Monday, September 10, 2012

The Meek

Matthew 5:5 reads, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

3 Nephi 12:5 reads, "And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

It was timely that I read and studied this beatitude today.  I need much meekness - especially after a 'conversation' I had last night.

Neal A. Maxwell, who relentlessly focused on discipleship throughout his life, dissected the topic of meekness in a talk he gave just over 30 years ago today: Meekness - A Dimension of True Discipleship.

The talk should be read in its entirety - several times.  But I will copy a few poignant excerpts into this post.

"if one needs any further persuasion as to how vital this virtue is, Moroni warned, 'none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart.' (Moroni 7:43-44).  If we could but believe, really believe, in the reality of that bold but accurate declaration, you and I would find ourselves focusing on the crucial rather than the marginal tasks in life!  We would then cease pursuing the lifestyles which, inevitably and irrevocably, are going out of style!"

...

"God, who has seen billions of spirits pass through His plan of salvation, has told us to be meek in order to enhance our enjoyment of life and our mortal education.  Will we be meek and listen to Him?  Or will we be like the Gardarene swine, that pathetic example of totus porcus - going whole hog after the trends of the moment?"

...

"Since God desired to have us become like Himself, He first had to make us free to learn and to experience; hence, our humility and teachability are premiere determinants of our progress and our happiness.  Agency is essential to perfectibility, and meekness is essential to the wise use of agency - and to our recovery when we have misused our agency."

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"Meekness ... is more than self-restraint; it is the presentation of self in a posture of kindess and gentleness, reflecting certitude, strength, serenity, and a healthy self-esteem and self-control."

...

"Granted, none of us likes, or should like, to be disregarded, to be silenced, to see a flawed argument prevail, or to endure gratuitous discourtesy.  But such circumstances seldom constitute that field of action from which meekness calls upon us to retire gracefully.  Unfortunately, we usually do battle, unmeekly, over far less justifiable things, such as 'turf.'

...

"there are some things worth being aroused about, as the Book of Mormon says, such as our families, our homes, our liberties, and our sacred religion.  (see Alma 43:45.)  But if all our anxiety amounts to is our so-called image, it's an image that needs to be displaced anyway, so that we can receive His image in our countenances. (see Alma 5:14)."

...

"the meek are not awestruck by the many frustrations of life; they are more easily mobilized for eternal causes and less easily immobilized by the disappointments of the day."

"Because they make fewer demands of life, the meek are less easily disappointed.  They are less concerned with their entitlements than with their assignments."

"When we are truly meek, we are not concerned with being pushed around, but are grateful to be pushed along.  When we are truly meek, we do not engage in shoulder-shrugging acceptance but in shoulder-squaring, in order that we might better bear the burdens of life and of our fellow beings."

"Meekness can also help us in coping with the injustices of life - of which there are quite a few.  By the way, will not these experiences with mortal injustices generate within us even more adoration of the perfect justice of God - another of His attributes?"

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"Meekness means less concern over being taken for granted, and more concern over being taken by the hand.  Less concern over revising our own plans for us and more concern about adopting His plans for us is another sure sign of meekness."

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"There are, brothers and sisters, ever so many human situtations in which the only additional time and recognition and space to be made available must come from the meek who will yield - in order to make time and recognition and space available for others.  There could be no magnanimity without humility.  Meekness is not displayed humility; it is the real thing.  True meekness is never proud of itself, never conscious of itself."

...

"The meek use power and authority properly, no doubt because their gentleness and meekness reflect a love unfeigned, a genuine caring.  The influence they exercise flows from a deep concern: 'No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion , by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned.' (D&C 121:41)"

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"even if our being meek results in our being abused in this world, we need to remember that we are being fitted for chores in another and better world - one which will be everlasting, not fleeting."

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"You will see far more examples of those in desperate need of meekness than you will ever see of the truly meek being abused."

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"Yes, there are real costs associated with meekness.  A significant down payment must be made.  But it can come from our sufficient supply of pride.  We must also be willing to endure the subsequent erosion of the unbecoming ego.  Furthermore, our hearts will be broken in order that they might be rebuilt.  As Ezekiel said, one's task is to 'make you a new heart and a new spirit.' (Ezekiel 18:31)  There is no way that such dismantling, such erosion, such rebuilding can occur without real cost in pain, pride, adjustments, and even some dismay.  Yet since we cannot be 'acceptable before God save [we are] meek and lowly in heart' (Moroni 7:44), the reality of that awesome requirement must be heeded!  Better to save one's soul than to save one's face."

As I read this talk, and especially toward the end, the only image in my mind was that of the Savior shrinking not before the bitter cup (see D&C 19:18).  He was given to drink and he drank ... and did not shrink.  He was meek and did His father's will.  He took it.

To play a variation on the phrase, just do it, I offer the phrase, just take it.  If you are pressed to go a mile, then go two - just take it.  If your coat is taken from you, give also your cloke.  If you are cursed, hated, abused, judged wrongly, persecuted, condemned, accused, thought ill of, pushed to your wits end ... just take it.  Did not Jesus take all of this?  Are we not to be perfect, like Jesus?