Epistle of Obedience – Titus 1-3

Titus served as a missionary and a messenger. He listened to Paul’s teachings, and was converted by him. Paul then trusted him to deliver his epistles to the people in Corinth. Titus held a responsibility to convert and lead the Saints living in Crete. He would have been their instructor and Priesthood authority. As Paul’s fellow missionary, he had to make sure the Church was staying on the path of righteousness.

Paul knew that the Saints in Crete were hypocritical and greedy. He wrote, “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him.” He accuses some of the Saints as being false teachers that perverted the teachings of the gospel in order to make money. In Paul’s Epistle to Titus, Paul described the attributes the Saints should have. More specifically, Paul wrote that Bishops should have a wife, and must raise obedient children. Bishops must also be blameless and faithful. They must not be self-willed, short-tempered, drunk, or greedy, but they must be hospitable, charitable, sober, just, holy, and temperate. They must also always hold fast to their faith and the sound doctrines of the gospel. These actions were extremely wicked, so Paul used strong language to condemn these activities.

Paul encouraged Titus to speak of sound doctrine to the Saints in Crete. Paul even wrote about how different people would react to this doctrine. The aged saints would become sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, charity, and patient. They would become humbled and holy, teaching the truth. The young would also become sober-minded, loving, obedient, and chaste.

Paul also cautioned the Saints to be patient and loving to all men, even those that make mistakes. He counseled them to be meek and gentle, speaking no evil of others, because “we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” No one is perfect or above another because everyone has made mistakes. Paul then goes on to remind them that it wasn’t their own works that saved them, it was the grace and mercy of God. Only through Christ’s willing sacrifice and atonement can we receive forgiveness for our sins. Only when we humble ourselves unto baptism and repentance can we be redeemed and renewed. Christ pleads for us in Heaven, fights justice with his grace, so that we can be forgiven. We must, therefore, turn to him in complete faith and submission so that we can be made new and better.

How foolish, then, were the Saints in Crete for having meaningless debates about “foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law”? Because of their pride and selfishness, they lost sight of the glorious truths of the gospel. In order to avoid the same fate of those ancient people, we must always remember the glory of God. If we can remember that Christ is the only one who can save us, then we will always be humble. We will remember that Christ’s doctrine is sound, and that we need nothing else. We must “deny ourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all [our] might, mind and strength” (Moroni 10:32).

Solutions to Life’s Challenges – Phillipians 1-4

The scriptures are full of timeless wisdom. We have been admonished time and time again to look to the scriptures for guidance and comfort. How do the scriptures continue to teach people thousands of years after they were written? By the power of the Holy Ghost. 2 Nephi 32: 3 says, “Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” No matter our predicament, the scriptures contain our solution. We just have to search for it. Look, for example, to the following three challenges:

Challenge 1: People sometimes argue and complain over petty matters in church meetings and throughout the week.

Solution: Be filled with the love of God and seek to place others above yourself. Life is not about being “right,” it is about being righteous. In order to be righteous, we must humble ourselves as Christ did and become servants to our fellow men. If we serve without complaint or argument, we will “shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:1-8, 14-15). Unity and peace greatly influence the success of the gospel and our testimonies, and petty arguments build up as a destructive force against righteous things. If we have the gospel and the love of God in our hearts, we will not argue with one another, but we will work together to build Zion.

Challenge 2: Many youth feel that their parents’ testimony is sufficient for them. Since they have good parents, they rely on them for all their spiritual strength.

Solution: We are only worthy of salvation if we allow God work in ourselves. We are the only ones that can grant that change. Salvation is personal, and we must develop our own testimonies (Phil 2:12-15). When we listen to others’ testimonies, we can hear the truth and can feel its influence on us. However, we cannot know the truth unless we study it out in our own minds and listen for the teachings of the Spirit. Coming to know the truth isn’t enough to work out our salvation, either. President David O. McKay said, “to work out one’s salvation . . . is to perform daily, hourly, momentarily, if necessary, the immediate task or duty at hand, and to continue happily in such performance as the years come and go, leaving the fruits of such labors either for self or for others to be bestowed as a just and beneficient Father may determine.” Salvation requires a life of service and commitment to God. The youth in this scenario must realize that he or she has work to do that requires a firm, personal testimony.

Challenge 3: An investigator is considering joining the Church, but his family will no longer associate with him if he does.

Solution: This man needs to understand that Christ will receive him. He is this man’s brother; therefore, not all of his family will dissociate with him. This man must proceed, “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before” (Phil. 3:13). This does not mean that he should disrespect his family, or love them any less, but that he will find comfort in Christ’s sufferings. Losing one’s family must be among one of the greatest earthly struggles. But the scriptures offer these words of comfort: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13).

