Virtue

     "Virtue originates in your innermost thoughts and desires. It is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. Since the Holy Ghost does not dwell in unclean tabernacles, virtue is prerequisite to receiving the Spirit's guidance. What you choose to think and do when you are alone and you believe no one is watching is a strong measure of your virtue.
     "Virtuous people are clean and pure spiritually. They focus on righteous, uplifting thoughts and put unworthy thoughts that lead to inappropriate actions out of their minds. They obey God's commandments and follow the counsel of Church leaders. They pray for the strength to resist temptation and do what is right. They pray for the strength to resist temptation and do what is right. They quickly repent of any sins or wrongdoings. They live worthy of a temple recommend.
     "Your mind is like a stage in a theater; in the theater of your mind, however, only one actor can be on stage at a time. If the stage is left bare, thoughts of darkness and sin often enter the stage to tempt. But these thoughts have no power if the stage of your mind is occupied by wholesome thoughts, such as a memorized hymn or verse of scripture that you can call upon in a moment of temptation. By controlling the stage of your mind, you can successfully resist persistent urges to yield to temptation and indulge in sin. You can become pure and virtuous" (Preach My Gospel pg. 18-19).
     Jesus Christ never at any moment even considered thinking about thinking unwholesome thoughts. He always resisted the temptations of the devil and He conquered all. I know that if we strive to keep our thoughts and desires clean and pure and virtuous, then we will live a true happy and productive life. Even in eternal life with our Father in Heaven.

 What does it mean to be virtuous?
 D&C 4:6        D&C 46:33                  2 Peter 1:3-8
D&C 25:2       D&C 121:45-46
D&C 38:24     Articles of Faith 1:13

Charity and Love

     The next Christlike attribute is probably the most important attribute that we need to develop during the course of our life. That attribute is charity, the pure love of Christ. Now, what exactly is charity? Yes it is the pure love of Christ, but what does that entail? In the Bible Dictionary it explains charity as this, "The highest, noblest, strongest kind of love, not merely affection; the pure love of Christ." Now to me that sounds like a pretty important type of love to develop. Having charity and love for everyone is very important to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
     Christ was once asked, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus answered: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:36-39). Preach My Gospel says that this pure love "includes God's eternal love for all His children. We are to seek to develop that kind of love. When you are filled with charity, you obey God's commandments and do all you can to serve others and help them receive the restored gospel."
     "Charity is a gift from God." A prophet in the Book of Mormon, named Mormon, tells us one way we can gain charity. He says in Moroni 7: 48 that we should "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that [we] may be filled with this love." If we are to pray and ask to be filled with love and charity towards our fellow men, it must be important to God that we strive obtain this precious gift.
     Preach My Gospel goes on to explain what will happen to us as we develop charity. "As you follow this counsel and strive to do righteous works, your love for all people will increase, especially those among whom you labor. You will come to feel a sincere concern for the eternal welfare and happiness of other people. You will see them as children of God with the potential of becoming like our Heavenly Father, and you will labor in their behalf. You will avoid negative feelings such as anger, envy, lust, or covetousness. You will avoid judging others, criticizing them, or saying negative things about them. You will try to understand them and their points of view. You will be patient with them and try to help them when they are struggling or discouraged. Charity, like faith, leads to action. You will develop charity as you look for opportunities to serve others and give of yourself."
     Our Savior Jesus Christ set the example for us in pretty much every aspect of life. One being this love I've blogged about. He showed and demonstrated this kind of love throughout His life. He always looked for ways to serve His Father's children. Also, He proved His love for us by sacrificing Himself and suffering for all our sins, pains, and afflictions so we could have a chance to live with God again. I'm so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and Brother who love us with unconditional love and who are willing to bless us with this love if we have that desire to become like them. I know that if we are filled with charity, the pure love of Christ, then we will see everyone as God sees them and we will find our lives being more happy and blessed.


  Christ healing at the Pool of Bethesda

 

Christ suffering for the world.

People giving service to those in need.

Related Scriptures About Charity:

What is Charity?

Moroni 7: 45-48

1 Corinthians 13

How did Jesus Christ demonstrate Charity?

1 Nephi 19:9

Alma 7: 11-13

Ether 12: 33-34

Luke 7:12-15

What do these verses teach you about Charity?

2 Nephi 26:30     Alma 7:24          1 Timothy 4:12

Mosiah 2:17        Ether 12:28         1 Peter 4:8

Mosiah 28:3        D&C 88:125

Hope

The next Christlike attribute I would like to talk about is hope.

The reference's for this post will come from the Gospel Reference book True to the Faith,  and from the missionary guide manual Preach My Gospel. In True to the Faith  it says this concerning hope.

     "The word hope is sometimes misunderstood. In our everyday language, the word often has a hint of uncertainty. For example, we may say that we hope for a change in the weather or a visit from a friend. In the language of the gospel, however, the word hope is sure, unwavering, and active." "Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. It is believing and expecting that something will occur. When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good. Hope helps you conquer discouragement. The scriptures often descripe hope in Jesus Christ as the assurance that you will inherit eternal life in the celestial kingdom" -Preach My Gospel pg. 117.

This video by Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ gives a perfect, and inspiring message about hope. Check it out.



To end, I would like to quote another Apostle, Pres. James E. Faust, who passed away a few years ago, concenig hope.

     He states, "Hope is the anchor of our souls... Hope is trust in God's promises, faith that if we act now, the desired blessings will be fulfilled in future...The unfailing source of our hope is that we are sons and daughters of God and that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, saved us from death."

     If we have hope, then we will know, that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can live a better, more peaceful and joyous life, knowing that a better world lies ahead of us.  



Faith in Jesus Christ

One of the Christlike attributes we need to develop is the simple word of faith. Faith in Jesus Christ Himself to be more specific. The simple definition of faith is believing in something you can't see. That is essentially what faith is. Faith in Jesus Christ, is believing in Him and who He is, although we have never seen, or met Him personally. However, we do read all about Christ in the scriptures, and by so doing, we can come to know Christ and to have faith and believe in Him. To have faith in Christ, we must accept Him as our Savior and follow His teachings. We believe that through Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven of our sins and become clean through His Atoning sacrifice in our behalf. Also, you trust in Him and you know that He loves you with unconditional love.

Faith, believe it or not, is an action word. When we have faith, we want to do something. Faith leads to repentance when we sin, obedience to the commandments, and giving service to others. When you have faith, you trust the Lord enough to follow His commandments even if you don't clearly understand why. Your faith is shown by what you do in your life, or in other words, your faith is shown by your works. If you don't do anything to show your faith, then your faith is dead as is states in James chapter 2.

Now, incredible faith doesn't just come to someone overnight. It begins as a tiny seed and if nourished, it will grow into a giant tree. Your faith will increase with scripture study, prayer, service, and obedience to the commandments. As you strive to be a better disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, your faith in Him will grow. Faith is such a simple principle, yet it is a crucial principle to develop because we walk by faith rather than by sight so we can make it back to our Father in Heaven. Through faith, we can be blessed beyond measure.
I know that if we develop faith in Christ by learning more about Him, and by striving to keep His commandments, then we will find ourselves trusting in the Lord a little bit more each and everyday. We can live a joyful, peaceful life if we put our faith and trust in the Lord enough to follow Him to the end of our lives, with confidence that He will make out lives worthwhile.