"Moses.. ..sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God." (Doctrine and Covenants 84:23)
I was reading while I was missing Fran and came across this. It made me wonder how we sanctify others (ourselves included). I know the scripture answers of reading scriptures and praying and going to church. But I think there is a deeper element of really sanctifying ourselves. I think there's a humility aspect that I don't think I really have. I feel like we need to take our lives and hidden things and twist them inside out so all the bad is outside ready to be chipped off. I think sanctity requires a deep, thorough change from what bad, selfish things we hold on to into a truly serving, loving, caring person who really seeks for the welfare of those around them.
But how do we go about "sanctify[ing] our people"? How can we get people to change? How do we get ourselves to change?
Henry
P.S. Fran is good at this. I am not. (Referring to both posting and sanctifying herself and others).
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I have a question for you. I had a religion professor who said that we would be "saviors on mount zion" more literally than we think. He said that he thinks that some of the trials and hard things we face we do in behalf of the people we love. We help sanctify them. I always found this a little weird because didn't the Savior already pay for all our sins? What do you think?
I love that quote--and your words, "I feel like we need to take our lives and hidden things and twist them inside out so all the bad is outside ready to be chipped off."
Somehow I envisioned like a uterus with endometriosis, turning it out and scraping it clean, making it ready to bear fruit. Nice and sick, eh?
But actually, you have broached for me an exciting subject. I love the understanding of the God-given power of will. Virtually the only thing that we have of our own to give because our Lord gave it to us, we can yield our will to our God's and, as He will force no one to heaven, we can therefore permit his sanctifying power or we can choose not to. Indeed we do have the power of God. It is to choose. It is the gift of agency.
Several thoughts come to mind. Cleansing the Inner Vessel, by Pres. Benson. The sis missionary who told my arguing friend, "Luis, unless you kneel down and bow your head before the Maker and ask, you will never know." The most humble brother we have known in a long time, President Rainock, stating at Testimony Meeting, that he was studying the scriptures, seeking to be made more humble. I thought, "What, what? He isn't just humble because he is, but because he sought it?"
When we are young we seek to see how powerful we can become and we glory and rejoice in it. But as we get older we see that those developed strengths become actually powerful only as we lay them in the Master's hands. The power is not in the conquering, resisting, dominating. The power is in yielding. Seeking to obey becomes joyful. It requires work and effort similar to seeking to disobey. Following the master is the true freedom. It brings the mastery of the mountain, the struggling to the top. And since we can follow only one master, we have to choose.
Love, Mom
Kari can I take a guess at who your religion professor was? Was it Brother McConkie? I took Pearl of Great Price from him and he said some things that really sent me for a loop.
But I think I might see the point your professor was trying to make. We obviously aren't atoning for others' sins but we do often run across people on whom we can have a significant influence for good. Our own children come to mind. Or people that we home and visit teach. We can help lead them to Christ. We can help them make righteous choices that will lead them to forgiveness and salvation through Christ. In that way we can be working, along with Christ, to bring about salvation. The ultimate act of atonement rests with Christ of course, but I think we can play an important role. Now it's a bit silly to think that if I fail to reactivate a family that I home teach then I have failed and that family has foregone their only chance to take the invitation to salvation that I've offered. Of course Christ will continue to offer them the invitation through other people as well but still the opportunity that I have to guide others is very real.
Anyway, I don't know, but maybe that's what your professor meant.
Christ is our Savior because he was able to overcome sin and death, something we were not able to do for ourselves. In this life we are to become as much like Christ as we can, being "saviors on mount Zion" by doing for others what they cannot do for themselves. All parts of the 3-fold mission of the church (proclaim the gospel, redeem the dead, and perfect the saints) require this. People cannot live a law they do not have and so we must teach them the gospel. They cannot teach themselves something they do not know, we must do it. Our ancestors can only be redeemed through temple work, which we must do for them. They are no longer able to do it for themselves. We are perfected mostly through service. Everything Christ did was for others. As we emulate that example I believe we become sanctified. As parents, we are required to feed and clothe and protect our children until they are able, through our teaching, to do it for themselves. Other service opportunities are trickier to identify because each individual has different weaknesses and things that they are not able to do for themselves. And sometimes, it isn't that they can't do it for themselves but that we are being like Christ in a different way by lightening their burdens.
I wrote an entire essay on this once, so I hope I'm condensing the ideas coherently.
All I know for certain, is that I've got a LOOONG way to go.
Mom, I liked how you said, "It requires work and effort similar to seeking to disobey." It really puts it into perspective that we are never in the middle because both directions take effort.
Kari, that whole "Saviors on mount zion" is as confusing to me as "Preparing the way of the Lord". How do we do that? Are they both saying the same thing?
Something I've wondered a lot about is how to change people. How do I change myself? It seems like many people are really good at it: Gandhi, Mother Teresa, the Prophet of the Church, my wife... I think what they have in common is that they are bold in doing what's right. Maybe that's all we have got to do. Be strong in doing what we think is right. Let whatever happens happen. And if you change people, so be it.
I'm beginning to think we sanctify ourselves and others by being bold in defending and upholding truth, in serving those around us, promoting good values in general conference, and encouraging your husband to complete his hometeaching. (That last one was for Franny)
Henry
My favorite quote: We must be the change we wish to see in the world.
- Gandhi
I don't think we can sanctify ourselves. We are sanctified through the power of the Holy Ghost, after all we can do, who makes a beautiful diamond out of a rough stone. Likewise, we don't "sanctify" others, but when we have the Spirit with us, and both parties are receptive, the Holy Ghost sanctifies us through a very real purification process. That's why we have to pray and do all those good things, so we can have the Spirit with us as a constant companion, who then purifies and sanctifies us over a lifetime.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/world/europe/02poland.html?ref=global-home
Here's someone who changed some lives around him. I think its a touching story. He noticed that the people in his homeless shelter had no plans for the future, so he gave them plans.
Henry
I'm with Isa. I don't know that we can sanctify people per se. I also believe it's the Holy Ghost doing that. However, I'm sure that we can do much to bring about the presence of the Spirit to help him sanctify us. I have more ideas on how we can/can't help people change, but it's late. At any rate, I don't know why you think I'm good at that. I haven't changed anyone, including myself. I don't know that we can really do much to change people. I think the ultimate choice to change is always the individual's choice, and people themselves are the only ones who truly can change themselves. I think God can change our hearts, and we can try to change people's views and thoughts, but the actual changing is never something we can do...blablabla...more tomorrow.pr
Could changing also be something that is only done with the spirit? It seems like sanctifying is a change, something that happens deep within us. I think that every change we are able to make in our lives and around us comes from the spirit, unless it's a change for the worse.
Henry
I think sanctify from Latin means to make holy, or am I wrong? But I think in Henry's quote I would guess it means that Moses sought to bring them to a condition of holiness.
I sought that for my children and still do. If I see that anyone is discouraged and veering from the Gospel plan or if they don't believe in the Gospel I pray for them that they might find that truth. I examine my life to see if I am setting a poor example, to see if I am veering. Of course I won't be perfect but I can try to make it better. And it is easier to keep re-checking yourself when you are surrounded by little mirrors, children, than when you think, foolishly, that there is no one watching.
I think the most influential way to sanctify others is to become sanctified yourself. A lot of that seems to occur when you ask your standing before God, when you know your sins are forgiven and that you are on the right path. Then your joy and gratitude at being close to God will bring you to desire this for others. You will be filled like Nephi with love for your brothers. As you pray for them and serve them, they will feel it too and they will be more open to the love and influence of God.
Anyway, that is what I think works.
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