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Sermons

I’ve heard a lot of talks, or sermons, in my day. Some of them are more meaningful than others.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have had the privilege of hearing our Church leaders speak every six months of my life. There are five sessions of conference, with around ten talks per session. So, that amounts to 100 talks per year, and as I’ve been around for 44 years, that means I’ve heard 4,400 talks in my life.

Of all of these talks, there is one that stands out - and I’ve only ever read it. It’s found in Matthew and Luke, as well as being found in 3rd Nephi. I am speaking of the words of the Savior commonly referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. In it, we have what is the only real discourse from the Savior, the only lengthy speech on any subject. The rest of His ministry is spent in episodes, interactions with His apostles and servants, with women and children, with Pharisees and rulers and centurions and friends.... But for just this once, we get the Lord’s direct thoughts on a range of uninterrupted ideas.

It all begins in Matthew chapter 5, Luke chapter 6, and 3rd Nephi chapter 12. I include chapter 12 of 3rd Nephi in this, not just because of the doctrinal excellence of the account, with it’s subtle and nuanced differences from the New Testament accounts, but also because it is instructive to note the audience to whom the Savior addresses His comments - which is missing from the New Testament accounts. I would recommend a complete comparative study. It’s interesting, and it is something that is beyond the scope of this blog post.

Here, I would rather focus on my thoughts and feelings about what it means to have the the Savior’s words. These words are directly from His own heart, from His mind and mouth, and they should have the kind of importance associated with words thus spoken.

I love His word, and the importance He places on caring for one another, caring LESS what other people think, and pondering on our own motivations. I love that he says if someone asks something, go a little extra. Imagine if all the world was like that...

These chapters involve the very essence of what it means to be a Christian. Everything else is just the rest. Assuredly, these are goals and are meant to be as aspirational as they are inspirational. But without a goal, without something to work towards, and without a measuring post against which to measure progress - both as a society and individually - we are lost and aimless, falling victim to whatever the latest fad is.

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