Anointing with Oil

The prophet Samuel went to Bethlehem to find a king. Guided by the spirit to the house of Jesse, Samuel met seven strong and impressive sons. His confidence grew: surely one of these was the man he sought! "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as a man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Samuel then sent for Jesse's youngest son, David, who was out tending the sheep, "and the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward" (1 Samuel 16:12-13).

Anointing with oil has been part of revealed religion since the days of Adam and Eve. Prophets anointed men to become kings and priests. The faithful have been anointed as part of an ordination or blessing, including the healing of the sick and the temple initiatory (Exodus 40:13, 1 Kings 19:16, Mark 6:13, James 5:14). In each case, sacred anointings have used olive oil and been followed by an increased measure of the Spirit of the Lord.

Olive trees are a metaphor in scripture for the house of Israel, or God's covenant people. The olive branch is commonly used as a symbol of peace. Olive oil reminds us of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace and our Covenant Giver, because the bitter olive, when crushed, produces an oil that is sweet. It is used in scripture as a symbol of the healing and light that we can receive from the Divine Physician and the Light of the World (Matthew 25:1-13, Luke 10:34).

As we are anointed and our cells begin to bond with those in the oil, it is symbolically as if we were applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ directly to our illness, wound, or calling. The one giving the blessing does so by the power of the priesthood, received from Jesus Christ, and strives to speak the words of Christ given through the Holy Ghost. In a very real way, Christ is the one who heals and blesses us (Exodus 15:26). It is through him that we are given power to become kings and queens in his kingdom and receive an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord to guide us in our lives and prepare us for divine responsibilities.

Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, taught us in word and deed about the divine calling of those who are anointed or ordained to serve him. The titles Christ and Messiah themselves are translated from Greek and Hebrew words, respectively, that mean "anointed." Luke testified that "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him" (Acts 10:38).

Christ testified of himself using the words of Isaiah:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:1-3, Luke 4:16-32).

Those who have been anointed in the temple initiatory, and those who have been called and ordained to serve in His kingdom, are called to follow the example of The Anointed One who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We were not chosen because of our stature, but because of the desires of our hearts. Just as David prepared to be a king for fifteen years after he was anointed, we have been anointed to prepare greater things, filling our metaphorical lamps with oil until Christ comes again. Guided by the Spirit, we are to serve those around us and lift up those in need. Part of our covenant with Christ is to "speak no evil of the Lord's anointed;" this includes our Savior, ordained church leaders, and all of our faithful brothers and sisters who have been anointed to become kings and queens, priests and priestesses in His kingdom.

We renew this covenant each Sunday as we partake of the sacrament bread and water. As we are figuratively anointed again each week, we are reminded that if we will take the name of Christ upon ourselves, always remember Him, and keep His commandments, we may receive an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord to guide us, comfort us, and prepare us to become kings and queens in the kingdom of God (D&C 20:77, 79). The Lord has personally sought you out for this divine role and blessed you with strength to slay your Goliaths, forgive the Sauls in your life, lead your armies of Elders or sisters or primary children, discern His will, and grow in humility, compassion, and resilience until the time of your coronation is come.

Finding Reality in a Fake World

Four years ago, I wrote a post about how worldly mirages can lead us away from the gospel path, the people we want to be and the lives we want to live. I quoted President Benson then, who said, "Without [Christ] we would be lost in a mirage of beliefs and worships, born in fear and darkness where the sensual and materialistic hold sway. We are far short of the goal he set for us, but we must never lose sight of it; nor must we forget that our great climb toward the light, toward perfection, would not be possible except for his teachings, his life, his death, and his resurrection" (April 1964).

Many years before I wrote my post, Elder Packer shared a parable that illustrates the same principle illuminated by President Benson. The parable was shared again by Elder Stephen Owen in a recent conference. He said Elder Packer told of a severe winter in Utah when deep snow had driven the deer very low into some of the valleys. Seeing that the deer were out of their natural habitat, some well-meaning agencies tried to respond by bringing in hay for the deer to eat. Unfortunately, many of the deer were later found dead. Those who handled the animals afterward said that their stomachs were full of hay, but they had starved to death. The deer had been fed, but they had not been nourished.

Considering this parable left me thinking again about how much in the world is not real. We make fake food (what Michael Pollan calls, "edible, food-like substances"), play fantasy sports and read fake news. There are drugs for fake highs and alcohol for induced relaxation. Many of us use social media to make pseudo-connections and act as fake experts.

