Leadership
for Saints,
Part 7:
Being a User-Friendly Christian
by
Rodger Dean Duncan and Ed J. Pinegar
In the world
of technology, the term “user-friendly” is often intended
to denote a computer system that is easy to use, one that doesn’t
demand a lot of indulgence and pampering. In our roles as leaders
in the Church, the Lord wants each of us to be a “user-friendly”
Christian—or, in other words, a Christ-centered Saint.
We can be good
“institutional” Latter-day Saints. We can be proud of
the Church, its heritage, its programs, its traditions, even its
university’s football team. We can embrace the Church’s
culture, its social morés, its members’ work ethic.
That’s
all well and good. Membership in the Lord’s Church is indeed
a wondrous experience. It’s a way of living. It’s a
way of life. But it is not adequate to ensure our eternal life.
The Church is merely the vehicle to bring us to the Author of our
Salvation, Jesus the Christ. Too often members allow the Church
to get in the way of their relationship with the Lord. This happens
when our security rests in the outward performances of the law and
not in the hidden issues of the heart.
If we are to
call ourselves “Saints” in the intended sense of the
word, we must be—first and foremost—followers of Christ.
We must be Christlike. We must make ourselves able and keep ourselves
willing to be instruments for righteousness in the Lord’s
hands. We must be the Lord’s hands on earth to bless and minister
to His people. Then we will be Christ-centered Saints, leaders of
destiny.
In what ways
can this be done? You could compile a good list of your own. Here
are three worth considering.
(1) Acknowledge the divinity of the Savior and the necessity of
his mission.
The plan of
salvation is specific. It includes guidelines for our behavior and
spiritual maturation. The key figure in this plan is Jesus Christ—our
Father’s only begotten son in the flesh. Our Savior. Our Redeemer.
The Holy Messiah.
Jesus loved
us enough to die for us so we could, first, live again, and second,
become exalted – the first automatically, the good with the
bad, through His grace; the second upon condition of personal obedience
and worthiness through His grace. As true Saints, we should acknowledge
and bear witness of these things to the world.
(2)
Understand and accept your own role and personal responsibility
in the plan of salvation.
Our third Article
of Faith declares: “We believe that through the Atonement
of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and
ordinances of the Gospel.” We must take the initiative to
acknowledge our sins and forsake them. We must take the initiative
to understand our Father’s will, and obey it.
(3)
Be anxiously engaged in doing the Lord’s work in the Lord’s
way.
J. Golden Kimball
reportedly said there are three kinds of members in the Church:
the Saints, the ain’ts, and the complaints. Our challenge,
our opportunity, our covenant, is to be Saints.
Service to God
and, thereby, to one another, is a fundamental tenet of our religion.
That cannot be changed by any number of excuses or any amount of
rationalization.
In D&C 101,
through the allegory of the servants who second-guessed their master,
the Lord underscores the consequences of failing to follow instructions.
They were
slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore,
the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer
them in the day of their trouble.
In the day
of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day
of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me (D&C 101:7-8).
A key to our
progression—and a constant test to our character—is
doing the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way. This does not
mean we are to become automatons, each a clone of the other. There
is great room for individuality in blessing those whom we’re
called to bless. But the Lord does expect us to serve in righteousness.
And with that service there often must come sacrifice and consecration.
Elder Bruce
R. McConkie wrote the following while serving as a mission president
in Australia:
MY
MISSIONARY COMMISSION
I am called of God. My authority is above that of the kings of
the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Master and he has chosen me
to represent him. To stand in his place, to say and do what he
himself would say and do if he personally were ministering to
the very people to whom he has sent me. My voice is his voice,
and my acts are his acts; my words are his words and my doctrine
is his doctrine. My commission is to do what he wants done. To
say what he wants said. To be a living modern witness in word
and deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous latter-day
work.
Of course, one
doesn’t need to wear a missionary nametag to enjoy the benefits
of such a commission. It applies to all Saints who righteously serve
the Lord.
Throughout the
Church we see faithful members give up hobbies, favorite television
programs, lots of recreational reading, Saturday afternoon athletic
events, home improvement projects and many other activities because
they put the Kingdom of God first. Giving a full measure involves
consecrating our time, talents and means to building the Church,
the Kingdom of God on earth.
We are not counseled
to neglect our families. Quite the contrary. We must work to save
our families. As leaders we must always remember that we will be
released from our Church callings but we will never receive a release
from our divine appointment of father and husband, mother and wife.
Stakes may be organized and divided anytime in our Church buildings
but the sacred institution of families may be organized only in
the holy temple.
David O. McKay
made it clear that a priesthood holder’s first stewardship
accountability from the Lord will be for his wife and then his children.
With that said, neither are we counseled to use our families as
an excuse for not giving full service to our Church assignments.
The issue isn’t
choosing between success with our families and success with our
Church stewardships—and “success” is defined as
doing the best we can. Rather, the issue is recognizing that failure
in one area invariably leads to failure in both. We cannot have
celestial families unless we are living the celestial law of consecration.
The Holy Spirit will lead us to balance our time and effort between
family and church responsibilities.
What does all
this have to do with character?
Everything.
True Christianity
is not just a matter of organizational affiliation. True Christianity
is a matter of integrity to our relationship with God. True Christianity
is a matter of character.
Quotes
to Remember
Here are five
things to remember when trouble strikes. They are among the most
fundamental truths of a gospel-centered life.
1. Pray earnestly and fast with purpose and devotion. …
2. Immerse yourself in the scriptures…
3. Serve others. …
4. Be patient. …
5. Have faith. …
– Jeffrey R. Holland
Our lives must
become a symbol of meaningful expression, the symbol of our declaration
of our testimony of the living Christ, the Eternal Son of the living
God. – Gordon B. Hinckley
The gospel is a program, a way of life, the plan of personal salvation,
and is based upon personal responsibility. – Spencer
W. Kimball
It is a great work that we are engaged in, and it is for us to prepare
ourselves for the labor before us, and to acknowledge God, his authority,
his law and his priesthood in all things.
– John Taylor
President Spencer
W. Kimball stated: "We must lay on the altar and sacrifice
whatever is required by the Lord. We begin by offering a 'broken
heart and a contrite spirit.' We follow this by giving our best
effort in our assigned fields of labor and callings. Finally we
consecrate our time, talents, and means as called upon by our file
leaders and as prompted by the whisperings of the Spirit. . . .
And as we give, we find that 'sacrifice brings forth the blessings
of heaven!' (Hymns, no. 147.)
And in the end, we learn it was no sacrifice at all. – Carlos
E. Asay
No other success can compensate for failure in the home. –
David O. McKay
True Christianity
is love in action. There is no better way to manifest love for God
than to show an unselfish love for one's fellowmen. – Thomas
S. Monson
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
Click
here to sign up for Meridian's FREE email updates.
© 2002 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
|
