As world events become increasingly complex and many people “call evil good and good evil” (2 Nephi 15:20), I’ve given considerable thought to what makes a disciple of Christ. How can one ensure that on judgment day, they will be among those who really knew the Savior?
What is a Disciple?
President Russell M. Nelson has shed some light on this:
“As individuals, we should ‘follow after the things which make for peace’” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2002, 41).
President Nelson’s consistent message has been for us to be peacemakers and to live by the Golden Rule. We have the scriptures, and he reminds us, “We should employ them and expand our circle of love to embrace the whole human family.” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2002, 41)
There is a group of people described in the Book of Mormon called the Zoramites. Among other shortcomings, they only prayed once a week. They thanked God that they had been ‘chosen’, and then “never speaking of their God again until they had assembled themselves together again to the holy stand.” (Alma 31:23)
Although this behavior seems silly and a bit cartoonish, I think about how easy it is to go through our busy lives forgetting our identities as peacemakers and disciples. Part of that peace is working toward the “positive peace” described by Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. in his sermon “When Peace Becomes Obnoxious” in 1956, which is not just the “absence of this tension” but also “the presence of justice.”
In the Book of Mormon, Alma describes a group of people who used their power and blessings in this way: “And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been nourished; and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need” (Alma 1:30).
Sometimes, though, there are things that stand in the way of us becoming peacemakers.
Being Honest
One of the most vulnerable parts of the accounts of the Savior’s ministry is about the man who was looking for a miracle for his child and said, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). The beauty of this man’s honesty was that he expressed the faith he had and then asked for what he needed. Like this man, once we have started on our journey to be more honest with ourselves and others, we can come closer to the Savior.
Part of that honesty includes being aware of our respective thorns in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7), some of which we may have through no fault of our own. We may struggle from the unrighteous actions of others, our own emotional wounds or poor habits, or even good things taken to extremes. These keep us from reaching our full potential as children of God.
Quoting Isaiah, Nephi seems to refer to these as “sparks”: “Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand—ye shall lie down in sorrow” (2 Ne. 7:11).
These sparks may start innocently enough as distractions, but they may keep us from reaching our full potential. For many of us, extinguishing these sparks means being honest with ourselves and our heavenly relationships. Perhaps you spend too much time on your phone, on social media, or are dealing with mental or emotional health issues. Maybe you struggle to control your temper or have unresolved issues that make it challenging for you to navigate life. In these cases, healing can come not only from scripture study and prayer, but also from getting more sleep, reducing screen time, going for a walk, or taking the time to understand your emotions, allowing yourself to respond thoughtfully to a situation rather than reacting impulsively or being “acted upon” (2 Ne. 2:26).
Be Aware of False “Truths”
Another step on the journey to becoming a better disciple and peacemaker is cultivating an awareness of false “truths” we may have mistakenly internalized.
I remember watching a documentary in a college course. The professor told us to identify the tools the filmmakers used to convince us of their messages. I distinctly remember one scene where the filmmakers wanted us to believe someone was bad. To illustrate this, the screen displayed a picture of a dirty and smudged phone pad while audio of the “bad” person played. This has long served as a reminder to me that although the essence or pieces of a message might be true, there may be falsehoods or other motivations woven in.
Elder Uchtdorf touched on this when he discussed the “truths” the Nephites and Lamanites had internalized about each other: “The Nephites’ ‘truth’ about the Lamanites was that they ‘were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people,’ never able to accept the gospel. The Lamanites’ ‘truth’ about the Nephites was that Nephi had stolen his brother’s birthright and that Nephi’s descendants were liars who continued to rob the Lamanites of what was rightfully theirs. These ‘truths’ fed their hatred for one another until it finally consumed them all.
“Needless to say, there are many examples in the Book of Mormon that contradict both of these stereotypes. Nevertheless, the Nephites and Lamanites believed these ‘truths’ that shaped the destiny of this once-mighty and beautiful people.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, BYU Devotional, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, Jan. 13, 2013)
The Truth Requires Being True to Ourselves
It is worth paying attention to what “truths” are shaping our opinions of others. Often, when we are honest, we can see we are acting out of fear or a need for power or certainty.
It is my hope that as we strive to become peacemakers and honestly confront the sparks and false beliefs that may be holding us back—from truly seeing others and allowing ourselves to be seen, both in earthly and heavenly relationships—we can grow as disciples and better help others come to know the Savior through us.