Justin on James 1
May I begin my sharing with a verse in the scriptures that sums up what I am about to write today?
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22).
Sisters and brothers in Christ, for many times we have read in the scriptures, listened to General Conference and sacrament meeting talks, that exhorts and invites us to be patient, to be faithful, to be obedient, to partake in the labor of love, and many more, but we have just been hearers of the word, and not doers of it? Have we actually tried to take heed and act upon that which has been encouraged?
Sisters and brothers in Christ, I plead with you to be hearers AND doers of the word. We have been taught by the Lord through the Prophet Joseph Smith as recorded in D&C 82:2-3:
"Nevertheless, there are those among you who have sinned exceedingly; yea, even all of you have sinned; but verily I say unto you, beware from henceforth, and refrain from sin, lest sore judgments fall upon your heads.
3 For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation."
We, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been given that greater light. We are amongst the privilege few, but are all Latter-day Saints numbered among those who are chosen by the Lord? Nay, not all of us are.
"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?
35 Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men" (D&C 121:34-35).
We have also been taught by the Lord in D&C 58:26:
"For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward."
Sisters and brothers in Christ, we may say that we have faith, but what would your answer be, if we were asked this question: If you have faith, then tell me, what works did you do that would justify your faith?
We might proceed to answer that our faith is indeed justified by works, and that is shown through our obedience to the commandments of the Lord.
Now is this really faith? Yea, it is.
Is this the Lord's preferred definition of faith? Nay, it is not.
Remember D&C 58:26 that I have quoted just now? The faith that we are encouraged, not commanded, to have, is one that is justified by works compelled upon us and works done voluntarily.
What I feel this means is that we should not wait until the Lord tells us what to do, we should take the initiative to best align our will with the Lord's. Aligning our will with the Lord's not only requires an inward faith but also an outward action that is fueled by that inward faith. Faith is both inward and outward, anything less is not faith. We can read the scriptures daily, we may even boast that we have watched the recent General Conference within one day, but if we don't act upon the exhortations and commandments we have received therein, it is not going to do us any good, because it's just a matter of time before we easily forget about them.
I would like to exhort all of us that we may be hearers and doers of the word. How we use our agency in our mortal sojourn determines whether we are called by God or chosen by God. Each of us will be held accountable for what we do and what we did not do, and I just hope and pray that all of us are prepared for that great and Final Judgment. As harsh as this may sound, there is no room to be complacent or lukewarm in our faith during these last days. We really need to carry our crosses and press forward on the strait and narrow, there is really no time for us to attend to worldly affairs over spiritual ones. May we live each day as if it were our last.
I would like to share the example of Nehemiah, as shared by Elder Dieter F. Urchtdorf in his talk titled, "We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down" during the May 2009 General Conference:
"Nehemiah of the Old Testament is a great example of staying focused and committed to an important task. Nehemiah was an Israelite who lived in exile in Babylon and served as cupbearer to the king. One day the king asked Nehemiah why he seemed so sad. Nehemiah replied, “Why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ [graves], lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?”
When the king heard this, his heart was softened, and he gave Nehemiah the authority to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. However, not everyone was happy with this plan. In fact, several rulers who lived near Jerusalem grieved exceedingly “that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.” These men “took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.”
Fearless, Nehemiah did not allow the opposition to distract him. Instead, he organized his resources and manpower and moved forward rebuilding the city, “for the people had a mind to work.”
But as the walls of the city began to rise, opposition intensified. Nehemiah’s enemies threatened, conspired, and ridiculed. Their threats were very real, and they grew so intimidating that Nehemiah confessed, “They all made us afraid.” In spite of the danger and the ever-present threat of invasion, the work progressed. It was a time of stress, for every builder “had his sword girded by his side, and so builded.”
As the work continued, Nehemiah’s enemies became more desperate. Four times they entreated him to leave the safety of the city and meet with them under the pretense of resolving the conflict, but Nehemiah knew that their intent was to do him harm. Each time they approached him, he responded with the same answer: “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.”
What a remarkable response! With that clear and unchanging purpose of heart and mind, with that great resolve, the walls of Jerusalem rose until they were rebuilt in an astonishing 52 days.
Nehemiah refused to allow distractions to prevent him from doing what the Lord wanted him to do."
It is my prayer that you would heed the words of a soul so rebellious and pride as mine, the words of an imperfect and ordinary person such as I, and that you would hearken unto the Spirit if He prompts you to do something after reading my sharing today. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.