PURE LOVE

I think the word "Priestcraft" defines my life up to now. Nephi defines it thus:

"He commandeth that there shall be no priestcrafts; for, behold, priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion.  (2 Nephi 26:29)

There are two essential elements to this:

1. Setting ones self up as a light to get gain (money), and praise of the world.

2. Not seeking the welfare of Zion.

In reality, my whole life is the very definition of "priestcraft."

Money, Praise, Honor, Glory

My purposes are all selfish. I am seeking my own in all things. All I do is calculated to "get gain and praise of the world." I set myself up as a light unto the world in so many ways:

I'm the greatest teacher in church that others can look to -- a light to the Church so I will be praised of men.

I'm the best doctor in town -- a light to the medical community so I can make more money and receive the accolades of my patients.

I'm the example others should follow -- a light to those who know me so I can be praised.

I'm the "diabetes expert" that the whole world can look to for salvation from diabetes (literally) -- a light to the world so I can get paid more and praised for my intelligence.

I write my blog for everyone to read how much I'm learning to set myself up as an exemplary Christian -- a light to the world for the honors of men.

I share the Gospel to be a light.

I pray in public to be a light.

I pay tithing and fast offerings to be a light.

I help others to be a light.

I perform priesthood ordinances to be a light.

I go to the Temple to be a light.

"Look at me!" I'm still childish. The Apostle Paul says, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child..." (1 Corinthians 13:1)

 

The welfare of Zion

Zion is the pure in heart. I am not seeking the benefit of the pure in heart so much as my own benefit in so many ways. I am puffed-up in my own eyes. I am doing what I need to do for me, and not really for others. In blessing the lives of others, I want them to look to me for salvation.

The welfare of Zion is to point each person to Christ and allow them to look to Him for salvation.

Nephi goes on to explain how to stop doing priestcrafts:

 

"Behold, the Lord hath forbidden this thing; wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish. But the laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish." (2 Nephi 26:30-31)

All about me

I was speaking with someone yesterday about this problem I have and she said, "What about me? How is this going to affect me?" And I realized that we all are in the same boat with a lack of charity. Everyone automatically interprets the experiences of others in their own way. We pick and choose the things we identify with, and miss what we don't already know or feel. I cannot really listen to others when it's all about me.

Depression is selfish. I have been depressed for many years, thinking "I want" "I feel" "I like" but I wasn't getting my needs met. I would walk around, not wanting to do anything because nothing was worth the effort, even having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning. I just wanted to die because I didn't want to continue to put in effort without the desired results. I'm not getting what I want. Depression is all about me.

Anxiety is selfish. Worry is concern that I won't get what I want. Fear of the future, or "what will happen to me." It's still all about me.

 

Un-selfish

Charity is just the opposite. It is filled with love for others and faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. If we look at the way the Apostle Paul defines charity:

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Longsuffering

Kind

No envy

No vainglory

Not puffed up

Doesn't behave badly

Not all about me

Doesn't get angry easily

Doesn't think evil

Enjoys truth, not iniquity

Bears all things the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him

Believes all truth

Hopes all things

Endures all things

Wow! What a list! Every one of these could be summarized into one word: unselfish. This is what charity is all about: getting outside of yourself. I am quite sure that nobody can do it. We don't have the capacity to get outside of ourselves. We only know what we know, and cannot know what we haven't experienced. We are self-involved to the extreme. We don't have the capacity to understand anything outside of ourselves. A man cannot understand childbirth. A blind man cannot understand color. A deaf man cannot understand a Mozart requiem. We don't know what we're missing. We are self-absorbed necessarily at all times.

Receiving the gift

Charity cannot be learned, it is a gift given to those who follow the Lord, Jesus Christ. In setting aside our own wants, needs, and desires, and submitting to the will of God in all things, we do as He did. We won't understand. We cannot know beforehand where it will take us. We just blindly do as the Lord commands, and accept what happens to us, always giving thanks in all things. When we don't want to, we do it anyway. This is the training for charity. It is not learning, or earning the gift, but rather preparing to receive it. Mormon explains:

"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;" (Moroni 7:48)

God bestows this gift. You can be a true follower of Jesus Christ, but you still must pray fervently for the gift of charity in order to receive it. This is because it isn't ours to take, it is His to give. We don't possess it, He does. It is not a present for us to open, but rather we take part in His gift of the Atonement. Charity is what He has. Charity is what He did. Moroni explains:

"And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity." (Ether 12:34)

Charity is not what we get, but the love that He had for everyone. When we receive the gift of charity, we take part in His love, in His grace, and in His sacrifice. It's not about me, it's about Him. The only way outside of ourselves is through what He did because we will not have to do it. We will never have to suffer as He did for others, innocently. If I suffer it is for my own sake so I will never, of myself, be able to understand the suffering of others. He suffered for others, all others; He descended below all things. He suffered all things. He bore all things. He endured all things. This is the love He had for all; it's called charity, and we can possess it through Him, and His grace and mercy.

The greatest

Thus, charity is the only way outside of yourself, unless you desire to suffer as He suffered. Yet, this is impossible because God is just, and would not let us suffer innocently. At the same time, we are not innocent, having committed sin, so we could never suffer innocently. Only Christ was innocent. Only He could effect the Infinite Atonement and get outside of Himself, suffering for others. So, we can only know it through Him.

"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2)

"The Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing." (2 Nephi 26:30)

"And if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity." (Moroni 7:44)

"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail -- But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him." (Moroni 7:46-47)

"Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away... And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (1 Corinthians 13:8,13)

Of all the gifts of which Paul speaks, three stay with us forever, faith, hope and charity, and the greatest of these is charity. For without charity we are nothing. Without the gift of His love, we are still selfish, but with His love we become part of Him, and that makes us great!