Live as Saints Should Live - Romans 12-16

Paul often referred to the members of the church as Saints. What does it mean to live like a Saint? Catholic saints are revered for their outstanding Christ-like characteristics, and I believe it’s possible for each one of us to be revered as a Saint. In fact, we are commanded to live as Saints should live. Paul warns that the time of our salvation, the time of our judgment, is near. If we want to continue the work of our salvation, we must continue the work our Savior started when he sacrificed his life for us. As taught in Ezekiel 3:20, we must turn away from unrighteousness and repent of our sins. It is imperative that we turn to God with a desire to be righteous. With that desire, we must keep the commandments and endure to the end. If we do that, we will receive salvation and eternal life.

Enduring to the end means to continually live in righteousness. Paul gave much counsel, teaching the members of the church how to live like saints and obtain salvation. Listed below are ten things we can do to prepare ourselves to be worthy of salvation:

1. Romans 12:1 – Serve God with all your heart, might, mind, and strength.

2. Romans 12:2 – Renew your mind to accept and perform the will of God.

3. Romans 12:9 – “Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good.”

4. Romans 12:13 – Give hospitality with the spirit of Charity.

5. Romans 12:16 – Be humble and united.

6. Romans 12:21 – “Be not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.”

7. Romans 13:1 – Recognize and obey the power of God.

8. Romans 13:3 – Lead in righteousness.

9. Romans 13:8 – Love one another.

10. Romans 13:9 – Obey the commandments.

Paul gave the Saints special cautions about judging others. He taught that we must not judge others because God has power over us all—we all belong to him. Paul reminded us that we are not any more powerful or important than others who sin because we are all sinners; “we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” We must remember that even though we have all sinned and are indebted to Him, he has still received us and loves us unconditionally. Therefore, we must edify and serve one another out of love for Christ. Although many people have different opinions and practices, showing love for everyone is the most important thing to remember.

Christ, in the purity of his heart, loves us all, and we must emulate his ability to love. Doctrine and Covenants 38:25-27 teaches that we must love our brothers and sisters as ourselves. We must strive to make ourselves equals with those around us, including giving to those in need. No child of God should be valued or revered higher than another because our status as children of God should equalize us all. Christ is the one who will judge us, and it is our responsibility to become a unified and loving “one.”

Baptism - Romans 6

We are sinful beings. Christ was crucified and resurrected for all mankind, so we may be forgiven of our sins. Baptism is the ordinance we perform in order to be cleansed from our sins. But before we are baptized, we must first forsake our sins, and let our carnal, sin-prone selves die. Our spirits must be “dead to sin” so that we may be “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Baptism by immersion is a symbolic ordinance. Paul explains that when we are lowered into the water, being fully immersed beneath it, we are symbolically buried with Christ “by baptism into death.” In other words, our sins, and the natural, fallen man within us (Mosiah 3:19), are laid to rest along with Christ’s life. We are then raised up out of the water “like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father” so we may “walk in a newness of life.” Our sins are thus removed from our ledgers, and we are given a new life to live, a life of righteousness and purity.

This symbolism is essential to the completion of this ordinance. Baptism by sprinkling isn’t enough to cleanse our bodies and spirits from our sins. Our sins will not die and our lives will not be renewed unless we partake in this complete ordinance, immersion and all.

When we receive our new lives, we must perceive ourselves to be “alive unto God.” We are alive because of Christ’s atonement, so we must forever repay our debt to Him. Baptism doesn’t end at the conclusion of the ordinance, but we must honor it for the rest of our lives. Paul gives specific instructions to those who have been baptized when he says, “let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” We must remain in control of our mortal bodies, and not allow ourselves to descend into sin. We have been raised up above that through baptism, and if we live for God and seek to do His will, we will remain raised up forever and ever.

When we seek to do Heavenly Father’s will, we must become His servants. Paul continues his teachings by saying, “know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Those we obey are those we serve. If we want to yield ourselves unto God and become he servants, we must obey Him and perform works of righteousness in His name. Baptism frees us from sin, and transforms us into “servants of righteousness,” as long as we keep ourselves free from sin.

Sin binds us and keeps us from progression. Paul taught that the only fruit of sin is death. But the fruit of righteousness and obedience to the commandments of God is “everlasting life.” Servitude to our Heavenly Father is not necessarily enslavement, therefore, but a newness of life that leads to eternal progression and happiness. 

"Fleshy Tables of the Heart” - 2 Corinthians 3:1-3

In his letter to the church members in Corinth, Paul describes them using a beautiful comparison. He says, “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” Here, he compares the leaders of the church to an epistle, but he does not mean epistle in the traditional sense, not like the epistle he has written. Epistles are, in general, letters written for the counsel of others. They are outward, verbal expressions of principles and doctrine. Epistles written “in fleshy tables of the heart” are deeper, less tangible messages. An epistle of Christ is a life dedicated to the gospel.

Paul taught that being dedicated is not enough, but Christ’s doctrines and commandments must be written in the “fleshy tables of the heart.” If a principle is written in our hearts, it has become a part of who we are. It is engrained in our psyche, our personality, our thoughts, and our feelings. It has become, or was inherently, natural to us. Those who have principles written in their hearts do not simply preach the word, but live the word. Their entire lives are a testament of Jesus Christ because others can see Christ in their every action. The language of our hearts cannot be explained by word; it must be seen through actions and integrity.

