Becoming Like Christ

                A couple of months ago I had the opportunity to visit with a man named Lynn from my hometown; in fact, we were in the same class in school.  While we visited, we spoke of a mutual acquaintance named Fran who had been my bishop in Alaska and then served in the mission field with Lynn.  During our conversation, Lynn made this statement:  “Fran is the most Christlike man I know,” and I agreed with him.  As I later pondered Lynn’s statement, I came to the conclusion that Lynn had given Fran the greatest compliment possible.  I am determined to live in such a way that acquaintances will think the same of me.

                I remember a time when Fran and I were attending an all-day Seminary meeting with lunch served.  We were standing in line waiting for our turn to get some food when someone dropped some of their food on the floor.  Fran immediately went to help and did so by cleaning the food off the floor and getting her some more food.  This is just one of many times that I observed Fran serving other people and doing so with a pleasant and loving attitude.  The reason this experience stands out so much in my mind is that my brain was still processing the idea of “maybe I should help” when I saw that Fran was already helping.  Service was just one of the many Christlike attributes that were a part of Fran.

                How do we become more like Christ?   During the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior commanded the people – and us – to become like our Father in Heaven.  “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).  The Joseph Smith Translation of this verse starts, “Ye are therefore commanded to be perfect….” (JST 5:50).  After the Savior was resurrected, He visited the inhabitants of ancient America and gave a similar commandment to them:  “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect” (Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 3 Nephi 12:48).

                We can assume from these scriptures that the Savior believes that each one of us has the capability to become perfect.  Common sense tells us that if we are trying to become perfect like the Savior, we can become more like Him by gaining the same attributes that He has.  What are His attributes, the character traits that we each need to gain in order to become more like Him?

                The Lord revealed some of those traits in Doctrine and Covenants 4.  This section contains the qualifications to “embark in the service of God,” all of which are Christlike characteristics.  “And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work.

                “Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence” (verses 5-6).

                The late Apostle Mark E.Peterson quoted the above scripture and then said, “These are the traits of character of the Lord Jesus Christ.  How earnestly do we try to build them into our own souls?

                “He commands us to become perfect, even as His Father in Heaven is perfect.  (See Matthew 5:48.)  Can perfection arise out of careless living?  Can we achieve perfection by imperfect means?  It is plain to see why the Lord is strict and why we must serve Him with all our heart, might, mind, and strength.  (See Doctrine and Covenants 4:2.)

                “It is no easy matter to live the gospel as we should.  But unless we do, we cannot receive the blessings.  It is no easy matter to become perfect in anything.  Perfection requires devotion, long-suffering, persistence, willingness to sacrifice, and constant concentration.  Imperfection can produce only further imperfection.

                “Could you sisters bake a good cake if you did not follow the recipe?  Could you brethren build a house or a highway, or make a clock, or send a man to the moon if you ignored the formula provided for such achievements?  Could you become a doctor if you did not follow the prescribed course in a medical school?  Could you become an engineer if you ignored the principles of engineering?

                “Then can we expect to achieve perfection like that of Almighty God if we fail to follow the course He lays out for us?”

                President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave some counsel on how to invite other people to come unto Christ, which can be of help to us.  “The words `come unto Christ’ are an invitation.  It is the most important invitation you could ever offer to another person.  It is the most important invitation anyone could accept….

                “All of us should be intensely interested in learning how to issue that invitation effectively.  We know from experience that some will not respond.  Only a few responded when the Savior Himself offered this invitation during His mortal ministry.  But great was His joy in those who recognized His voice.  And great has been our joy when those we have invited have come unto Him.

                “It is worthwhile to ponder over those instances in our own lives when people have responded.  Personally, I have seen a pattern when people have accepted that invitation.  In each case the Holy Ghost has manifested at least three truths to them.  The experiences have not always come in the sequence in which I will list them, but they all come to the hearts of those who truly come unto Christ.

                “First, they come to feel that the only way they can have the happiness they want most in this life and in the world to come is through Jesus Christ….

                “Second, those I know who have truly come unto Him make covenants to obey and to follow Him….

                “That leads to the third thing I have seen in the lives of those who have truly come unto Him.  They strive to become like Him.  They begin to do unto others as they know He would do….

                “Another wonderful thing will happen.  When you give your heart to inviting people to come unto Christ, your heart will be changed.  You will be doing His work for Him.  You will find that He keeps His promise to be one with you in your service.  You will come to know Him.  And in time you will come to be like Him and `be perfected in him.”  [See Moroni 10:32.]  By helping others come unto Him, you will find that you have come unto Him yourself.  If you want to be near Him, to feel His peace, you can do it best in His service.”

                Jesus Christ invited His disciples to follow Him, keep His commandments, and become like Him.  As Christians, we have the responsibility to follow His example and invite others to learn of Him.  I know that people will be drawn to us as we seek to become more like Christ.  I know that we can all improve our ability to invite others to come unto Christ and be perfected in Him.

