Friday 22 June 2018....Elder Bednar

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/meek-and-lowly-of-heart?lang=eng

This is a very complicated talk. 

Meekness is active. Not passive. We must choose to be meek. Meekness is not timidness. Timid is very passive. Timidness allows anything to happen to it. Meekness knows it can stop something but allows it to pass, not because a person enjoys it, but because there is a greeter thing that will come after.

Meekness is a very conscientious activity. It takes thought. It is not talking when you could. It is not just being quite. It is being being quite when you could do something.

Some passages from the talk that I thought were very helpful. 

‘The Christlike quality of meekness often is misunderstood in our contemporary world. Meekness is strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; restrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash. A meek person is not easily provoked, pretentious, or overbearing and readily acknowledges the accomplishments of others.’

‘The Great Redeemer, who “descended below all things” and suffered, bled, and died “to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” tenderly washed the dusty feet of His disciples. Such meekness is a hallmark characteristic of the Lord as a servant and leader.’

‘The consistency of the Lord’s willing submission and strong self-restraint is both awe-inspiring and instructive for us all. As an armed company of temple guardsmen and Roman soldiers arrived at Gethsemane to seize and arrest Jesus, Peter drew his sword and cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant. The Savior then touched the servant’s ear and healed him. Please note that He reached out and blessed His potential captor using the same heavenly power that could have prevented Him from being captured and crucified.’

This is my favorite example. I think it explains the concept of meekness best. 

‘Mormon identifies meekness as the foundation from which all spiritual capacities and gifts arise.

“Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.

“And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.

“If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.”‘

I very much like this passage. It helps me to see meekness is so very important. We can do something, but we choose to restrain ourselves.