More Faithful Disciples

In a recent broadcast for the Utah area, Elder Vaiangina Sikahema gave a talk about becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ. One of the questions at the end of his presentation was this: “How and why does daily prayer, scripture study and worthily partaking of the sacrament each Sunday help us become more faithful disciples of the Savior Jesus Christ?” These are indeed three of the pillars of the life of a disciple that connect us continually with the Savior. I love the way that Alma linked the holy scriptures with the conversion of the Lamanites to Jesus Christ. He said this to his son: “Yea, I say unto you, were it not for these things that these records do contain, which are on these plates, Ammon and his brethren could not have convinced so many thousands of the Lamanites of the incorrect tradition of their fathers; yea, these records and their words brought them unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer” (Alma 37:9). It was the words of the scriptures from the brass plates (and presumably earlier Nephite prophets) that brought those hardened Lamanites to a knowledge of their Savior Jesus Christ. I know that for me the words of the scriptures, especially in the Book of Mormon, have been the main source of my knowledge and testimony of Jesus Christ. I have found this testimony of President Benson about the Book of Mormon to be true: “There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called ‘the words of life’ (see D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon.” As we hold fast to the words of this book and all the scriptures, we will find more power to resist temptation and live the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ.

                Alma also taught in the same chapter the importance of prayer as disciples of Jesus Christ. Right after instructing Helaman to learn “to keep the commandments of God,” he explained what would help him to do so: “Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good” (Alma 37:35-37). As we cry unto God for support, we will be directed by the Lord and He will help us to stay on the path, to continue to keep His commandments. And of course, as we fall short we can go in prayer to the sacrament table to repent and receive His grace to continue in our efforts to be disciples of the Savior.   

                In his recent general conference talk, Elder Sikahema also highlighted the preeminence of the both prayer and the Book of Mormon in the order of the Restoration itself. “Elder Bednar listed the First Vision and Moroni’s initial appearance to Joseph Smith as teaching the boy prophet first, the nature and character of God, followed by the role the Book of Mormon and Elijah would play in gathering Israel on both sides of the veil in this last dispensation. Elder Bednar concludes: ‘This inspiring sequence is instructive about the spiritual matters of highest priority to Deity.’” Prayer and scripture study were at the beginning of the revelatory process for Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon itself was a prerequisite for the organization of the church. And prayer and scripture study are surely foundational for us as well in our quest to become true disciples of Jesus Christ. Elder Sikahema encouraged us, “May we live our lives with order and seek to follow the sequence the Lord has outlined for us. We will be blessed as we look for and follow the patterns and the sequence in which the Lord teaches what’s most important to Him.” As we put daily prayer and the study of the scriptures first, combined with weekly partaking of the Sacrament, we will be enabled by the power of Jesus Christ to become each day more like Him.