The title of this essay is sparked by thoughts given by President (now known as Elder) David A. Bednar at a BYU-Idaho Devotional delivered on September 9th, 2003. The theme of his talk was "Steadfastness and Immovable". (Note: Elder Bednar, now on the Council of the Twelve, was at the time of this talk the President of BYU-Idaho).
He said our lives in the Gospel need to be like a drip irrigation system, not a sprinkler system. In a sprinkler system the potatoes, corn, or whatever get watered once every third or fourth day. When the crops get watered there is a gush all over the field, and then the gush halts for days.
A drip system involves little plastic pipes that NEVER carry a lot of water at a time, but they are constantly dripping. Further, the dripping is targeted at the roots of the plants. Weeds are not watered, only the crops. The result is that moisture sinks deeply into the ground at strategic locations.
President Bednar likened irrigation to our involvement in the gospel. We don’t need to become zealous in one area of the gospel like missionary work, temple going, fasting, genealogy or whatever. When we do that sort of thing, essential parts of the gospel tend to get neglected. Such individuals eventually weaken and dry up.
Individuals who become zealous in one part of the gospel tend to burn out – they are operating on a sand foundation and they crumble. The most successful people in the gospel chip a little here and a little there, getting more proficient as they go. These individuals keep a steady balance in their overall life and operate on a rock foundation. President Bednar's words suggested that we need to be doing a little of everything so that we can be slowly improving in the entire Gospel, not just a part of it.
Bednar said that steadfastness requires the ability to stay focused on the Gospel as a whole, not in part. He gave a couple of examples.
He said in years past someone put a bomb next to a Salt Lake Temple door and blew it off its hinges. He said the Church Apostles could have stopped their work but they continued as per normal. In fact, they never even mentioned the bombing in any number of meetings. Finally, some non-general authority new to these high level meetings (I wonder if he was referring to himself) got brave enough and asked, “Why hasn’t someone mentioned the Temple door that got bombed?” One of the Apostles said, “Oh, yes. We will have to get that fixed.” Then the Apostle sensed that the questioner wanted more. The Apostle followed up, “We do NOT take counsel from our fears.” In other words, the work just keeps going on and on and on.
President Bednar gave another example. He said on September 11th during the attack on the United States the Church offices continued as per normal. President Hinckley walked into a meeting, looked around, and then said, “We live in sobering times. Now, let’s get to work.”
The work of the Gospel is the real work that is needed in these sobering times – the Latter-day Saints are the REAL emergency workers. Our job is to prepare the way. We must be steadfast and not distracted from the big picture of the Gospel.
President Bednar said it is better to pray a little bit over five weeks than to pray for one five-hour session. He said it is better to fast over three regularly scheduled fast Sundays than to fast for three days all at once. The talk gave a variety of examples of this sort.
The message was clear: Fanaticism is NOT steadfastness.
Here are some quotes to consider:
Joseph Fielding Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p.117
The man with the Word of Wisdom only in his brain, is apt to find unmeasured fault with every other member of the Church who entertains liberal ideas as to the importance of other doctrines of the gospel.
Neal A. Maxwell, Meek and Lowly, p.63-64
Pride, not meekness, leads to exclusionary hobbies within the Church or the gospel. … Having conscientiously and effectively pursued a particular doctrine or portion of the gospel, they may, in fact, have unusual knowledge in that particular thing. (Alma 32:34.) For them, however, the incremental process of verification stops, and what has been acquired becomes a coveted source of pride.
The meek, on the other hand, … know there is more than one flower in the gospel garden, and they are not reclusive or possessive about some edge they might have. Meek individuals know they are set apart to serve, not merely set apart to observe.
Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.275 FANATICISM
Fanaticism is … perversion of true zeal. It is exhibited in wildly extravagant and overzealous views and acts. It is based either on unreasoning devotion to a cause, a devotion which closes the door to investigation and dispassionate study, or on an over emphasis of some particular doctrine or practice, an emphasis which twists the truth as a whole out of perspective.
How do we become steadfast? Well, the Book of Mormon says:
2 Nephi 31:20
20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
This passage seems to define steadfastness as being optimistic, placing faith in God, and loving God and his children. It tells us to be proactive and to press forward by studying the scriptures and enduring the trials of life. These are the things we must do to have a godly life.
Being steadfast is being firm in the Gospel; fixed in place; resolute; and constant in mind and purpose. Steadfast individuals do not waffle. My university students are all familiar with Rene Descartes’ famous phrase, “I think therefore I am.” In Latin the phrase translates as: Cogito ergo sum. To be funny, I say to class: “Cogito eggo sum,” meaning “I think therefore I waffle.” The serious meaning is: THINK, but don’t waffle. See clearly with eyes fully open.
Neal A. Maxwell, We Will Prove Them Herewith, p.21-22
The Church does not desire blind obedience; rather, that we see things with the eye of faith. (Ether 12:19.) Elder John A. Widtsoe observed: "The doctrine of the Church cannot be fully understood unless it is tested by mind and feelings, by intellect and emotions, by every power of the investigator. . . . There is no place in the Church for blind adherence."
We all must see clearly with the eye of faith. Trust, but verify. Avoid arrogance. Be humble. Such are the characteristics of being steadfast.
Copyright 2009 S.Faux (Email: foxgoku54 [at] gmail [d0t] c0m; URL: http://mormoninsights.blogspot.com). Readers may distribute this post for noncommercial purposes provided such distributing is of the entire post, including author's copyright and contact information. All other rights reserved.
Please feel free to give my blog site a "Blogged.com" rating and review by clicking here.
Support Mormon Insights by making a COMMENT.
1 comments:
Very nice, S., with some striking images. Those illustrations are so much more effective than would be another routine talk on developing good habits.
The General Authorities may have continued their work in the Administration Building, but at noon MDT the Presiding Bishopric closed the Church Office Building and sent all employees and visitors home, "out of sympathy and respect for those who lost their lives in the East this morning." I was a little upset about that, but you can't argue with the idea of respect (or with the Presiding Bishopric's Office). I kept remembering the story of the charwoman who was hard at work scrubbing the steps of the Mission Home in London on the morning after a nearby bombing had damaged the building. Her way of defeating the enemy -- of not taking counsel from her fears -- was to do her work as if the enemy didn't exist, all the while erasing all traces that he in fact had been there.
You're right. True steadfastness isn't fanaticism -- it's keeping on with the right despite excuses to give up, and all the other synonyms you list here.
Great post.
Post a Comment