The Very Best

President Kimball called the suit and tie “the uniform of the priesthood.” There were no suits and ties during the time of Jesus—why insist that men today wear such a getup? The Lord expects us to give our very best, whatever that may be. Even when our best is pathetic, as long as we offer it, it is acceptable to Him. At the time of Jesus, robes, prayer shawls, homespun coats, etc., were the clothes of respectability, and so they were adequate for anyone representing the Lord. A suit and tie sends the same message today, and so it is adequate. The point is not to preen like a peacock; it is to give the Lord the very best that is available to us. Then we have the right to expect the Lord’s best.

It seems that the Lord can only give His best. He is incapable of presenting mediocrity. The world we have was created to be glorious; our bodies are miraculous in their faculties and function; our deeper view of the night sky has only recently opened up with Hubble, but the beauties and wonders of the heavens it revealed have always been there. There are hidden worlds under the water in tropical reefs that require great effort to reach, but they are there anyway, amazing collections of colorful living gems made by God.

A man I met on my mission (though unfavorably disposed toward the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) told us he was complaining in prayer that the Lord had not “sent” him someone to marry. The whisperings of the Spirit came back to him: “I sent you the Best I had—I sent my Son.”

Just because we may get accustomed to cutting corners or delivering a little bit below our abilities does not mean that the Lord will ratify such an offering to Him. He knows what we are able to give, and expects us to respond in kind to His openhanded, even lavish, generosity.

During the early years of the Church, the doctrine of vicarious baptism for the dead was introduced. It came at a time of extreme poverty among the Latter-day Saints. They were told by the Lord through the Prophet Joseph that, during their time of poverty, it would be acceptable for them to perform baptisms for the dead in the Mississippi. (Note that not just any river anywhere was sanctioned.) Because they were currently too poor to build a sanctuary befitting the ordinance, the Lord allowed them instead to use a convenient river. Temple experiences and ordinances have also been conveyed on mountain tops when no suitable dedicated building was available.

Missionaries have worn robes instead of suits; baptism for the dead was originally performed outdoors instead of inside a Temple. As long as we are offering our very best, it seems the Lord is pleased with us, and it is acceptable to Him. He always gives the best to us; we ought to reciprocate in kind.

At the time the Church was first formed, beards were a social convention indicating respectability, maturity, and authority. Today a beard is often a sign of digression from social norms, a step away from the center to the periphery, possibly a sign of disregard for hygiene. Do beards affect salvation? If there were ever a situation where they might, the Lord would direct us to shave or grow them. Yesterday, a well-groomed beard was a mark of refinement in age. Today, a clean shaven face tends to send a signal that “I care enough about my appearance to groom.” In any case, following the examples of the First Presidency and the Twelve is the best way to go. A well-groomed beard or a continuously clean shaven face both indicate that someone has taken trouble, made an effort. That intangible bit of effort signifying our love may be far more valuable to the Lord than our actual appearance. (My niece, less than a year old, will drape herself in towels and other cloth, and parade about like a professor-princess in what she obviously considers to be magnificent flowing robes. I cannot help but chuckle, and assume that this is how the Lord views our ridiculous posing and parading. Perhaps our best clothes are objectively pathetic to heavenly beings; “Solomon, in all his glory,” is nothing compared to a daisy.)

When the Saints finally finished their first Temple in Kirtland, Joseph Smith said the following in the dedicatory prayer: “And now we ask thee, Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ...to accept of this house...which thou didst command us to build. For thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance to build a house to thy name...” (D&C 109:4-5). Though their efforts and materials were meager, their work met two qualifications: 1. They built the House according to revelation; 2. They offered the very best they had.

Jesus Christ appeared about a week later in that very House, and said: “Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have, with their might, built this house to my name. For behold, I have accepted this house...” (D&C 110:6-7). The objective view of the building’s poor construction was tempered by the subjective standard of the widow’s mite; she was praised by the Lord because she gave 100% while others who gave more than her were only donating a fraction of what they had.

It is worth noting that the outpouring of the Spirit was proportional to the sacrifice being offered by the Saints at Kirtland. Great spiritual manifestations occurred in association with the dedication of the Kirtland Temple. Though other, grander Temples have been built since Kirtland, the world has rarely seen such rich blessings and manifestations, especially to a group of thousands.

Comparison seems to be a knee-jerk reaction of humans, beginning in childhood. We whine about who got more and better than we; gifts allow us to outperform each other in various areas. But the Lord seems to focus less on how well we did compared to our neighbor, and more on how well we did compared to what our actual ability might produce if we pushed ourselves to the limit.

Is there a balance between Nephi’s “I will go and do” the impossible mentality, and the Lord’s patient acceptance of our best, no matter how pathetic? That question might need to be answered on a case-by-case basis by the Lord. But I am convinced that the Lord is less worried about outcomes of our attempts at obedience, and more concerned with the conditions of our hearts. In fact, if our hearts are right, and we are willing to give all, we may then confidently expect the Lord to empower us beyond our own current abilities and enable us to complete our assignments from Him.

“Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days” (D&C 64:34). The verse before it acknowledges the pathetic nature of our attempts to accomplish great things, our limitations: “Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” The Lord could have applied these words to the widow casting her two cents into the treasury. Her meager contribution could tip the scales in the right direction in a unforeseen circumstance.

The Lord tends to amplify the ripples sent out by the obedient, however small they look to us at the time. Great and momentous achievements are collecting dust in the old history books, but the words of poor and simple men from Judea are still hotly contested and widely read around the world today. The Caesars who ruled then have salad dressings named after them; the simple saints and fishermen have massive statues and monuments built to their names.

“Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thrash the nations by the power of my Spirit; And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me...” (D&C 35:13-14). “And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned” (Alma 32:23). Angels, the weak and simple, and little children are all capable of delivering staggering blows when directed by the Lord to speak. The newly-called eighteen year old elders and nineteen year old sisters have nothing to worry about, if they get and keep their "armor of God" by having the Spirit.

Why can the Lord comfortably ask so much of us relative to what meager ability we have? He not only knows what is coming in the future, and has our best interests in mind; He has also bridged the immense gulf between us and Him, and expects us to come at least a step or two in His direction. He expects our best in exchange for His.

Conference—Impressions and Synopsis of Themes

Another General Conference has come and gone. There were several scriptures and quotes repeated by more than one speaker. Here are the ones I noticed:

Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

A common complaint among various Christian churches is that there is no Biblical support for exotic Mormon doctrines. Actually, it is abundant, though often fragmentary. Premortal existence is supported by this verse, if one does not simply interpret it as a statement of God's foreknowledge.

Matt. 11:28-30: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Perhaps this was the most-often repeated quote of the entire conference. Associated with it was the frequent mention of power—given to us by God to accomplish His commandments. Humility leads to obedience, obedience leads to having the Spirit, and having the Spirit leads to power.

"After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel" (History of the Church, 2:478; from a discourse given by Joseph Smith on Apr. 6, 1837, in Kirtland, Ohio; reported by Messenger and Advocate, Apr. 1837, p. 487).

Raising children is missionary work, each child a blank slate, a new investigator fresh from heaven. Perfecting the Saints is like missionary work, teaching what each person needs to do next to further their eternal progression. Even Temple work is a form of missionary work, offering the ordinances of the gospel to those on the other side of the veil.

"Rise up" was repeated in several contexts—over and over again as an exhortation in President Uchtdorf's priesthood session talk, and at least once in the context of Jesus commanding a cripple to rise and walk as He healed him.

Ephesians 2:19: "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God..."

With 15 million members in the Church, converts might easily fall away. President Monson's talk about home teaching was probably for the salvation of teachers as well as the taught. Being a genuine friend requires an investment of time, emotional energy, and courage in the face of rejection. We should embrace all people who come through the doors. There was a plea that each of us make the first move to introduce ourselves to new people coming into our meeting places. It is so easy to offend, or be offended—so easy to feel passively or actively ignored.

It would be a horrible thing to account to the Savior for some brother or sister who left the Church because of our actions (or inaction). "How great shall be your joy" would be inverted.

Isaiah 55:9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

How are the heavens higher than the earth? They completely encompass the earth, and expand for eternity in all directions. The Lord knows everything we know, or may yet know. He also knows everything there is to know at all. It is easy to slip into giving God advice when we forget this rather obvious principle.

2 Timothy 3:1-5: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

There is opposition in all things; as the members of the Church become closer to God and witness more of the spiritual gifts promised to them, there will also be an equal and opposite outpouring. It never ceases to amaze me how otherwise rational individuals can be tricked by Satan into shooting themselves in the foot and feeling proud of it. Forsaking motherhood for career was mentioned multiple times; this is an example of "throwing away happiness with both hands." Family is forever; work is selling one's talents for ephemeral money. Developing talents of all kinds was lauded, but when it becomes impossible to adequately juggle family, marriage, and career, we were asked to let career take a hit.

Convincing people that freedom is bondage and bondage is freedom seems to be Satan's goal.

We are all beholden to something, have something enthroned in our hearts. It is not a question of IF we will worship, but WHOM or WHAT. There is no neutral ground where our hearts can hide from desires. We will end up giving our time and affection to something, somewhere, sometime. We are going to have something on the upper pedestal, and we are commanded to make certain that one thing higher than all others is God. That does not mean forsaking all other desires, just putting them in their proper order beneath the Lord. These words were not spoken this conference, but they seem to sum up much of what was said:

"When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities" (President Benson, The Great Commandment—Love The Lord, April 1988 General Conference).