Consider Your Ways

One of my favorite verses of scripture is this one from the book of Haggai: “Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:5).  I believe that this injunction—consider your ways—sums up one of the major purposes of the scriptures.  The scriptures seek to help us look inward, to consider our thoughts and words and actions, to evaluate our own shortcomings and weaknesses, and ultimately to make changes to become more like the Savior.  Haggai’s injunction reminds me of the Savior’s words in the Sermon on the Mount: “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (3 Nephi 14:3)  We must consider first and foremost ourselves and our own deeds before we can try to help others overcome their own failings.  The apostles gave us the attitude we need to develop when they said to the Lord upon learning one would betray: “Lord, is it I?” (Matt. 26:22).  In a world where we constantly look for others to blame for our problems, the scriptures teach us to look inward and to focus on the change we can make to ourselves, not to others.  Jacob put it in no uncertain terms when he suggested that we should “consider [ourselves] fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility” (2 Nephi 9:42). 

            The scriptures make it clear that all of us—even those called as prophets—have need to consider our ways, to change, to evaluate our actions and put off the natural man.  For example, Joseph Smith was invited to consider his actions when the Lord said to him, “For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God….  you should have been faithful….  Because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall” (Doctrine and Covenants 3:7-9).  Even the prophet has to be “aware” of his own actions and change to be in line with the Lord’s commandments.  Lehi was invited to be aware of his own lack of faith at one point in their journey: “He was truly chastened because of his murmuring against the Lord, insomuch that he was brought down into the depths of sorrow” (1 Nephi 16:25).  Even the brother of Jared, one of the greatest examples of faith in the scriptures, was chastened by the Lord and invited to consider his own ways: “And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord” (Ether 2:14).  Moses also, the great prophet of Israel, had a time when “the Lord appeared unto him as he was in the way, by the inn. The Lord was angry with Moses… for he had not circumcised his son” (JST 4:24).  He had things to change too.  I think we often subconsciously use the excuse that we are good enough—I am a much better person than the hardened criminals of the world, we might tell ourselves—and therefore we don’t have a significant impulse to make the changes we need to.  But the Lord does not compare us to others to determine whether we are good enough relatively—He wants a complete change from us until we are like His Son absolutely.  We must learn each day to consider our ways and to recognize that there are indeed changes we need to make to be who the Lord wants us to be.