. I do not claim to be an expert, but in my own personal experience I have found that as I make an effort to read the scriptures, discuss gospel principles, and pray to my Heavenly Father, my understanding of His plan for me increases. My understanding is not perfect, but I am certainly not confused.

As for delighting in bloodshed, I don't think many of us struggle with that problem. However, to a lesser degree, how many of us find satisfaction in occasionally causing pain? For example, when I feel someone has wronged me, I enjoy seeing them punished. The thing is, we need to delight in mercy, not justice. Justice is something we all have to bear, and which will come in its own due time; mercy, though, is our gift to extend.

Gratitude, interestingly enough, has been strongly correlated with happiness. Gratitude is also something that can be achieved through simple steps, which will allow it to become deeper and stronger as time goes by. For me, simply reflecting on my day before I go to bed helps me to feel gratitude for my Savior. I have also found that as I express gratitude to those people around me, it becomes easier for me to remember and express gratitude to God. This is not to say I am perfect in my gratitude, but I try.

Lastly, Moroni was described as "firm in the faith of Christ." This is something we all must come to achieve on our own, but I think the previous attributes all help to establish this firm faith. As for me, I am firm in my faith in Christ. I do not understand everything, but I know that my Savior lives. I know that He came to this earth, and accomplished the Atonement that I may have the opportunity return to live with my Heavenly Father. I know that I must be held accountable to justice, but that Christ delights in mercy, and has extended it to me.

My hope is that we all may come to know this as well, and that one day, perhaps, we all can be described as "like unto Moroni." Then, together, we can shake the very powers of hell. Now that would be cool.