Many people in the world have fake relationships, including "romantic" relationships that are the fantasized result of pornography, masturbation, online chats or one-night stands. We play electronic games that give us fake success as we pretend to be sports team managers, army snipers or home remodelers. We say this is virtual or simulated reality, but there isn't much reality in it at all.

Fake wrath is a thing now with angry mobs who are mad only because they've been told they are supposed to be. Fake victimhood is a thing too, especially when someone else has a turn doing something well. The news now reports fake disasters, fake emergencies and fake threats. There are fake religions, fake causes, fake truth and fake science. It's literally unbelievable.

In most cases, fake things are relatively simple to detect because they are hollow. They are positioned to appeal to the natural man or woman in each of us-- to prey on primal reactions and manipulate our thoughts and behavior-- offering little substance beyond sensual pleasure. Our physical instincts are powerful, which is why these temptations can be difficult to overcome even when we detect them.

Reality is the remedy for a fake world. Prophets have repeatedly plead with the saints to put down our devices, avoid pornography like an insidious disease, be slow to offense and abstain from drugs and alcohol. While the devil deals in deceptions, the Lord whispers simple truths to sober minds. 

The Prophet Jacob taught anciently: "The Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls" (Jacob 4:13).

Elder David A. Bednar added, "Obedience opens the door to the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. And the spiritual gifts and abilities activated by the power of the Holy Ghost enable us to avoid deception-- and to see, to feel, to know, to understand, and to remember things as they really are" (Things as They Really Are, May 2009).

There is nothing more real than our Creator, Redeemer and Advocate, Jesus Christ. He lives. He made all that is real. His Atonement is real and powerful. His gospel leads us down the path of truth to real happiness, real peace and real strength that we can enjoy in this life and after we die. He fulfills all of his promises; and with his help, each of us can discover what is real in our lives.

Our world is filled with mirages and misleading, though appealing, philosophies. Some would try to convince us that we can live our lives as if at a dessert buffet, gluttonously filling our hearts, minds and bodies with guilty pleasures and sweets that have no nutritional value. Choosing to follow the world will leave us in a hungover state of spiritual lethargy and darkness. We may gain information or entertainment for awhile, but we will be left with feelings of emptiness, loneliness, dissatisfaction, and of being unacceptable to God, to ourselves and to others. Our souls will slowly die of spiritual starvation.

As disciples of Christ, we must choose instead to follow our Savior, Jesus Christ. As we fill our lives with real things that are uplifting, true, faith-inspiring and good, the light of the gospel will illuminate what is real. "If your eye be single to my glory," the Lord taught, "your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things" (D&C 88:67).

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-- We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things (Articles of Faith 1:13).

Finding Truth

Christ in Front of Pontius Pilate by Henry Coller

Toward the end of the final examination of Jesus Christ, the Savior testified to Pilate, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."

"Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all" (John 18:37-38).

As a young missionary in England, John Jaques pondered this exchange and Pilate's inquiry: What is truth? It is a simple question, yet one that philosophers, politicians and theologians have struggled for centuries to answer with any real satisfaction. Jaques contemplated while he served in Stratford-on-Avon, the home town of William Shakespeare, then penned his profound reply in prose that was published in the original Pearl of Great Price in 1851. He mused:

Oh say, what is truth? 'Tis the fairest gem
That the riches of worlds can produce,
And priceless the value of truth will be when
The proud monarch's costliest diadem
Is counted but dross and refuse.

Yes, say, what is truth? 'Tis the brightest prize
To which mortals or Gods can aspire;
Go search in the depths where it glittering lies
Or ascend in pursuit to the loftiest skies.
'Tis an aim for the noblest desire.

The sceptre may fall from the despot's grasp
When with winds of stern justice he copes,
But the pillar of truth will endure to the last,
And its firm-rooted bulwarks outstand the rude blast,
And the wreck of the fell tyrant's hopes.

Then say, what is truth? 'Tis the last and the first,
For the limits of time it steps o'er.
Though the heavens depart and the earth's fountains burst,
Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst,
Eternal, unchanged, evermore.

The Lord has defined truth as, "knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come" (D&C 93:24). When we remove the filters of our perceptions and bias, truth is what remains. Truth is what is real. It is the pursuit of long investigations and scientific studies. And while even the most widely held scientific theories can be disproven, and there is much we do not know, truth continues to govern, to hold the stars in their place, to patiently wait for its discovery like flakes of gold that, bit by bit, eventually amass into a great treasure.

