My name is Elder Kyle Rasmussen. I'm a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The message of the Church is one of joy and happiness. This message has given me this great joy and happiness in my life and now I want to share that same joy with everyone else. I know it can bless everyone's life and that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Humility - A Spiritual Strength

Jesus Christ in Garden of Gethsemane
I stumbled upon this Christlike attribute this morning while I was reading from the Book of Mormon.  I was touched by the verse in Alma 37:33 which reads "Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart;"  I began to ponder the meaning of humility and what it all entails.  I ended up studying humility for almost an hour, and it has forever changed my life.  Let me show you how powerful humility really is.

Jesus Christ washing Apostle's Feet
Humility
In Preach My Gospel Page 120-121, we find an awesome definition of humility.  "Humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord and to give the Lord the honor for what is accomplished. It includes gratitude for His blessings and acknowledgment of your constant need for His divine help. Humility is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of spiritual strength. When you humbly trust Him and acknowledge His power and mercy, you can have the assurance that His commandments are for your good. You are confident that you can do whatever the Lord requires of you if you rely on Him. You are also willing to trust His chosen servants and follow their counsel. Humility will help you as you strive to be obedient, to work hard, and serve selflessly."

So humility requires us to accept God's will, give Him the honor, rely on His help, obey the commandments, and follow His chosen servants.  I also love how it says humility is a Spiritual Strength, not a weakness.  In Ether 12:27, the Lord says "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."  The Lord gives us weakness so we will humble ourselves and rely upon His help and His grace.  Through His grace and Atonement, He can help us make those weak things about ourselves become strong.  We have to be humble and willing though in order for Him to help us.

Pride
However, as in all things, there is an opposite to humility.  That would be pride.  Preach my Gospel defines pride as "The opposite of humility is pride, which is condemned in the scriptures. To be prideful means to put greater trust in oneself than in God or in His servants. It also means to put the things of the world above the things of God. Prideful people take honor to themselves rather than giving God the glory. Pride is competitive; those who are prideful seek to have more and presume they are better than other people. Pride usually results in feelings of anger and hatred, and it is a great stumbling block."

Blessings of Humility
There are so many blessings in being humble.  As you are humble you can become teachable.  Just like little children are humble and are teachable, so we must be as well in learning from our Father in Heaven.  The Savior says in Matthew 18:3 "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."  The Savior also states in Doctrine and Covenants 67:10 "that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am - not with the carnal neither the natural mind, but with the spiritual."  The greatest example of humility is that of our Savior Jesus Christ.  While in the Garden of Gethsemane, with the weight of the world's sins and pains upon his shoulders, he cried out to His Father, asking if there was another way.  But in a supreme act of humility, He humbly states, "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."  He was able to do it, He completed the Atonement.  He has shown us the way, and we can be healed physically and spiritually.  All we have to do is humble our selves sufficiently and we can access a power greater than ourselves.  He knows and loves each one of us.  Of this I so testify :)


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