Leadership
for Saints,
Part 6:
Drawing Strength from the Lord
by
Rodger Dean Duncan and Ed J. Pinegar
Your character
(what you truly are) is based on your capacity and diligence in
becoming like our Savior Jesus Christ.
When you take
upon yourself His name, always remember Him and keep His commandments,
you have the blessing of His Spirit. So you should be anxiously
engaged in a good cause—the cause of becoming a man or woman
of God with character attributes like unto our Savior.
- You will
repent and be free from guilt.
- You will
live a righteous life.
- You will
exercise faith, live with hope and show an abundance of Christlike
charity.
- You will
seek to build up the Kingdom of God.
- You will
strive continually to live by the Spirit, worthy of personal revelation.
- You will
have the faith and courage to act upon the promptings of the Spirit.
How does all
this begin? It begins with humility.
All of us are
weak, and as we acknowledge our weaknesses we will be moved to humility.
We confess our total dependence upon our Heavenly Father and our
Savior. We understand the divine relationship that binds us together.
In the state of humility we can be made strong (see Ether 12:27;
2 Corinthians 12:10).
The Lord will
make us strong, and in His strength we can do all things (see Alma
26:11-12). It is in Him that we can be strong enough to do the Lord’s
will and to magnify our callings. We can do all things by faith
(see Moroni 7:33). We really can! There is nothing too difficult
for the Lord and His servants to accomplish.
President Thomas
S. Monson said “He who is on the Lord’s errand is entitled
to the Lord’s help. Whom the Lord calls the Lord qualifies.”1
With this encouragement from a prophet of God, should we not set
our goals high? Should we not have confidence? Is not this the time
to be in the pursuit of leadership excellence? The answer is a resounding
yes. So, let’s move onward and upward.
In one of the
core covenants of our faith we promise “to stand as witnesses
of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we]
may be in” (see Mosiah 18:9). This cannot be an idle promise.
Standing as a witness of God involves much more than merely acknowledging
His existence. It also involves doing everything humanly and heavenly
possible to be like Him. Honoring covenants is a matter of love
and a matter of character.
When you’re
asked the question, “Are you honest in your dealings with
your fellowman?” how do you—how can you—respond?
You’ll
notice that the question doesn’t read: “Are you sometimes
honest?” Or “Are you usually honest?” Or “Are
you honest only when everyone’s watching?”
In a priesthood
interview for worthiness, the question couldn’t be more plain:
“Are you honest in your dealings with your fellow man?”
Period. We can’t assume that this question covers only the
more obvious integrity issues like bank robbery and cattle rustling.
It also covers all the more subtle shades of honesty so often ignored
by the rest of the world.
The covenant-keeping
Latter-day Saint does not tell black likes, gray lies or even the
so-called white lies. He tells only the truth.
The covenant-keeping
Latter-day Saint does not cheat on his tax return. If he dislikes
the tax laws, he works to get them changed. But while they are in
force, he obeys them.
The covenant-keeping
Latter-day Saint doesn’t need a radar detection device in
his car because he doesn’t plan to cheat others out of their
right to safety on the highways. He obeys traffic laws.
The covenant-keeping Latter-day Saint keeps his promises. When he
says he’ll finish a job, he finishes it. When he incurs a
debt, he pays it—on time. When he accepts a responsibility,
he is reliable. He performs. He can be trusted.
Honesty and
integrity are not “sometime” things. They must be “all
the time” things. We either behave with integrity or we do
not. We are either honest or we are not. A half truth is a lie.
A broken promise is a blemish on our reputation and a stumbling
block in our progression.
President David
O. McKay taught that it’s more important to be trusted than
to be loved. The covenant-keeping Latter-day Saint can be trusted
because he is “totally honest” with his fellowman. And
what could be more loveable or more Christlike?
Improving our
character and becoming Christlike takes a lifetime. It is a constant
journey, not a one-time event. It is continuous change and improvement.
It is part of the grand process that begins in repentance and in
applying the Savior’s infinite and eternal atonement in our
lives.
Quotes to Remember
… leadership
success is an appropriate combination of knowledge, attitude, skills
and habits made effective through the instrument of the personality
of the leader. – Sterling W. Sill
… leaders are to understand the nature of their stewardships
and seek to fulfill their responsibilities in meekness and humility.
Good leaders understand their roles as servants to others (Matt.
20:27). Thus, doubly benefited, persons gain from leadership experiences
through unselfishly serving in a Christlike way and, through such
service, come to know the Lord (Mosiah 5:13). – Daniel
H. Ludlow
The leader who has integrity, who leads by example, will never suffer
the scorn of disappointed youth who declare, "People are always
telling us what to do but aren't doing it themselves." The
apostle Paul counseled us wisely, "Be thou an example of the
believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith,
in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12.) – Thomas S. Monson
… people who have entered into a covenant with God have been
known as "Saints" from the days of ancient Israel to the
present. Such a lofty title is not presumptive or something to boast
about. It is a means of identifying those who are striving to become
sanctified through covenant-making and covenant-keeping (see D&C
125:2). – Carlos E. Asay
… all
who have held positions of leadership will be required to give an
accounting for that which they did with the office or position that
was theirs. Righteous government is essential to the preservation
of society, and leadership is a sacred trust. – Joseph
Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet
Note:
The excerpts of Leadership for Saints posted on Meridian
are only a fraction of the contents of this 349-page book. To learn
more about this ground-breaking book and to order copies, click
here.
© 2002
by Rodger Dean Duncan & Ed J. Pinegar
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