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Elder
John K. Carmack, managing director of the Perpetual Education Fund of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke on becoming true
Christians in his devotional address at Brigham Young University-Idaho Oct.
29.
“How
are we treating each other?” Elder Carmack asked. “Do we really deserve to
be called Christians by our behavior? Sure, we can say that we have the
name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. How are we treating
each other? How are we treating our fellow men? When we stand before God on
that great day of judgment, . . . how will be judged? How will our works
appear?”
He
said that perhaps one of the greatest sermons on Christianity was preached
by the Savior at the Sermon on the Mount. Elder Carmack used the account
found in Matthew 5 to elaborate on the beatitudes, which mean “to be
fortunate, to be blessed.” “We
very often skip over the Sermon on the Mount,” Elder Carmack said. “It
seems so self-evident . . .
that we don’t spend much time talking about it. There’s very much to
learn on the Sermon on the Mount, and the latter-day scriptures have some
unique insights to offer.”
He
then commented on each of the Beatitudes.
He
noted that in the Joseph Smith translation, the first beatitude says,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me.”
“You
may be humble and contrite . . . but really to be in a blessed condition,
you need to come to the Lord,” Elder Carmack said.
He
then suggested that the next beatitude says, “blessed are they that mourn: for
they shall be comforted,” perhaps because “if we are to reach that state of
Christian character that is blessed, we need to care for those around us.
... Real Christians mourn for those who have lost.”
He
cited Christ’s weeping at the death of Lazarus. Even though Christ knew of
the resurrection, he still wept out of His love for His friend.
The
next verse says, “Blessed are the meek.” He quoted Milton Bennion, who
said, “humility, meekness, teachableness, are all opposed to conceit and
inordinate pride but they are by no means identical with
self-depreciation.”
“You
don’t have to depreciate yourself to be meek,” Elder Carmack said. “You can
feel a confidence and self-esteem, but be very meek about it, be very
humble about it.” He said that some groups in history are associated with
their haughtiness–some rabbis with their learning, the Romans with their
power, the Greeks with their education. While our society seems to honor
those who are bold and assertive, the Lord said, “Blessed are the meek,” Elder
Carmack said.
Next,
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they
shall be filled.” He summarized the account of Parley P. Pratt receiving
the Book of Mormon, who “opened it with eagerness,” and to whom eating and
sleeping was a burden.
The
following verse reads, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy.”
“Mercy
is the compassionate forbearance shown to others,” Elder Carmack said. “It
usually includes giving leniency in the proper places. It’s to reward
people. Sometimes they don’t even deserve it. It’s Jesus on the cross
saying, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”
Next,
“blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
“Pure
means not mixed with any other elements. It means that it is the pure,
complete thing, like . . . pure gold,” Elder Carmack said. “To be pure in
heart is such a great–and hard--thing. These are high, difficult standards
to live.”
“Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
Elder
Carmack recounted an incident that happened with an organization that was
angry with the Church when he was the executive director of the historical
department. They met with the prophet, who handled the situation kindly and
beautifully, as a peacemaker.
Later,
the president of the organization said, “You have a lot of titles for [that
man.] . . . He’s everything you say he is.”
Finally,
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall
say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be
exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven.”
Elder
Carmack was sustained a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy on April
7, 1984 and became an Emeritus General Authority in October 2001.
Devotionals
are broadcast live on KBYI 100.5 FM Tuesdays at 2 p.m. and are rebroadcast
Tuesdays and Sundays at 9 p.m. Next week’s devotional speaker is Elder
Graham W. Doxey, former member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy. # # #
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