Diligence in the Scriptures

 Diligence is steady and constant effort and work towards a goal. Diligence is about endurance, not sprinting, and we do it with the Lord's help. Very short definition! Here's diligence in one sentence:

What do the scriptures say about diligence?

Well, here ya go!

Effort & Work

• “Let every man be diligent in all things. And the idler shall not have place in the church, except he repent and mend his ways” (D&C 75:29)
• “Let us not be weary in well doing” (Gal 6:9)
• “Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” (Mt 7:24)
• “Be not slothful” (Heb 6:12)

Steady & Constant (Small and Simple Means)

• “The Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith… would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord” (3 Ne 6:14).
• Be faithful (D&C 5:35, 6:13, 6:37, 9:13, 27:18, 31:13, 42:66, 62:5, 81:5)
• “Be… firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord!” (1 Ne 2:10)
• “Be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works” (Mos 5:15)
• “Let us run with endurance [active persistence, perseverance, determination, patience] the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” (Heb 12:1)
• “They did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron” (1 Ne 8: 30)
• “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Josh 24:15)
• “When our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go” (Alma 26:27)
• “Watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard” (Mos 4:30)
• “Keep thy soul diligently” (Deut 4:9)
• “Be watchful and careful” (D&C 42:76)
• “They did press forward…clinging to the rod of iron” (1 Ne 8:24)
• Liahona worked “according to the faith and diligence which we gave unto it. And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things” (1 Ne 16:28-29) 
• “See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent” (Mos 4:27)
• “Be diligent and temperate in all things” (Alma 38:10)
• “Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided… but be diligent unto the end” (D&C 10:4)

Grace: With the Lord’s Help

• Jesus: ”Let us run with endurance [active persistence, perseverance, determination, patience] the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith [trust, loyalty]” (Heb 12:1).
• We can run with endurance (faith) because Jesus has authored our faith. JESUS is the source of all diligent effort.
• “Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you” (D&C 31:13, also D&C 24:8, 75:13)
• Grace: “Continue in the grace [power] of God” (Acts 13:43)
• Love: “Continue ye in my love” (John 15:9)
• Prepare: “the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Ne 3:7)
• Faith & Hope:
• “Hope cometh of faith, [and] maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works” (Ether 12:4) 
• "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark” (Philip 3:13-14)
• “Nourish the word,… with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof” (Alma 32:41)

At All Times, Unto the End

• Be “diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times” (Alma 7:23)
• “Continue in my word” (John 8:31, also Jacob 6:11, Omni 1:26)
• “Be obedient to his commandments in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days” (Mos 5:5)
• “Endure…even unto the end of thy days” (D&C 24:8)
• “Be diligent unto the end” (D&C 10:4)
• “Be faithful unto the end” (D&C 31:13)
• “Continue in these things even unto the end” (D&C 66:12)

Rewards & Promises

• “Any man that shall… continue faithful in all things, shall not be weary in mind, neither darkened, neither in body, limb, nor joint; and a hair of his head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed. And they shall not go hungry, neither athirst” (D&C 84:80)
• Companionship: “I am with the faithful always” (D&C 62:9); “I, the Lord, will go with you” (D&C 66:8)
• Love: “Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love” (D&C 6:20)
• Peace and prosperity: “There was continual peace among them, and exceedingly great prosperity in the church because of their heed and diligence which they gave unto the word of God” (Alma 49:30)
• Strength: “He that is faithful shall be made strong in every place” (D&C 66:8)
• Deliverance: “if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage” (Mos 7:33)
• Victory: 
• “All victory and glory is brought to pass unto you through your diligence, faithfulness, and prayers of faith” (D&C 103:36)
• “Inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call upon my name, behold, I will give you the victory” (D&C 104:82)
• Protection:
• “if ye continue, the gates of hell shall not prevail against you” (D&C 33:13)
• Revelations, Guidance, Mysteries of God
• “Inasmuch as they are faithful unto me, it shall be made known unto them what they shall do” (D&C 52:4)
• “They shall also be crowned … with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time—they that are faithful and diligent” (D&C 59:4)
• Mysteries of God are granted “unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him” (Alma 12:9)
• “He that diligently seeketh shall find and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them” (1 Ne 10:19)
• “he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light” (D&C 50:24)
• Eternal Life: 
• “if he shall be diligent in keeping my commandments he shall be blessed unto eternal life” (D&C 18:8)
• “Continue in these things even unto the end, and you shall have a crown of eternal life” (D&C 66:12)
• Other:
• “Be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize” (Mos 4:27)
• “Because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, … ye shall pluck the fruit thereof…. Ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you” (Alma 32:42-43)

Diligence (Oct 2020 Conference Themes)

 This post is part of a series reflecting on October 2020 General Conference. Read the intro here. 

