1. Be grateful.
2. Be smart.
3. Be clean.
4. Be true.
5. Be humble.
6. Be prayerful.
Those were President Hinckley's "Be" statements, and he elaborated on the why and how of each. I have found a few "be" commandments from the Lord in the scriptures. The Lord gives reasons accompanying each instruction.
Be Still
"And they that have been scattered shall be gathered. And all they who have mourned shall be comforted. And all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned. Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God" (D&C 101:14-16).
C. S. Lewis described our frantic, panicked behavior as the thrashing of a drowning person that keeps rescuers from helping him. If he calms down, it is then easier for a rescuer to pull him to safety.
Notice that when the Lord is telling us to "be still," He is also giving the reasons we have to do so; He describes what He is doing, and what His powers are, and what He will yet do. Enoch also feared, and the Lord comforted him: "And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good. Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you. Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me." (Moses 6:32-34). The Lord does not just tell us to quit whining; He gives us good reasons to have hope and confidence, emphasizing His guiding hand in all life, including ours. Enoch became frightening himself, offending hearers and scaring everyone else.
"...behold the works of the Lord...He maketh wars to cease...Be still, and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:8-10). "…stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord..." (Ex. 14:13). This is not a direction to be idle, but observant, to watch God work on our behalf.
Be Thou Humble
Lehi taught that the ends of the law could only be answered to those with broken hearts and contrite spirits, "and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered" (2Ne. 2:7). Other virtues tend to get top billing; humility gets far less emphasis than it deserves in Sunday schools and sacrament meetings. It is usually associated with repentance for sin, cast as something to be discarded after we have obtained forgiveness. But a closer look at the scriptures reveals that setting aside humility is never advisable.
"Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers" (D&C 112:10). Guidance comes through the Spirit; the portion of the Spirit we have is proportional to our humility (and other prerequisite virtues and obedience). Revelation and guidance are therefore proportional to our humility. Why would the Lord give more guidance to us if we are not humble, not willing to follow it? Humility is for beginners, intermediates, and experts. It increases as we grow, not decreases. Perhaps it changes from the time of initiation to our more mature stages, but it grows deeper if anything.
Be Not Afraid
Yesterday I was assaulted by a large dog. I prayed for protection as it charged. I turned against the animal, and chased it off. I was grateful it retreated. I reflected on the surge of adrenaline that accompanied the random assault by this dog. It occurred to me that most of the stress I experienced yesterday originated from unseen things, worries about the future and the past. The real attack was sudden and brief, and I emerged without an injury even to my clothes. Worries are often many times worse than the actual thing itself. As F. D. Roosevelt phrased it, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Dwelling on fear leads to paralysis and ulcers; an actual attack allowed me to act, defend myself, and (through God’s mercy) come away unscathed.
Perhaps "be not afraid" is the most frequently violated instruction in all scripture. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). Elder Scott has said that God must be hurt by our unwillingness to keep this commandment, to trust Him enough not to be disturbed or fearful.
Jesus walked across stormy seas to reach His disciples in boat. "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid" (Matt. 14:25-27). It is strange how we tend to fear the thing that will save us more than the things that will destroy us. (Be not afraid...of Him! The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but apparently it must eventually mature into something else.)
Peter wanted to walk on the water: "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matt. 14:28-31). This rebuke echoes down to us in our day. It describes the cause of our great fears—doubt, weak faith. Our feelings are the result of what we truly believe, not necessarily what is actually happening around us.
The commandments to "be not afraid" comes with another:
Be of Good Cheer
Why do we gravitate towards negativity, pessimism, and worry? We often rush to marinate in it like a hot tub. A professor said that editors considering manuscripts of novels for publication have one main request—"Make me feel something." This is their cry to all would-be authors. It does not matter whether the emotion evoked by the story is fear, joy, lust, anxiety, discomfort, sorrow, depression, or pessimism. The main concern is that the story generates any feelings so long as they are intense. Perhaps some gravitate toward negativity because they want to avoid the embarrassment of having their faith and optimism disproved. They try to beat tragedy (which they view as inevitable) to the punch by putting up a barrier of stoic cynicism. Better to be right and miserable than to hope and be embarrassed. In any case, the Lord wants us to be more discriminating about our emotional and mental diet.
Why on earth should we be of good cheer with all the bad that goes on? "Gospel" literally means "good news." Just before the Savior’s darkest hour, and the great distress it would cause His twelve apostles, He told them: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). This is strange—the Lord seems to assume that our feelings can be detached from our circumstances. You WILL have tribulation, but be happy anyway. Why can we be happy when things are going poorly? "I have overcome the world."