Truth exists in bold independence from what societies may want it to be. It outlasts empires and is more valuable than a royal treasury of precious gems. It is the reason for universities and think tanks and many government agencies.

We might reasonably ask: if truth is so sought-after by researchers and investigators and, ultimately, all of us, why is it so difficult to find? Why do so many of us struggle to find the principles of truth that govern health and happiness? Why isn't there a consensus about the existence of God or what good morals are or the value of all kinds of life? Where is truth?

Although truth is there for the taking, finding it can be a little like hiking in the dark. If we rely only on light from other sources around us-- the moon and the stars, as it were-- we may miss important details that cause us to take a wrong turn or even stumble and fall. On the wrong trail, and with the wrong timing, our inability to see in the dark could be fatal.

A flashlight or headlamp may not be powerful enough to reveal the scenery around us-- only the sun can do that-- but they can illuminate the trail ahead so we know where to step, where not to step, and how to safely reach our destination. In a world that often embraces the dark, we need a light to reveal the truths that will help us find peace, joy and direction in our lives.

Jesus Christ is the light of the world. He is willing to share that light with us if we will come to him. Scripture records:

And the light which shineth, and giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings... And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things (D&C 88:11, 67).

If we follow the light within each of us-- the conscience or inner voice that gives us life and law and understanding-- we will receive more light and be better able to recognize truth. "For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light" (D&C 88:40).

Likewise, the Lord taught, "that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers" (D&C 93:39). Isaiah wrote that, "[the devil] hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart" (John 12:40); and Jesus chided those who wanted more miraculous bread, "Having eyes, see ye not?" (Mark 8:18). When we choose to disobey or ignore that light, we turn off our metaphorical flashlights and are no longer able to find the path to the destination we intended to reach.

Jesus taught Nicodemus:

He that believeth on [the Son of God] is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God (John 3:18-21).

Oh say, what is that noble truth more valuable than rubies or diamonds? It is those deeds that can be done in the light. It is pure knowledge of divine origin, the fruit of the spirit, the source of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance (Galatians 5:22-23). It is the sum of existence, the Son of God in whom there is no fault, and its light shines within all of us who will listen to its voice.

Looking Steadfastly Toward Heaven

"Mountain Lion" by K. Baughan

One night recently, I arrived home from a business trip after dark. As I got out of my car, I heard something rustling in the bushes a few yards behind me. It sounded like something bigger than a squirrel or a cat, which always gets my imagination working. I glanced in that direction and saw the porch light reflecting off a single pair of large eyes amid the darkness of the bushes.

This experience could be unnerving for anyone, but it is even more unnerving in a rural, forested area known for bobcats, bears and mountain lions. Feeling almost certain that I was being watched by a hungry mountain lion, I stopped where I was with my car door still open and turned on my cell phone flashlight. Turning toward the bushes, I pointed the light at my stalker only to find that my hungry mountain lion was really a deer who was probably more terrified of me than I was of it. With a deep sigh of relief, and a chuckle about the whole situation, I closed the car door and went inside the house.

All of us have had experiences where we thought we saw or heard something that turned out to be much different when we looked closer, asked again or decided to investigate. What may have been muffled or shrouded in darkness can suddenly become clear when we turn to face the source of a light, movement or sound.

Following the death of Christ, there was great destruction in the Americas. Valleys became mountains, mountains became valleys, entire cities burned or fell into the ocean and many people were carried away in large tornadoes. The chaos must have been overwhelming.

When the earth settled and the fires died down, there came three days of complete darkness. The darkness was so thick, flint wouldn't spark and fires wouldn't light. Amid the blackness, and in the wake of prodigious disaster, the air was filled with sorrowful cries of grieving and regret.

Dawn finally came and scripture records there were many people gathered around the temple marveling at the transformation of the land and "conversing about this Jesus Christ, of whom the sign had been given concerning his death". Suddenly, "they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice which they heard". It was a small voice, but it pierced them to their cores. The people had just experienced fires and earthquakes, but this voice made their bodies quake on solid ground and their hearts burn without a flame.

Though the people could hear the voice and feel of its power, they could not understand its message even when it came a second time. Finally, the people "did open their ears to hear it... and they did look steadfastly towards heaven, from whence the sound came." This time they understood the voice and were privileged to hear God, our Heavenly Father, introduce His resurrected Son, the Savior Jesus Christ.