The first General Conference theme I focused on is diligence. 

This theme, I feel, came as an answer to a major issue in my life. I hear Elijah’s voice regularly, “How long halt ye between two opinions?” During Conference, I felt like the Lord was gently reminding me - “You have to be constant in your efforts. Choose this day whom you will serve, and do that. Consistent, daily decisions are the path to becoming like Christ. Press forward, push through. Keep going. Doin’t give up.” 

Diligence is basically steady and constant effort and work in the direction of a desired goal. That goal may be something really specific, or as broad as “becoming like Christ.” With anything we want to accomplish, it requires diligence - steady and constant effort and work. This is one meaning of the word faithful - to be faithful is to be committed, constant, and loyal. 

Another key to diligence is persistence - not giving up. We won’t reach our goal with a few days of effort. No, we need to be constant over a long period of time. Press forward, don’t give up. 

Also, I think we can sometimes get overwhelmed by diligence. It seems SO BIG and we have to do it FOREVER?? Well, that’s another piece of good news. The scriptures (and this General Conference) really emphasize that diligence is a marathon not a sprint. We are constant and steady over a long period of time because we rely on “small and simple means.” We know we will not achieve our goal overnight. The Lord says it is not requisite that we run faster than we have strength. And that’s what diligence is about - small, consistent efforts over time. 

One of the most important aspects of diligence (in my opinion), that probably won’t be mentioned in the dictionary, is grace - relying on the Lord’s strengthening power. We will not be able to go on steadily and constantly forever by relying on our own strength. If we want to make it, we need the Lord’s help. 

Here are some synonyms and other keys words associated with diligence: 

Steadfast, Firm, Immovable, Press forward, Endure, Faithful, Patience, Determination, Persistent, Commitment, Continue, Persevere

If you want to learn about diligence, I’d recommend going to the Topical Guide or Index to the Triple Combination and reading verses under those headings. 

The scriptures also promise so many rewards for diligence. Honestly, check them out! 

I think there is one verse that really encapsulates all these aspects of diligence. It’s a classic:

Alright, now that we know what diligence is, what did the speakers at General Conference teach about diligence?

Great question! Here are some quotes about diligence, organized under those five aspects of diligence (Some appear more than once, because they cover multiple categories).

Effort & Work

• “It takes persistent, rigorous spiritual work…It takes consistent, daily effort” (Pres Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail”)
• “Maintaining change takes effort” (Becky Craven, “Keep the Change”)
• “It is always worth the effort to keep trying” (Carlos A. Godoy, “I Believe Angels”)
• “Such adjustment requires a daily and constant personal effort” (Ulisses S. Soares, “Seek Christ in Every Thought”)
• “By their faithful endurance and effort, they became more like the Savior and our Heavenly Father” (Henry B. Eyring, “Tested, Proved, Polished”)
• “Your consistent efforts in this endeavor - even during those moments when you feel that you are not being particularly successful - will change your life, that of your family, and the world” (Jeremy R. Jaggi, “Let Patience Have Her Perfect Work, and Count It All Joy!”)
• "Commit to exerting meaningful effort. These attributes… will come incrementally while endeavoring…You will need to put in sustained effort. Much like climbing a mountain requires preparation before and endurance and perseverance during ascent, so too will this journey require real effort and sacrifice. True Christianity, in which we strive to become like our Master, has always required our best efforts.” (Scott D. Whiting, “Becoming Like Him”)

Steady & Constant (by small & simple means)

