Meek and Lowly of Heart – By Elder David A. Bednar Highlights
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I am not suggesting that the spiritually strong responses of Amulek, Pahoran, President Nelson, and President Eyring are explained by only one Christlike quality. Certainly, many interrelated attributes and experiences led to the spiritual maturity reflected in the lives of these four noble servants. But the Savior and His prophets have highlighted an essential quality that all of us need to more fully understand and strive to incorporate into our lives.
Meekness
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Please notice the characteristic the Lord used to describe Himself in the following scripture: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”12
Instructively, the Savior chose to emphasize meekness from among all the attributes and virtues He potentially could have selected.
A similar pattern is evident in a revelation received by the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1829. The Lord declared, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.”13
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Meekness is a defining attribute of the Redeemer and is distinguished by righteous responsiveness, willing submissiveness, and strong self-restraint.
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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.
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Meekness is the principal protection from the prideful blindness that often arises from prominence, position, power, wealth, and adulation.
Meekness—a Christlike Attribute and a Spiritual Gift
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Meekness is an attribute developed through desire, the righteous exercise of moral agency, and striving always to retain a remission of our sins.
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“Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.”18 Yet he “was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”19 His knowledge and competence could have caused him to be prideful. Instead, the attribute and spiritual gift of meekness with which he was blessed attenuated arrogance in his life and magnified Moses as an instrument to accomplish God’s purposes.
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The Master as an Example of Meekness
The most majestic and meaningful examples of meekness are found in the life of the Savior Himself.
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Jesus provides the ultimate example of righteous responsiveness and willing submission as He suffered intense agony in Gethsemane.
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“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”23
The Savior’s meekness in this eternally essential and excruciating experience demonstrates for each of us the importance of putting the wisdom of God above our own wisdom.
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The Savior’s meekness is evidenced in His disciplined response, strong restraint, and unwillingness to exert His infinite power for personal benefit.
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Mormon identifies meekness as the foundation from which all spiritual capacities and gifts arise.
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“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.”30
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Meekness is an essential aspect of the divine nature and can be received and developed in our lives because of and through the Savior’s Atonement.
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