There have been many times in my life when the voice of the Lord has seemed muffled. Sometimes I have known something was there, like the eyes staring at me from the bushes, but was unable to recognize what it was. Other times it has seemed as if the answers to my prayers were being intercepted somehow so that I could not hear at all. This has been especially true when I have been discouraged or feeling rejected or lost.

In every instance, I've found the volume and clarity I needed to understand when I have turned toward the source of the messages I have sought. Praying more earnestly, studying more sincerely and striving more diligently to do the Lord's will turns our hearts and minds to Him and shines a light on the doctrines and principles we are seeking to understand.

Abiding in the True Vine

Over one-third of America's vegetables and two-thirds of the fruit and nuts are grown in California's San Joaquin Valley. Although the Valley is home to more than 90 percent of the celery, garlic, walnuts, artichoke and kiwi you'll encounter, the signature crop is the grapes that make those dancing California raisins.

Thousands of pounds of those raisins are produced at a Church-owned vineyard in the heart of San Joaquin. The mile-long rows of the vineyard stretch as far as the eye can see and each of the local congregations are responsible for harvesting a row or two of grapes, drying them into raisins and preparing them for packaging. The raisins grown here support the Church's welfare system and humanitarian efforts around the world.

My family is among those that volunteer. As my wife or I cut a bunch of grapes from the branches of the vine, our kids lay them out to dry on large sheets of paper. It doesn't take long to notice that some branches have lots of grapes, others have fruit that has not yet fully grown, and sometimes there are places where the branches have fallen or been cut from the vine and there are no grapes at all.

The image of a grapevine with its branches and fruit is the basis for one of the Savior's parables in which he taught that the world is like a large vineyard. "I am the true vine," he taught, "and my Father is the husbandman" (John 15:1). Each of us are like a branch of the vine. The fruit is a symbol of our righteous actions.

A vine brings life and nourishment to the branches. Had we been in the upper room in Jerusalem where Christ and his disciples ate the Passover together for the last time, we would have heard him testify that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life of the world. He is the Way because he provided a perfect example and it is only through him and his Atonement that we can return to live with God. He is the Truth because he is the source of all truth and lived all truth perfectly. He is the Life because he created all life in the heavens and the earth, he is "the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things" (D&C 88:13), and he makes it possible to overcome physical and spiritual death and return to life through repentance and our eventual resurrection.

As branches in the vineyard, it is imperative to realize that the fruits we bear are not our own. If we cut a branch from a vine and plant it elsewhere in the vineyard, it will certainly wither and die. That is because the branches rely completely on the life and nourishment delivered through the vine to produce fruit for the harvest. Branches that have been partially severed or are too limited in their capacity fail to produce good fruit because they are not able to deliver enough nutrients in time for the harvest.

Accordingly, the Savior taught, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:4-5).

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught that the word "abide" used in these verses means to remain firmly and permanently attached to Jesus Christ and His Church ("Abide in Me," Ensign, May 2004, 32). When we abide in the true vine, we live abundantly because the light and life he provides flows through us and we become the instruments and bearers of his marvelous works.

The Bible Dictionary explains, "It is ... through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts."

Jesus Christ is the true vine. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life of the world. It is his light that sustains all that grows in the San Joaquin Valley and throughout the world. He was planted by the husbandman, our Heavenly Father, who cares for us and wants us to bear good fruit in abundance. He delivers life and nourishment to each of us so that we may have every possible opportunity to fulfill the measure of our creation.

In the end, the abundance of our lives hinges on whether we will choose to abide in him. He cannot give us the light and truth we need to prosper if we're only partially committed or are unwilling to grow our capacity to act on what we receive. On the other hand, if we will firmly attach ourselves to him through our faith and repentance, there is nothing we cannot do. Through the strength of the true vine and our own best efforts, we can lay hold on every good thing and prepare ourselves now for the harvest and exaltation in the Lord's vineyard.

The Glory of God is Intelligence

"The glory of God is intelligence," the Lord has declared, "or, in other words, light and truth" (D&C 93:36). If it is our goal to be admitted into his presence and thereby obtain his glory, we must pursue light and truth with the decisions that we make.

We will not always be successful in our pursuits, individually or collectively. The Lord taught Joseph Smith that "the wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers" (D&C 93:39). As a missionary in Germany I often spoke with people who were unwilling to hear about the restored gospel because of their ingrained family traditions, regardless of whether they were active in those traditions or spiritually uplifted by them. Likewise, most of us have experienced the absence of light in our lives that follows when we fail to study the scriptures or pray regularly.