Renewed by Christmas

                    Do you feel like a new person, ready to face the future with faith and joy?  Does the spirit of Christmas fill your soul to the point that you cannot contain it all?  As I write this post, I am filled to overflowing with joy and contentment!  My celebration of Christmas was complete and wonderful.

                    My husband and I invited family and friends into our home to share our Christmas Eve festivities.  We faced several problems before our company arrived:  We discovered water where it should not have been.  The printer ran out of ink just when I needed it most.  The ham had not finished cooking when I thought it should have been.  In spite of these problems, we had a wonderful evening celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and enjoying the special spirit that children bring to Christmas.  The dinner was delicious, and the children brought rich excitement into the evening as we acted out the Nativity.  The evening was topped by singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and eating angel food cake.

                    Celebrating Christmas Day on Sunday is extra special.  We had a perfect day!  We attended sacrament meeting with many of our brothers and sisters in the gospel.  In addition to partaking of the sacrament and renewing covenants with God, we enjoyed the program of music and the spoken word.  I was particularly touched by the beautiful solo rendition of "Silent Night."  The speaker reminded us that as we prepare for Christmas we need to not only think about the birth of the Christ Child but to think about what His birth means to us personally.  Our journey to Christ is not physical like the shepherds and wise men, but it is spiritual and emotional.  The words "come unto Christ" are an invitation to feel of His spirit. 

                    Our wonderful Christmas celebration continued at the home of our youngest son and his family where we feasted on leftovers and pumpkin chiffon pie before opening our Christmas gifts.  Our gifts were simple and mostly inexpensive, but we felt as though the windows of heaven had opened to us.  My favorite gifts were family pictures and individual pictures of my grandchildren. 

I appreciated very much the gift given by one of our daughters.  I told the children years ago that they didn't need to purchase items for us because we don't need very much and we can go purchase whatever we need or want.  I suggested that they use whatever money they wanted to spend on us to do good in the world.  I felt great joy as my daughter told me how she and her family - along with some other people - gave small gifts for the Twelve Days of Christmas to a co-worker who was struggling and the comments of the co-worker on Facebook.  It was one of the best gifts I have ever received.  My day was complete by calls from the children away from home.

Service

The principle for our discussion on this Sabbath day is service. Jesus taught the importance of service when He explained, "I am among you as he that serveth" (Luke 22:27). He also taught, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). It is a fact that true followers of Jesus Christ desire to serve other people.

The Savior taught the importance of service in the following parable. In His parable, He returned to earth in all His glory and separated the righteous from the wicked. To the righteous He said, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me" (Matthew 25:34-36).

The righteous people were puzzled and asked Him, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?" (Matthew 25:37-39).

The Lord answered them: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40).

I recognize the principle that Jesus Christ was teaching in this parable. As a mother and grandmother, I appreciate the efforts of every person who serves my children or grandchildren, and I feel that they are serving me also.

Service can be defined as giving assistance to someone else. Giving Christlike service comes from a genuine love for the Savior as well as love and concern for those we have the opportunity to serve. Since love is more than a feeling, we have a sincere desire to help those that we love.

Service is something that can be given by anyone regardless of income, age, or social position. Service can be helping others economically, socially, physically, and spiritually. Service takes place when we share food or other articles, be a friend to someone new in the community, listen to a lonely person, help an elderly or sick person, or comfort someone who grieves. Service can be either small or large acts, and small acts of service can be just as important as large acts of service. Just as the Savior gave up His life in serving us, we may be required to sacrifice greatly to serve someone.

God wants us to do service because much of His work is done through the acts of service done by men and women, boys and girls. President Spencer W. Kimball explained, "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball [2006], 82).

We all depend on others for help throughout our lives. As babies, we were fed, clothed and cared for by our parents or else we would have died. As we grew up, other people taught us skills and attitudes. Many people have needed nursing care during illness or money during a financial crisis. We are all dependent upon God.

Blessings come to those who serve others. One of the greatest blessings that comes through service is the increased ability to love the person we serve. As we help others with their problems, we become less selfish and our problems seem less serious. In fact, one of the best ways to overcome sadness or loneliness is to look around until we find someone who is worse off than we are and help them. Those who desire to live with God must love and serve His children (see Matthew 25:34-40).

People who serve unselfishly usually gain much more than they give. President Spencer W. Kimball said, "We become more substantive as we serve others - indeed, it is easier to `find' ourselves because there is so much more of us to find!" (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball, 85-86).

Jesus Christ commands us to love and to serve everyone, and He gives us many opportunities to serve (see Mosiah 4:15-19). There is much service to be given in a family situation between husband and wife and between parents and children. There are also many opportunities to serve our neighbors, our friends or even strangers. If God has given special talents to us, we should use those talents to serve other people.

Jesus Christ is the perfect example of service. He told His followers that He came to earth to give His life for us and not to be served. He loves each of us very much, even more than we can understand. During His life on earth, He served the poor, the ignorant, the sinner, and the despised, and He taught His gospel to all who would listen. He fed crowds of hungry people who came to hear Him, healed the sick, and raised the dead.

When we willingly give service to other people, we develop more Christ-like love for them as well as become more like Christ.