In Awe of Christ and His Gospel
By Elder Ulisses Soares
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
My brothers and sisters, when we truly are in awe of Jesus Christ and His gospel, we are happier, we have more enthusiasm for God’s work, and we recognize the Lord’s hand in all things. Additionally, our study of God’s words is more meaningful; our prayers, more intentional; our worship, more reverent; our service in God’s kingdom, more diligent. All these actions contribute to the Holy Spirit’s influence being more frequent in our lives.5 Thus, our testimony of the Savior and His gospel will be strengthened, we will keep Christ alive in us,6 and we will live our lives “rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, … abounding therein with thanksgiving.”7 When we live in this way, we become more spiritually resilient and protected against falling into the trap of spiritual apathy.
Such apathy is characterized by the gradual loss of our excitement to engage fully in the Lord’s gospel. It generally begins when we are feeling that we have already attained all the necessary knowledge and blessings for our happiness in this life. This complacency, so to speak, causes us to take the gospel gifts for granted, and from then on, we run the risk of neglecting both our regular immersion in the essentials of the gospel of Jesus Christ8 and the covenants we have made. Consequently, we gradually distance ourselves from the Lord, weakening our ability to “hear Him,”9 becoming indifferent and insensitive to the greatness of His work. Doubt regarding the truths we have already received may enter our mind and heart, making us vulnerable to the enemy’s temptations.10
Pastor Aiden Wilson Tozer, a renowned writer and valiant Christian, wrote, “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.”11 Wasn’t this exactly what happened to the people of Nephi shortly after the birth of Christ? They “began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, … [disbelieving] all which they had heard and seen.” Thus did Satan “blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing.”12
My beloved brothers and sisters, in His perfect and infinite love and knowing our human nature,13 the Savior has established the way for us to avoid falling into the trap of spiritual apathy. The Savior’s invitation gives us a broader perspective, especially considering the complex world in which we live: “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.”14 As we accept the Savior’s invitation, we demonstrate our humility, our desire to be teachable, and our hope to become more like Him.15 This invitation also includes serving Him and ministering to God’s children “with all [our] heart, might, mind and strength.”16 At the core of our effort in this journey are, of course, the two great commandments: to love the Lord our God and love our neighbor as ourselves.17
This type of behavior is part of Jesus’s divine character and was evident in everything He did during His earthly ministry.18 Therefore, when we intentionally and truly dedicate ourselves to look unto Him and learn from His perfect example,19 we come to know Him better. We grow in enthusiasm and desire to incorporate into our lives the ultimate standard of how we should live, the example we should set, and the commandments we should follow. We also gain additional understanding, wisdom, divine character, and grace toward God and our neighbors.20 I can assure you that our ability to feel the Savior’s influence and love will be intensified in our lives, magnifying our faith, our desire to act righteously, and the motivation to serve Him and others.21 In addition, our gratitude for the blessings and challenges we experience in mortality will solidify and become part of our true worship.