There are more ways that we could disobey than would be worthwhile to list, but it is particularly germane here to consider those things that have become habit or tradition. Are there traditions in your life that take away light and truth rather than helping you or your family to grow in light and truth? This might include the movies and television shows we choose to watch, when and what types of activities we choose to do as a family, our Sabbath-day worship, the social and political causes we support, and how we fill our spare time.

Of course, each of us has agency and many of these decisions are between us and the Lord; but that doesn't mean that what we're comfortable doing is what the Lord would have us do. Abraham grew up in a family that worshiped idols and may have become an influential man in that society had he followed in the footsteps of his father. Yet, he decided to break the tradition to seek after "greater happiness and peace and rest" through the priesthood covenant (Abraham 1:2). We do well when we use our agency as Abraham did: to break the traditions that separate us from God and replace them with those that bring greater light and truth into our lives.

The Lord explains how this can be done:

Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you... And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light and comprehendeth all things. Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will (D&C 88:53, 67-68).

As we seek to sanctify our lives of those traditions that may be robbing us of the light and truth God desires to send into our lives-- including those that may be good but are not better or best-- the Lord will prepare us to see his face and abide his glory.

Magic Mirrors and the Perfect Law of Liberty

About an hour east of Frankfurt, Germany, is the small city of Lohr. Like hundreds of other European cities, the highlight of Lohr is the spectacular castle that was once the center of a bustling fiefdom. Inside, visitors find thousands of evidences of the wealth and luxury of its former occupants, but none more striking than the iconic Lohr Mirror.

The Lohr Mirror Manufacture of the eighteenth century was truly ahead of its time. After thousands of years of using pools of water or polished copper to produce faint and distorted reflections, the Lohr Manufacture had developed an elaborate production process that resulted in more reflected light and much clearer images.

By the 1720s, Lohr mirrors had gained a reputation for "always speaking the truth" and became a favorite gift of the European crown and aristocratic courts. Like Narcissus of Greek mythology, who fell in love with his own reflection and would rather die than part with it, it was during the heyday of the Lohr Mirror Manufacture that people began to be accused of spending excessive amounts of time "looking into the glass," almost always in self-admiration.

It was also during this period that Phillipp Christoph von Erthal gave an elegant full-length Lohr mirror to his second wife, the Countess Claudia Elisabeth von Venningen, to display in the Lohr Castle where they lived. When Phillipp died in the 1740s, local legend says the "talking mirror" became the center of Claudia's life. Increasingly obsessed with her own image, Claudia soon began to be insanely jealous of her step-daughter, the Baroness Maria Sophia von Erthal, whom the people of Lohr adored as an "angel of mercy and kindness" and the ideal princess.

Before long, Maria, who is better known today as the Grimm Brothers’ "Snow White", was forced to flee 22 miles through the mountains to escape her stepmother's murderous plots. She found sanctuary for a time in the mining community of Bieber, which was primarily staffed by children at the time, until her stepmother found and poisoned her there.

The fairy tale gets a little strange at this point, but in the story of the Countess von Venningen, we find a troubling obsession with self-image that, like Narcissus, leads to physical and spiritual death. We can expect a similar consequence if we hold our own self-interest like a mirror between us and the rest of the world, for it will severely inhibit our ability to make connections, build relationships and see and enjoy all that is good about life. In selfish and narrow-minded seeking for whatever life we've conjured up for ourselves, the Lord has promised that we will lose our lives (Luke 17:33).

The tragedies of Narcissus, the Countess and others like them are made worse by the realization that the images that have so captivated their subjects are nothing more than distorted reflections of physical light, void of substance and incapable of showing the viewer a complete picture of the reality within or around them. The Lord told Samuel that he, "seeth not as a man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Though our physical appearance may deceive ourselves and others for a time, the Lord knows the reality of who we are and our inner thoughts, desires and emotions.

We can now and someday all will have a perfect knowledge of who we really are. Paul wrote that "for now we see through a glass, darkly," but that one day, "when that which is perfect is come," we will see these realities "face to face" (1 Corinthians 13:12). This includes the glorious truths of our divine heritage. The Family: A Proclamation to the World declares that "all human beings--male and female--are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny."

James, the brother of Jesus, taught us how we can see ourselves as we really are. "For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer," he said, "he [or she] is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what matter of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1:23-25). 

