Peter (2 Peter 1) teaches us about divine qualities. Looking at this as a process gives some interesting insights.
1. We start out with faith which is the first principle of the gospel. Alma discusses how we can retain this faith by planting a seed of the hope of faith.
2. To this we add virtue. We can think of this as cleanliness and purity. We need to work on removing those habits that are not pleasing to God.
3. The next quality is knowledge. We need to be seeking knowledge and be teachable. Here we learn about the gospel and can gain wisdom to strengthen our testimonies.
4. Temperance comes next. Another word for this is self-control. We need to "bridle our passions" and become masters of our addictions and weaknesses.
5.We then need to have patience with ourselves and others. We need to be humble, penitent, and forgiving.
6. The next stage of this process is godliness. We hear often that we should "put off all ungodliness." We should desire to do good continually and not have malice towards others. The word that comes to mind is to be sanctified, or to be made holy. We do this with covenants.
7. Peter says that we need next to have brotherly love. We need to care for each other as we have promised in our baptismal covenants.
8. Finally, we need charity, which is a higher order of love. It means we see others as the Lord would and desire to serve them. We also desire to do the service of God (D&C 4).
Alma 7:23-24 adds some additional qualities to this process. He says we need be submissive and easy to be entreated. In other words, be open to the promptings of the spirit and be will to do what is asked. We also need to be long-suffering and diligent in keeping the commandments. And we need to be prayerful and grateful.
I have decided to work on charity through the first of these: to be more open to the spirit and be willing to do what is asked. To accomplish this I need to also work on my scripture study and being more sincere in my prayers.
1. We start out with faith which is the first principle of the gospel. Alma discusses how we can retain this faith by planting a seed of the hope of faith.
2. To this we add virtue. We can think of this as cleanliness and purity. We need to work on removing those habits that are not pleasing to God.
3. The next quality is knowledge. We need to be seeking knowledge and be teachable. Here we learn about the gospel and can gain wisdom to strengthen our testimonies.
4. Temperance comes next. Another word for this is self-control. We need to "bridle our passions" and become masters of our addictions and weaknesses.
5.We then need to have patience with ourselves and others. We need to be humble, penitent, and forgiving.
6. The next stage of this process is godliness. We hear often that we should "put off all ungodliness." We should desire to do good continually and not have malice towards others. The word that comes to mind is to be sanctified, or to be made holy. We do this with covenants.
7. Peter says that we need next to have brotherly love. We need to care for each other as we have promised in our baptismal covenants.
8. Finally, we need charity, which is a higher order of love. It means we see others as the Lord would and desire to serve them. We also desire to do the service of God (D&C 4).
Alma 7:23-24 adds some additional qualities to this process. He says we need be submissive and easy to be entreated. In other words, be open to the promptings of the spirit and be will to do what is asked. We also need to be long-suffering and diligent in keeping the commandments. And we need to be prayerful and grateful.
I have decided to work on charity through the first of these: to be more open to the spirit and be willing to do what is asked. To accomplish this I need to also work on my scripture study and being more sincere in my prayers.
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