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“Discipleship” by President James E. Faust

In the October 2006 General Conference, President Faust spoke about “Discipleship.” What is discipleship? What does it mean to be a disciple?

In his second and third paragraphs, President Faust gives us some definitions and descriptions to work with:

The word for disciple and the word for discipline both come from the same Latin root—discipulus, which means pupil. It emphasizes practice or exercise. Self-discipline and self-control are consistent and permanent characteristics of the followers of Jesus, as exemplified by Peter, James, and John, who indeed “forsook all, and followed him.”

What is discipleship? It is primarily obedience to the Savior. Discipleship includes many things. It is chastity. It is tithing. It is family home evening. It is keeping all the commandments. It is forsaking anything that is not good for us. Everything in life has a price. Considering the Savior’s great promise for peace in this life and eternal life in the life to come, discipleship is a price worth paying. It is a price we cannot afford not to pay. By measure, the requirements of discipleship are much, much less than the promised blessings.(emphasis in the original)

Notice that President Faust defines discipleship as “primarily obedience to the Savior.” In the earlier paragraph, he says, “Self-discipline and self-control are consistent and permanent characteristics of the followers of Jesus,….” I don’t know about you, but I have to work at these things–yet “it is a price we cannot afford not to pay,”(emphasis in the original) as President Faust says.

I find the definition he gives us to be inspiring, even though it is not always easy. It is in my nature to do a lot of reading and research about things, looking for inspiration, motivation, and understanding. What I must learn to do (and am learning to do) is move on to the actions required. Being a disciple of the Savior Jesus Christ means acting on His teachings and examples. Some things are relatively easy and some are more difficult–it varies with each of us. But, as President Faust says, “[D]iscipleship is a price worth paying.” It is eternally important.

President Faust goes on to say:

The disciples of Christ receive a call to not only forsake the pursuit of worldly things but to carry the cross daily. To carry the cross means to follow His commandments and to build up His Church on the earth. It also means self-mastery. As Jesus of Nazareth instructed us, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

Basically, we are to obey Christ’s commandments and build up His Church on earth. Then we will be His disciples, His followers. President Faust then lists some of the things that Jesus did that we can emulate:

1. Jesus “went about doing good.” We can all do something good every day—for a family member, a friend, or even a stranger—if we will look for those opportunities.

2. Jesus was the Good Shepherd who watched over His sheep and had concern for those that were lost. We can seek out the lonely or those who are less active and befriend them.

3. Jesus had compassion on many, including a poor leper. We too can have compassion. We are reminded in the Book of Mormon that we are “to mourn with those that mourn.”

4. Jesus bore witness of His divine mission and of His Father’s great work. For our part, we can all “stand as witnesses of God at all times.”

5. Jesus invited “the little children to come unto [Him].” Our children need our attention and love as well as our care.

There are, of course, many things that we can do, but these five are important items that we can work on incorporating into our lives. And they are things we must do, not just think about.

After giving some examples from scripture and Church history, President Faust adds this:

For most of us, however, what is required is not to die for the Church but to live for it. For many, living a Christlike life every day may be even more difficult than laying down one’s life. (emphasis in the original)

Do you find that to be true–that it is easier to make some great stand one time than to persist and be diligent over the long run? I think to some extent, all of us find that to be true. Yet the daily persistence and diligence is what we must do. Sometimes we may question our ability to truly be a disciple of Christ, but President Faust says:

Some may say: “I am a simple person. I have no stature or position. I am new in the Church. My talents and abilities are limited. My contribution is little.” Or they may say: “I am too old to change. I have already lived my life. Why should I try?” It is never too late to change. Discipleship does not come from positions of prominence, wealth, or advanced learning. The disciples of Jesus came from all walks of life. However, discipleship does require us to forsake evil transgression and enjoy what President Spencer W. Kimball has called “the miracle of forgiveness.” This can come only through repentance, which means that we forsake sin and resolve each day to be followers of truth and righteousness. As Jesus taught, “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”

Many think that the price of discipleship is too costly and too burdensome. For some, it involves giving up too much. But the cross is not as heavy as it appears to be. Through obedience we acquire much greater strength to carry it.

As President Faust says, “Our true claim as disciples comes when we can say with certainty that His ways have become our ways.” We know we are going in the right direction when we seek to become more and more like our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. And why should we work at discipleship? Because, as President Faust says:

The blessings of discipleship are readily available to all who are willing to pay the price. Discipleship brings purpose to our lives so that rather than wandering aimlessly, we walk steadily on that strait and narrow way that leads us back to our Heavenly Father. Discipleship brings us comfort in times of sorrow, peace of conscience, and joy in service—all of which help us to be more like Jesus.

Through discipleship of the Savior, we come to know and believe in our hearts and minds the saving principles and ordinances of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through our discipleship, we come to appreciate the profound mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith in restoring those saving principles in our time. We rejoice that the keys of the priesthood and its authority have been passed down through the Presidents of the Church, from the Prophet Joseph Smith to our present prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley.

We are grateful that in our discipleship of the Savior we come to enjoy His promise of “peace in this world,” with contentment, happiness, and fulfillment. Through our discipleship, we are able to receive the spiritual strength that we need to deal with the challenges of life.

We gain so much as we work toward being true disciples of Christ–comfort, peace, joy, strength, appreciation, happiness, fulfillment. How can we not seek to become His disciples?

President Faust’s talk has much to think about and apply in our lives. I quoted much from it above because he explained discipleship with such clarity. I know it increased my understanding and I hope it will yours as well.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 17th, 2007 at 5:46 pm and is filed under True and Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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