Unfortunately, some Latter-day Saints ... choos[e] ... to fix their priorities on the standards and values of the world. Jesus cautioned that Satan desires to sift us like wheat (see Luke 22:31; 3 Nephi 18:18), which means to make us common like all those around us. But Jesus taught that we who follow him should be precious and unique, "the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13) and "the light of the world," to shine forth to all men (Matthew 5:14, 16; see also 3 Nephi 18:24).Certainly, the idea is not new. Disciples of Jesus Christ, of course, must live in such a way so as to "be in the world, but not of the world."
... [W]e are called to establish the Lord's standards, not to follow the world's. Elder John A. Widtsoe declared, 'We cannot walk as other men, or talk as other men, or do as other men, for we have a different destiny, obligation, and responsibility placed upon us, and we must fit ourselves [to it].' That reality has current application to every trendy action."
I guess, though, I had never really thought that one of Satan's chief means of bringing about the destruction of the souls of men would be to simply help each of us adopt the ways of other men to the point that, in the end, we were just another common person in the crowd.
So, I began to ask myself:
(1) Do I watch the same things that other people watch?Sobering questions (Sobering answers?).
(2) Do I dress the way that other people dress?
(3) Do I spend my money on the things that other people spend money on?
(4) If I look, sound, and act like all other people, what is it, exactly, that distinguishes me from all those who do not know (or live) the Gospel?
Seeing that January is the time of year many people use to re-evaluate their life and make all those glorious New Year's resolutions, maybe its time to consider ways I can more fully fulfill the "destiny, obligation, and responsibility" I have to be the salt and light of the world - a unique, precious leader in the cause of righteousness.
2 comments:
I wandered here after google searching that quote by Elder Oaks, and enjoyed your practical thoughts with which I totally agree. I wonder though, could you help...I can't really see how the analogy means that just on a technical level. How is Satan's desire to make us common like worldly men and women similar to sifting us as wheat?
Oh, let me add...partly its confusing because God uses analogies where we are compared to wheat also (I realize you can't assume all parabolic objects have the same meaning in different parables/contexts, but it still has been odd trying to figure out how they are different). The closest I've come is realizing that in the analogies where we are wheat in God's care, the emphasis is on saving us from burning, gathering us away from tares and destruction; in this analogy where we are wheat in Satan's possession, the emphasis is on exploiting us and stripping us of that which makes us who we truly are. Anyway would love to hear your further thoughts. Thanks.
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