• “It takes persistent, rigorous spiritual work…It takes consistent, daily effort” (Pres Russell M. Nelson, “Let God Prevail”)
• "These attributes won’t come cheaply and suddenly, but through His grace they will come incrementally while endeavoring…In order to see real progress, you will need to put in sustained effort. Much like climbing a mountain requires preparation before and endurance and perseverance during ascent, so too will this journey require real effort and sacrifice. True Christianity, in which we strive to become like our Master, has always required our best efforts.” (Scott D. Whiting, “Becoming Like Him”)
• “Additional aspects of a spiritual foundation…include acting ‘in wisdom and order,’ which implies a gradual buildup…over time, as well as embracing “small and simple” means, which is a demonstration of faith that the Lord will magnify our small but consistent efforts” (W. Christopher Waddell, “There Was Bread”)
• “We endure to the end by continuing to apply these principles….Our daily choices will either help or hinder our progress. Small but steady, deliberate changes will help us improve.” (Becky Craven, “Keep the Change”)
• “Your consistent efforts in this endeavor - even during those moments when you feel that you are not being particularly successful - will change your life, that of your family, and the world” (Jeremy R. Jaggi, “Let Patience Have Her Perfect Work, and Count It All Joy!”)
• ““I may not soon make it to the top, but I can do this next step right now.” Over time the daunting task ultimately became achievable—step by step” (Scott D. Whiting, “Becoming Like Him”)
• “Such adjustment requires a daily and constant personal effort” (Ulisses S. Soares, “Seek Christ in Every Thought”)
• “With [God’s] help and our faithfulness and endurance, we will prevail” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Be of Good Cheer”)

Grace (relying on the Lord’s strength and power)

• “Humbling ourselves and seeking heaven’s inspiration to endure or conquer what is before us will be our safest and surest way to move confidently forward” (M. Russell Ballard, “Watch Ye Therefore, and Pray Always”)
• “We are never alone in our efforts” (Sharon Eubank, “By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power With God”)
• “The Lord is ready to assist us in our personal efforts” (Ulisses S. Soares, “Seek Christ in Every Thought”)
• “The Lord will magnify our small but consistent efforts” (W. Christopher Waddell, “There Was Bread”)
• “He will send angels to help you” (Carlos A. Godoy, “I Believe Angels”)
• “Combining our efforts with the Savior’s ability to change us, we become new creatures….In addition to the transforming power of our Savior’s Atonement, the Holy Ghost will support and guide us as we put forth our effort” (Becky Craven, “Keep the Change”)
• "These attributes won’t come cheaply and suddenly, but through His grace they will come” (Scott D. Whiting, “Becoming Like Him”)
• “With [God’s] help and our faithfulness and endurance, we will prevail”(Dallin H. Oaks, “Be of Good Cheer”)

At All Times & Unto the End

• “Such adjustment…takes a lifetime of diligence and faithfulness” (Ulisses S. Soares, “Seek Christ in Every Thought”)
• “We endure to the end by continuing to apply these principles throughout our lives…Do not become discouraged. Change is a lifelong process” (Becky Craven, “Keep the Change”)

Rewards & Promises

• “The Lord…promises remarkable blessings if we endure to the end” (Ulisses S. Soares, “Seek Christ in Every Thought”)
• “Your consistent efforts in this endeavor - even during those moments when you feel that you are not being particularly successful - will change your life, that of your family, and the world” (Jeremy R. Jaggi, “Let Patience Have Her Perfect Work, and Count It All Joy!”)
• “Our faith will grow as we experiment on the word of God with hope and diligence” (Lisa Harkness, “Peace, Be Still”)
• “By their faithful endurance and effort, they became more like the Savior and our Heavenly Father” (Henry B. Eyring, “Tested, Proved, Polished”)
• “With [God’s] help and our faithfulness and endurance, we will prevail” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Be of Good Cheer”)

Find all the General Conference addresses here. 

Ash Wednesday & Lenten Invitations

For several months, I have felt estranged from God. I have not attended Sunday services or meetings. I have not prayed. I have not read scripture. I have interacted with social media communities, and participated in family scripture study and prayer about once weekly. Even with those - my heart hasn’t been in it. I haven’t sensed a connection to the Divine, to the Beyond. Discussing scripture was like discussing the weather; participating in prayer was no more than listening to the words of another. 

Today, I decided to attend an Ash Wednesday service. For the past handful of years, the seasons of the church year have become increasingly important and meaningful to me. Last Advent, I decided to create a home altar with candles, statues, and colored cloths for each season of the liturgical calendar. I decided that I wanted to incorporate the seasons into the rhythm of my home and life. I wasn’t sure how to do that, but I knew I wanted to. So with Lent approaching, I knew an Ash Wednesday worship service with the Body of Christ would start me off. 

And boy was I right. More right than I expected. 