How does His victory right out problems without necessarily making them vanish? We rely "alone upon the merits of Christ," (Moroni 6:4). "Merit" means what is earned or deserved. We deserve death and problems; Christ has earned heaven, and is willing to share it with us. We will have problems as long as we are alive, but anticipation of heaven, along with the confirmation of that faith that comes through personal revelation, enable us to be happy despite our problems. Eventual and ultimate joy will attend us in the end if we are faithful, and that is something to be happy about here and now.
Notice that when the Lord is telling us to "be still," He is also giving the reasons we have to do so; He describes what He is doing, and what His powers are, and what He will yet do. Enoch also feared, and the Lord comforted him: "And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee, and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good. Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you. Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me." (Moses 6:32-34). The Lord does not just tell us to quit whining; He gives us good reasons to have hope and confidence, emphasizing His guiding hand in all life, including ours. Enoch became frightening himself, offending hearers and scaring everyone else.
"...behold the works of the Lord...He maketh wars to cease...Be still, and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:8-10). "…stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord..." (Ex. 14:13). This is not a direction to be idle, but observant, to watch God work on our behalf.
Be Thou Humble
Lehi taught that the ends of the law could only be answered to those with broken hearts and contrite spirits, "and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered" (2Ne. 2:7). Other virtues tend to get top billing; humility gets far less emphasis than it deserves in Sunday schools and sacrament meetings. It is usually associated with repentance for sin, cast as something to be discarded after we have obtained forgiveness. But a closer look at the scriptures reveals that setting aside humility is never advisable.
"Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers" (D&C 112:10). Guidance comes through the Spirit; the portion of the Spirit we have is proportional to our humility (and other prerequisite virtues and obedience). Revelation and guidance are therefore proportional to our humility. Why would the Lord give more guidance to us if we are not humble, not willing to follow it? Humility is for beginners, intermediates, and experts. It increases as we grow, not decreases. Perhaps it changes from the time of initiation to our more mature stages, but it grows deeper if anything.
Be Not Afraid
Yesterday I was assaulted by a large dog. I prayed for protection as it charged. I turned against the animal, and chased it off. I was grateful it retreated. I reflected on the surge of adrenaline that accompanied the random assault by this dog. It occurred to me that most of the stress I experienced yesterday originated from unseen things, worries about the future and the past. The real attack was sudden and brief, and I emerged without an injury even to my clothes. Worries are often many times worse than the actual thing itself. As F. D. Roosevelt phrased it, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Dwelling on fear leads to paralysis and ulcers; an actual attack allowed me to act, defend myself, and (through God’s mercy) come away unscathed.
Perhaps "be not afraid" is the most frequently violated instruction in all scripture. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). Elder Scott has said that God must be hurt by our unwillingness to keep this commandment, to trust Him enough not to be disturbed or fearful.
Jesus walked across stormy seas to reach His disciples in boat. "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid" (Matt. 14:25-27). It is strange how we tend to fear the thing that will save us more than the things that will destroy us. (Be not afraid...of Him! The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but apparently it must eventually mature into something else.)
Peter wanted to walk on the water: "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matt. 14:28-31). This rebuke echoes down to us in our day. It describes the cause of our great fears—doubt, weak faith. Our feelings are the result of what we truly believe, not necessarily what is actually happening around us.
The commandments to "be not afraid" comes with another:
Be of Good Cheer
Why do we gravitate towards negativity, pessimism, and worry? We often rush to marinate in it like a hot tub. A professor said that editors considering manuscripts of novels for publication have one main request—"Make me feel something." This is their cry to all would-be authors. It does not matter whether the emotion evoked by the story is fear, joy, lust, anxiety, discomfort, sorrow, depression, or pessimism. The main concern is that the story generates any feelings so long as they are intense. Perhaps some gravitate toward negativity because they want to avoid the embarrassment of having their faith and optimism disproved. They try to beat tragedy (which they view as inevitable) to the punch by putting up a barrier of stoic cynicism. Better to be right and miserable than to hope and be embarrassed. In any case, the Lord wants us to be more discriminating about our emotional and mental diet.
Why on earth should we be of good cheer with all the bad that goes on? "Gospel" literally means "good news." Just before the Savior’s darkest hour, and the great distress it would cause His twelve apostles, He told them: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). This is strange—the Lord seems to assume that our feelings can be detached from our circumstances. You WILL have tribulation, but be happy anyway. Why can we be happy when things are going poorly? "I have overcome the world."
