Submissive, Meek, and Humble

King Benjamin, quoting the angel, taught that we must become a saint “through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19).  In addition to being an invitation to us on how to overcome the natural man, these attributes also perfectly describe the Savior’s great sacrifice that King Benjamin had just finished telling about.  He told how Christ was “the Lord Omnipotent who reigneth, who was, and is from all eternity to all eternity” and yet despite that glorious station would “come down from heaven among the children of men, and shall dwell in a tabernacle of clay, and shall go forth amongst men.”  As a mortal He would not only work “mighty miracles” to bless the people in love, but He would “suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death.”  He let the people “scourge him” and “crucify him” even though He was “the Son of God, Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning” (Mosiah 3:5-9).  Clearly that condescending of the Savior and His great sacrifice and voluntarily giving up His life showed how He was “submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love” and willing to submit to His own Father in all things.

               Many other faithful Saints throughout the ages, as types of Christ, have shown similar submissiveness, meekness, and humility in offering up their lives for the cause of Christ.  Two of those in our day are the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum.  Joseph described Hyrum in these terms: “He possesses the mildness of a Lamb, and the integrity of a Job; and in short the meek and quiet spirit, of Jesus Christ.”  We see that mildness and meekness in both of them in the final days of their lives.  Three days before the martyrdom the two, knowing that the mob was out to get them, crossed to the Iowa side of the Mississippi River and prepared to leave, with Joseph assuring the Saints that they would be safe from hostility since the mob was after those two, not all the Saints.  Elder Ballard related what happened, “But then word came that some of the fainthearted Saints had called for Joseph’s return, some even accusing him of cowardice. Fittingly, Joseph turned to Hyrum and said, ‘Brother Hyrum, you are the oldest, what shall we do?’ Hyrum responded, ‘Let us go back and give ourselves up, and see the thing out.’ After a moment to assess the situation, Joseph responded, ‘If you go back I will go with you, but we shall be butchered.’ Hyrum’s answer showed his great faith in the Lord and willingness to die for His cause: ‘Let us go back and put our trust in God,’ Hyrum said, ‘and we shall not be harmed. The Lord is in it. If we live or have to die, we will be reconciled to our fate.’”  Joseph also commented, “If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself.”  The two meekly went back to Nauvoo and rode to Carthage to offer themselves up, with Joseph making this comment, “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me—he was murdered in cold blood” (D&C 135:4). 

            In similitude of the Savior’s incomparable sacrifice, Joseph and Hyrum humbly and meekly offered up their lives, submitting to the will of the Father, showing that they indeed had put off the natural man completely as King Benjamin taught.  It is fitting that they would read these humble words from a lonely Moroni as they waited in prison for their death: “And it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity. And it came to pass that the Lord said unto me: If they have not charity it mattereth not unto thee, thou hast been faithful; wherefore thy garments shall be made clean. And because thou hast seen thy weakness, thou shalt be made strong, even unto the sitting down in the place which I have prepared in the mansions of my Father” (D&C 135:5).  Like Moroni, Joseph and Hyrum were filled with humility and charity towards their fellowmen—even bearing their testimony of the Book of Mormon to the guard of the jail as they waited death—as they meekly submitted to the Lord’s will and let their lives be taken.