I deliberated through the day about where I would go for service (remember, I haven’t been attending church; I have no home). All I knew was that I needed Communion; I needed the Eucharist; I needed the Bread of Life. I’m not sure I would have been able to explain why. I just knew in my soul, in my bones, that I needed it. So I searched for a church that was sure to offer this gift to me. 

Divine Providence brought me where I needed to be, I believe. Just before 7, I headed to the nearest United Methodist Church. I reached for the door handle - locked. I walked around the corner to another entrance - locked. And the next - locked. I checked the website to discover the 7pm service was at a different location. Reluctantly, I walked to the Episcopal church across the street (they also had a service at 7).

I was early - the sanctuary was sparsely populated and filled with a stillness. The altar seemed bare. 

The service began. The priest gave a sermon about the origins of Lent as a time when converts prepared for an Easter Sunday baptism, a time when estranged members who had committed grievous sins prepared to reenter the community, a time when indeed the whole church took time to reflect on their own baptism, take inventory, and recenter their life on Christ. He spoke of Edward Hays’ book, “Lenten Hobo Honeymoon,” and the origins of the word “hobo.” After the Civil War, this word referred to people who were “homeward bound.” Hobo - people who would do anything just to get back home. This is the message of Lent, he said: You can go back home. Jesus came so we can go home. 

The minister continued, proclaiming, “People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. . . . I invite you, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” 

The Spirit moved within me. I want to observe a holy Lent. I want to prepare for the feast of the Lord’s passion and resurrection. I want to prepare to renew my baptism and its covenants at Easter. I want to be reconciled and restored to fellowship. I want Jesus. I need Jesus. Jesus, I cried, take me home. 

We received ashes as a sign of our mortality and penitence, remembering that it is only Jesus who grants us life. We continued through the liturgy to the memorial of Christ’s death and resurrection, the Eucharist. A word that translates to “good gift.” 

As I ate the Body and Blood, the Bread of Life and the Fruit of the Vine, I was overcome with gratitude. The love of God was thick in the air. Christ is truly present, I thought. Christ loves me, embraces me, calls me home. The words of Christ came to mind: “Repent, and return unto me, that I may heal you” (3 Nephi 9:14, paraphrased). With a Mother’s love, God waits patiently. God does not grow weary of me; God’s welcome will never expire. 

As I walked home, a song ran through my mind: “All my life You have been faithful, and all my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God . . . Your goodness is running after, it's running after me. . . . My life laid down, I'm surrendered now, I give You everything” (Bethel, “Goodness of God”). 

At home, I began working on my altar. I removed the green cloth of Ordinary Time and replaced it with a purple cloth - purple, symbolizing royalty, penitence, and waiting. I felt as Nephi, being "led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do” (1 Nephi 4:6). “Nevertheless I went forth,” finding an index card and writing what the Spirit laid on my heart. 

Lenten Invitations

• Prayer: Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, Book of Common Prayer Lenten Collects
• Scripture: Book of Mormon
• Communion & Sacrament: Gather with the saints to celebrate Eucharist

I must make one thing clear - these are not goals. These are not things I hope to do. These are invitations. God has invited me to use these practices as a means of grace, to partake of God’s presence and goodness. There is no obligation here, only open arms. God invites me to come to the table. 

Another note - “For the Lord God . . . speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding” (2 Nephi 31:3). I firmly believe that the Divine Power can and does communicate with people in their own language. God meets us where we are and uses many means to connect with us. And I believe God welcomes all our efforts to experience God’s presence. You’ll notice that the invitations God laid on my heart are eclectic - Catholic and Anglican prayers and Mormon scripture (and who knows which saints I’ll gather with to celebrate the Eucharist!). I don’t find issue with this. I meet God when I pray, “Our Father, who art in Heaven.” I meet God when I pray, “Hail Mary, full of grace.” I meet God when I read the Book of Mormon - more than in any other book. I firmly believe that God is okay with that. God is big enough to accept any and every human offering. 

And now, I extend and invitation to you. I invite you to spend a few moments in quiet, asking the Great Unknowable how you might come to experience Its glory more fully during this Lenten season. How can you observe a holy Lent? How can you prepare to celebrate the glorious mystery of rebirth? What will bring your soul to life? 

Holy Week: Hosanna! Crucify Him!

I have not been so faithful about writing weekly during Lent. I had grand aspirations. My hope was to write the whole series before Lent began and schedule the posts to ensure this series actually got finished!! But, sadly that didn’t happen, and life did happen. So here we are, a series half finished and Lent on its way out. Oh well, I guess. 

