Latest / Words of the Living Prophets / How Does the Spiritual Gift of Charity Relate to Enduring to the End? David A. Bednar David A. Bednar

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How Does the Spiritual Gift of Charity Relate to Enduring to the End? David A. Bednar David A. Bednar · Words of the Living Prophets

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  I've participated in competitive athletics since I was a young
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  boy. Over the years I have developed
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  a love hate relationship with running.
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  I love the physical benefits and mental exhilaration, but I hate
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  the sore muscles, aching lungs and exhaustion.
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  As I have come to the end of many of my long distance runs, I
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  have exhorted myself to push on, hang on, and endure to the end.
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  In relation to physical exercise, the word endure
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  suggests maintaining intense physical and mental effort over
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  an extended period of time. Many of us also may associate
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  the word endure with the unpleasant drudgery of routine
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  work and responsibilities. But in a spiritual context,
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  enduring is far more then merely persevering tenaciously to
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  complete demanding duties or challenges.
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  The scriptures highlight instructive uses of the word
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  endure. For example, the Lord declared
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  to the Nephites, Look unto me and endure to the end, and you
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  shall live, For unto him that endureth to the end will I give
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  eternal life. Mormon testified that charity is
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  the pure love of Christ and the greatest of all spiritual gifts.
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  Significantly, the word endure is used in the scriptures to
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  define and describe charity. Charity endureth forever,
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  suffereth long, seeketh not her own, beareth all things endureth
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  all things. Charity never faileth.
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  Mormon taught that whoso is found possessed of the spiritual
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  gift of charity at the last day, it shall be well with him.
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  We can possess charity, but ultimately charity should
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  possess us. As we are blessed to receive
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  this supernal gift, a transformation occurs in our
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  spiritual nature and character. Being possessed of the spiritual
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  gift of charity refers in part to the spiritual development and
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  progress that are the overarching purposes of the
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  Savior's Gospel. For Disciples of the Savior,
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  charity encompasses both what we do and what we can become, as
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  this spiritual gift ultimately possesses us.
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  At a fundamental level, charity certainly includes acts of
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  compassion, kindness, and generosity directed toward
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  others. But at a higher and even holier
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  level, charity is the very essence of the end toward which
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  we are enduring, becoming new creatures in Christ.
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  Please consider how these two overarching dimensions of
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  charity are described in the 13th article of Faith.
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  The first half of the statement emphasizes charitable and
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  gracious acts. We believe in being honest,
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  true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to
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  all men. The second-half of the statement
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  emphasizes the ongoing nature of our spiritual transformation.
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  We believe all things. We hope all things.
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  We have endured many things and hope to be able to endure all
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  things. If there was anything virtuous,
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  lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after
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  these things. This concluding article of faith
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  is an admonition for us to do good, to be good, and to endure
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  to the end in coming unto and following the Savior and
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  receiving the heavenly gift to love as He loves.
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  The Savior's divine nature and sublime character were the
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  wellsprings of perfect compassion during His mortal
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  ministry. The Redeemer of the world turned
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  outward in love and service when he faced spiritual adversity or
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  physical pain, in contrast to the natural man in each of us
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  that turns inward in self-interest, self
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  centeredness, and selfishness. As we live, as He invites us to
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  live, and with His help, our nature and character over time
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  increasingly become more like His.
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  As we follow, love and serve the Savior, we gradually focus less
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  on our own desires and interests and more on understanding and
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  addressing the needs of others. We do not merely perform
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  benevolent deeds, rather our state of being is changed and
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  becomes increasingly Christ like charity then ultimately
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  possesses us. Wherefore pray unto the Father
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  with all the energy of heart, that she may be filled with this
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  love, that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we
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  shall see Him as He is. I'm now going to read 3
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  scriptures that contain the phrase endure to the end.
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  I will insert the phrase is possessed of the pure love of
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  Christ in each verse so we can learn a vital and eternal
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  lesson. 1 The Savior taught his ancient apostles, he that
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  endureth to the end or is possessed of the pure love of
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  Christ shall be saved. 2 Nephi testified, I heard a voice from
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  the Father saying, Yeah, the words of my beloved are true and
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  faithful. He that endureth to the end, or
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  is possessed of the pure love of Christ, the same shall be saved.
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  3 Alma declared, He that findeth mercy and endureth to the end,
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  or is possessed of the pure love of Christ, the same shall be
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  saved. Enduring to the end is linked
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  inextricably to the spiritual gift of charity.
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  Enduring to the end is not merely A relentless
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  determination to grit our teeth, hold on to the limits of our
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  physical strength and mental capacity, and push through the
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  challenges and adversities of mortal life.
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  It is so much more than that. Enduring to the end is the
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  joyous quest of a lifetime, a pressing forward with faith in
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  Jesus Christ, in a gradual process of trusting in and
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  receiving help from our Savior to become more like Him.
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  As our love for Him grows ever stronger and deeper, we can be
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  blessed to receive spiritual perspective, the Lord's
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  empowering grace, an exceedingly great and indescribable joy.
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  The scriptural phrase endure to the end is a repeated reminder
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  of the mighty spiritual change in our hearts that should be
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  ongoing throughout our lives. It also is His promise of what
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  we may become if we truly are possessed of the pure love of
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  Christ the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
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  All Thrones and dominions, principalities and powers shall
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  be revealed and set forth upon all who have endured valiantly
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  for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I joyfully witness that each of
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  us, with the Lord's grace and mercy, can believe all things,
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  hope all things, and endure valiantly all things.
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  I so testify in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.