Week 40: Matthew 17:20

This week, I was pondering about humility and how we come to obtain it.  I thought about how sometimes we only rely on God if things don't go our way.  Only if we want something.  Sometimes we rely on God in good times, without having a circumstance to bring us to humility.  In an inspired scripture study, I came across Alma 32:12-16 which says, "I say unto you, it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom; for it is necessary that ye should learn wisdom; for it is because that ye are cast out, that ye are despised of your brethren because of your exceeding poverty, that ye are brought to a lowliness of heart; for ye are necessarily brought to be humble.  And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.  And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?  Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed—yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty.  Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe."

I apologize for the fat chunk of scripture, but it really hit me and went along perfectly with what I was pondering days before.  I started thinking about my own life and when I was compelled or not compelled to be humble.  I've taken it upon myself to not only humble myself when things don't go my way, but in all things.  Always doing the right thing no matter what.  I know we are truly blessed beyond comprehension when we follow God in turmoil and prosperity.

Elder Poulsen