The Beatitudes

This week I was able to read and study the beatitudes Jesus taught during his mission here on earth. During this study I defined what blessed really means and discussed three of the beatitudes and how I feel they have either affected my life, or will affect them in the future.

Blessed- joy of the soul. A joy higher than happiness untouched by outward circumstances. 

Blessed are the poor in spirit-

We depend on The Lord for everything. When reading Hugh Nibley's Approaching Zion, he speaks of the importance of depending on The Lord for all that we have. We are so minuscule in this world. We can do so little. I have seen this take place in my family as my Father has been called to be a mission president. Because my father is poor in spirit he relies on The Lord for all things, including success in the mission, finances while he is away, and to take care of our family. I have seen The Lord provide for our family while my Father has displayed this quality of being poor in spirit. 

Blessed are the pure in heart- 

I like the quote by president Lee that states, "We only see what we have eyes to see." If we are constantly focused on the negative, that is what we will see, however, if we look for the positive, that is also what we will see. We will not see God for what he is unless we have the spiritual eyes to see. Many people in the world don't see God because they are not interested, however, when we have faith and exercise that faith we are able to see God in our everyday lives. By doing so I can come closer to Christ and more fully feel his influence in my life. By perfecting myself and purifying myself I can come closer to Christ and be an instrument in helping others come closer to Christ.

Blessed are they which are persecuted- 

I have experienced persecution because of my beliefs and I have found that when I stand firm in my beliefs, even after persecution, others gain respect and are more open minded. It's common for people to scoff at our value of abstinence before marriage, but when I stand up for what I believe I have had others become more understanding and open to my beliefs. I believe The Lord truly does bless us for withstanding persecution and that it often leads to missionary opportunities.