President's Weekly Letter

 …VAN EEN VERNUFTIGE MAKELIJ…

(1 Nephi 18:1)

Belgium/Netherlands Mission

                  

ATTRIBUTES OF CHRIST

Every missionary in the Belgium Netherlands Mission has been set apart as a full time missionary.  The Elders have been ordained with the Priesthood of God.  We have set out to do a difficult job that for most is in a foreign language making it even more difficult.  Equal to the difficulty, we are blessed abundantly with a love for these two countries where we serve and deep satisfaction of faithful fulfillment of our responsibilities. 

The Lord has promised power with the ordination.  President Kimball wrote (p. 4, PMG)

“The setting apart may be taken literally…set apart from the world to a higher plane of thought and activity.  The blessing is conditional upon faithful performance.”

As you faithfully exercise your authority, you will raise to this higher plane of thought and activity.  Then you can expect to be blessed with greater spiritual power.  How do you exercise your authority?  You Keep Covenants.  The first covenant you made was to take the name of Christ on yourself, meaning you will strive to incorporate into your life the attributes of Christ.  You repent and continually improve your purity.  You work, meaning you expend the long hours and effort to fill your day.  You seek the spirit and follow its promptings so the Savior can guide you.  Finally, you develop and maintain love for the people and God.

The Zone Conferences last week focused on your commitment to develop the attributes of Christ (Chapter 6, PMG).  One reason you follow His example and become like Him by incorporating His attributes into your life is best stated by Elder Oaks regarding the final judgment:

“… scriptures …refer to our being judged by the condition we have achieved.”

 “… the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts – what we have done.  It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts – what we have become.  It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions.  The commandments, ordinances and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.” (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Oct 2000 Conference)

I showed you a painting of a mountain by my home in Fillmore, Utah.  I shared several sacred mountain top experiences I have had on that mountain as I approached serious turning points in my life.  The mountain became my friend representing the attributes of: steadfast, immovable, unwavering, dependable, firm and it stood tall as a beacon in my times of need.

The group looked up numerous accounts of scriptural events occurring on or having to do with mountains or rocks.  The list is exhaustive where mountains are used when special events took place or rocks are used as significant metaphors.   

We then provided each of you with a rock, taken from a mountain.  It is granite, part of the mountain and a symbol of the mountain and the mountain’s attributes of steadfast, immovable, unwavering, dependable, firm and standing tall as a beacon.  These are the same characteristics of my commitment and your commitment to incorporate Christ-like attributes into our lives.

Christ-like attributes determine my relationship with God, my relationship with me and my relationship with other people.  For me, I have assigned Christ-like attributes as follows:

Relationship with Heavenly Father:

            Faith in Jesus Christ

            Knowledge

            Love & Charity

            Humility

            Obedience

Relationship with myself:

            Hope

            Diligence

Relationship with other people:

            Virtue

            Patience

            Love & Charity

My commitment to develop Christ-like attributes is steadfast, immovable, unwavering, dependable, firm and it stands tall as a beacon.  The rock reminds me of my commitment.

God can count on me.  Others can depend on me. I know where I stand.

President Robinson