But this week is a week commonly referred to by Christians as Holy Week. A specially sacred time set apart (holy) to remember the myths of our traditions and meditate on how they apply to our lives. 

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. 

For weeks we have reflected, fasted, prayed, served. We have slowed down, quieted down, made room. 

This week we remember deeply. 

We remember Passover, when God led the Israelites out of slavery and bondage in Egypt. 

Remember Jesus’ final Passover meal, when he remembered, celebrated, and taught his friends that God’s salvific and redemptive work did not end in Egypt. 

Remember the day Jesus was arrested as a rabble-rouser, as a troublemaker, as a threat to the state. Jesus’ followers claimed that he was the messiah, the king of the Jews, come with power and a sword to bring deliverance from the Romans! Passover had long been a remembrance of deliverance and a hope for deliverance. The Romans knew Passover was the ideal time for a reformer to rise up among huge crowds and excite them to rebellion against the authorities. Thus, they were on strict lookout. Jesus was a threat. The prefect Pontius Pilate dealt with political threats swiftly and without remorse. Jesus was no different. 

We remember the day that Jesus died for love, the day when the powers of greed, selfishness, and pride arrested this man of love. Remember the day when he did not back down from his message of redemption and radical acceptance. Even unto death, he did not forsake God’s love and truth. As he hung on the cross, his oppressors mocking, still he loved them. This image of God loved even unto death. 

We remember darkness. Remember sadness. Remember grief. Acknowledge the darkness, sadness, and grief in our lives and in our world. Acknowledge all the ways that we kill Christ over and over and over in our thoughts and in our words, in what we have done and in what we have failed to do. 

This week, we see darkness. We feel darkness. We remember darkness. We welcome darkness. Pain is not bad, and we will not run from it. 

~ ~ ~

On Sunday, Palm Sunday, we celebrated. We celebrated Jesus entering the holy city, the capitol, to the welcome of a king. We celebrated joyfully and welcomed Christ into our lives. 

Tomorrow, the crowd will shout, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Historical accuracy aside, I am concerned with what we can learn from this story, what this story teaches us about who we are. 

This story speaks to the ever-changing nature of humanity. We shout loud hosannas one day, only to crucify God the next. 

We march for justice one day, only to go home and yell at our children. 

We cook at soup kitchens one day, only to drive past the homeless the street corner the next. 

We welcome Christ in so many wonderful ways, but forget to keep Him with us. We welcome Christ, and then in small and simple ways, crucify him over and over again. 

We are not faithful. We are not steady. We are not consistent. 

But God is.

God IS faithful.

God IS steady.

God IS consistent.

And more than that - God’s LOVE is faithful, steady, consistent. 

And that’s what next Sunday is about - Easter. Easter says that no mater how bad it gets, no matter how dark, no matter how hateful - love and life will reign victorious. We killed this Christ, and he rose again, exalted on high. He rose to even greater power. He rose and gives us another chance to welcome him. On Sundays we welcome. During the week, we so often fall short and crucify him. 

We are not faithful, but God is faithful. God’s love abides whether we are welcoming him or crucifying him. God loves us wherever we are on the journey. This is a cyclical journey, not a linear one. We will welcome and crucify Christ many times over the course of our lives. We will never get it right. But God will love us through our weak human efforts. And God will love those who are hurt by our lack. Sunday will always come. Jesus will rise victorious, ready for us to welcome him into our hearts and homes, ready to give us another chance. 

On the Sundays of our lives, we are joyful and triumphant in our welcome of Christ and our proclamation of Love. On the Thursdays and Fridays of our lives, we kill the Christ and mourn for the darkness of our world. But all hope is not lost, because Sunday will always come back around, giving us another chance. God is forever tries. 

This week, let us remember. 

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace

How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost, but now I'm found

Was blind, but now I see

Through countless dangers, doubts, and fears
I have already come
God's grace has brought me safely here
And grace will lead me home

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy rains

Unending love, Amazing grace

His mighty hand shall be my stay
His strength with me abounds
And though I stumble day by day
He shall not leave my side

My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, my Savior has ransomed me

And like a flood His mercy rains

Unending love, Amazing grace

The earth shall soon melt like snow

The sun refuse to shine

Yet God, Who sent me here below

Will be forever mine