The particular language here provides us the insights we need. Both Paul and James speak of perfection in contrast to our present vision, and more particularly, in contrast to what we see in the mirror. Paul tells us that we will see clearly “when that which is perfect is come”. James suggests that looking into the perfect law of liberty is in direct competition with looking forgetfully at our reflection. But how do we look into a law? And how does that really contrast with the man who looked into the mirror-- like Narcissus and the Countess-- yet forgot who he really was?

In a 1981 General Conference address, President Marion G. Romney reminded us that many of those with the greatest political and economic freedom never experience true freedom of the soul. "Free agency," he cautioned, "precious as it is, is not of itself the perfect liberty we seek, nor does it necessarily lead thereto. As a matter of fact, through the exercise of their agency more people have come to political, economic, and personal bondage than to liberty."

Yet, "notwithstanding the fact that through its misuse, political, economic and personal liberty are lost, free agency will always endure because it is an eternal principle. However, the free agency possessed by any one person is increased or diminished by the use to which he puts it" ("The Perfect Law of Liberty", October 1981, emphasis added).

In other words, we "are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil" (2 Nephi 2:27). This is not done all at once, but each choice we make either adds to our freedom or to our bondage. The Countess von Venningen had nearly unlimited political and economic freedom. She could have won the affection of her people by throwing wonderful parties or planting elaborate gardens or easing their burdens. Instead, she allowed each glance at the mirror to narrow her vision and replace potential for joy with enraged jealousy until she became a slave to her obsession and sealed her own fate to an eternal bondage.

Contrast the Countess' experience with the Apostle Paul, who was often persecuted and penniless. He wrote to the Corinthians:

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness" (2 Corinthians 11:24-27).

Despite all of this, Paul wrote to Timothy shortly before his death: "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8). Paul, who forfeited economic and political freedom to become a disciple of Christ, and who was writing from a prison cell in Rome, expresses here the perfect freedom of the soul he enjoyed despite earthly tribulations.

Christ taught that "whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth forever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:34-36). And again, "they who are not sanctified through the law which I have given unto you, even the law of Christ, must inherit another kingdom, even that of a terrestrial kingdom, or that of a telestial kingdom. For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory" (D&C 86:21-22). And again, "Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven" (D&C121:45).

This, then, is the perfect law of liberty: that as we choose obedience to the laws of Christ, we will find liberty of the soul in direct proportion to our obedience until our obedience and our liberty become perfect. If we look into the perfect law of liberty, that is, if we lay aside our filthiness and become doers of the word as James directs, the light that is reflected back at us will not be imperfect physical rays but the perfect light of Christ, of the gospel, and of things as they really are (D&C 93:28, Jacob 4:13). 

"That which is of God is light," the Lord taught the Prophet Joseph Smith, "and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day" (D&C 50:24). When we follow President Monson's counsel to defy the consensus and choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, we are choosing liberty and eternal life rather than captivity and death and we will receive more spiritual light as a result-- but there are really two processes going on at once.

First, through our faithful action upon the words of God we receive more light and truth from the Lord. We will be capable of even greater faith and obedience. But second, and of equal or greater importance, is that as we continually repent and improve in our obedience we are refined, not unlike a Lohr Mirror, until we become mirrors of spiritual light that "always speak the truth". That is, we undergo a process of learning and refining until we perfectly reflect his image in our countenances (Alma 5:14).

"Ye are the light of the world," the Lord taught, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16). Our goal in striving to obey the words of scripture, of modern prophets, and of the Holy Ghost, is not to become our own dim light in the world but rather that through our good works our brothers and sisters will see the Light of the World, our Savior and theirs, and come into his fold.

To be able to reflect that light, James again directs: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27). "And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world," the Lord has taught us in modern times, "thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day" (D&C 59:9).

As we strive to live the gospel, we are both receivers and reflectors of the light that gives liberty to us all. If we choose, our light and liberty can grow until the Lord's image is reflected in our countenance and, thus endowed with light and truth, we will stand confidently in the presence of God as one of his fold, not as rulers of a small fiefdom but as heirs to the supreme celestial light and glory of the King of Kings and the Creator of the Universe (John 10:14, Matthew 7:31, D&C 93:36, John 3:21).

Then, perhaps, you'll also have a chance to meet the real Snow White. If you do, perhaps you can also ask her what that business with the prince was really all about.

Moments That Matter Most

We would do well to slow down a little... focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most... Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light. It comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most... Diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior of the world.

~President Dieter F. Uchtdorf