John 7:17 teaches that visible and constant obedience to God’s commandments will engrain Christ’s truths in our hearts. It says, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of it myself.” All men can know of the truth of the gospel if they strive to live it according to God’s will.

Moroni 7:48 teaches of the power of prayer. It says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.” If we pray to be filled with charity—with Godly love—God will purify our hearts and fill us with his love. He will change us and instill in our hearts a desire to be more like Christ. This desire will lead us to be obedient and, consequently, to become an epistle of Christ.

One principle that has been written in the fleshy tables of my own heart is God’s commandment to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” I have strived and desired to look upon others without judgment and view every man or woman as a child of God. I have been blessed with a purification of heart as described by Moroni, and this principle has become a part of who I am. I am able to find the good in all people I meet, and I am now slower to condemn them, or be offended by their actions. Although I am imperfect, and shallow judgment is still a temptation I must face, I am constantly reminded through promptings of the spirit that I must love all people as myself. I know of my divine worth as a child of my Heavenly Father, and I must treat all others as such, no matter what choices they make or how they treat me. I will always remember this principle as long as I strive to live by God’s will. He has written His love into my heart, and I could never forget that.

Counsel for Missionaries – Thesselonians

The great apostle Paul serves as a pristine example of true missionary work. He is often revered for his boldness in speech, but I want to focus on how he shared the message of the gospel through his actions.

For example, Paul:
-Prayed to God in thanks for those that believed his words and lived the gospel (1 Thes 1:2)
-Did not flatter or deceive those he taught (1 Thes 2:5)
-Did not seek glory or praise for his teachings (1 Thes 2:6)
-Was gentle when interacting with the people (1 Thes 2:7)
-Laboured throughout the day and into the night for others (1 Thes 2:9)
-Exhorted, comforted, and charged everyone he served and taught (1 Thes 2:11)

Leading by example is oftentimes more effective in missionary work than speaking. When someone sees you supporting your words with your own actions, the message you are trying to share gains meaning and truth. A person that shows great personal integrity—one that “walks the walk” and “talks the talk” will always be the better missionary. Missionaries can follow Paul’s example and interact gently with those they teach. Missionaries must show that they are sensitive to the fears, questions, and struggles of their investigators by listening, noticing, and serving. By showing genuine interest and consideration to their investigators, missionaries will grow close to their investigators and will understand the exact messages they need to hear. When investigators feel served and loved, their hearts are more open to hear the gospel message.

I know that I can do more to serve others. I want to follow Paul’s example and tirelessly serve people, regardless of convenience. I must put my wants and needs behind the welfare of other people, especially those that are in need. There are people all around me that are hoping and praying for someone to serve them. Whether they need a friend, a meal, or the gospel message, I want to be ready and willing to seek out these people and make a difference in their lives.

Paul's First Mission - Acts 13-14

Today’s post comes in 5 parts:

Part 1. Where Did Paul Preach?
Paul began his mission in the city of Seleucia. He also taught in the cities of Antioch, Salamis, Iconium, and Derbe.

Part 2. Advice for Missionaries

Three things that will help all discouraged missionaries: Fasting, Praying, Preaching by the Holy Ghost.

Part 3. Who is Barnabas?

Barnabas was a man of exceedingly strong faith. Although he wasn’t one of the original twelve apostles, he served as an apostle and as Paul’s first mission companion. He worked extremely hard for himself, and obeyed the commandments with much service to those in the church. His commanding personality and large stature earned him the name Jupiter, after the most powerful Roman God. Because he was led much by the Holy Ghost, he was a blessing to Paul in their mission service. They counseled often together, and taught many more than if they had served individually. Their combined faith and support kept them successful and close to God.

Part 4. A Miracle

Paul and Barnabas performed a miracle in Lystra. They healed a man who was born crippled from his mother’s womb. Paul and Barnabas commanded him to stand and walk according to the man’s faith. When the people saw the man walking, they claimed that Paul and Barnabas were human manifestations of Roman Gods. The people prepared to make sacrifices to them, but they preached to the people and explained that they should not worship them, but the true and living God, Heavenly Father. They did not take credit for the miracle they performed, but to God, who gave them the power of the Holy Priesthood.

Part 5. “Through Much Tribulation”

In contrast to the vast praise and worship Paul and Barnabas received by the people in Lystra, the Jews from Antioch and Iconium stoned Paul. He was nearly dead, but rose up and with Barnabas to continue preaching elsewhere. His tremendous faith reflects the counsel he gives in Acts 14:22, that we must “through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Paul understood that his suffering and his trials would prepare him to be worthy of God’s kingdom. He taught that our faith will strengthen us to endure our struggles. All members of the church, especially missionaries, can learn from Paul and Barnabas’ examples and continue their work in Faith, no matter what trials they face.