Discipleship: Jan 2021
Talk given to the Mountain Point 4th Ward in Draper, UT on Sunday Jan 10.
Outline
- Opening
- Prepare with assumptions and thought questions
- What is a disciple?
- Characteristics of True Disciples
- Examples of True Disciples
- How can I become a better Disciple?
- Is it Worth it?
Overarching Goal
- Deepen our thoughts on discipleship
- Recognize places that we can improve our journey of discipleship
- Renew our desire to press onward on this journey
Opening: Setting the scene
About 2mins
- Reference Sam’s talk for any points that will align well with my talk / anything that I felt inspired by.
- I assume that you care about understanding Discipleship better.
- Think about the following questions:
- What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ
- Do I consider myself a disciple of Christ?
- What can I do to better emulate the characteristics of a true disciple of Christ?
- When can I know that I’ve “arrived” as a true disciple?
- What can I hope for in putting in the time and effort to become a better disciple of Christ?
- References that I’ll be pulling from
- Discipleship by James E Faust - Oct 2006 Gen Conference
- The Empowerment of Humility by Richard C Edgley - Oct 2003 Gen Conference
- Bible Dictionary
- Scriptures
What is a Disciple?
About 3mins (5.15 by this point)
- Word for disciple and discipline come from the same Latin root discipulus, which means pupil (1)
- Emphasizes practice or exercise
- When you hear “practice” or “exercise”, what activities come to mind?
- Are we practicing or exercising in our discipleship for Christ?
- “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.” (1)
Characteristics of True Disciples of Christ
About 2mins (7.15)
- Willingness to do literally anything for the Savior (3)
- “Let no man be afraid to lay down his life for my sake; for whoso layeth down his life for my sake shall find it again. And whoso is not willing to lay down his life for my sake is not my disciple” (3)
- Are we willing to lay down our lives for the Savior?
- Laying down your life is considered the ultimate sacrifice. If we’re willing to do this, shouldn’t we be willing to do literally anything else?
- Shows complete trust in Him
- Forsake pursuit of worldly things
- This is a hard one! How far do we go on this before becoming dogmatic or being labeled as extremist or zealot?
- humility
3 examples of true Disciples
5.5mins (12)
- Alma: Book of Mormon - Alma 8:8-18
- And it came to pass that when Alma had come to the city of Ammonihah he began to preach the word of God unto them. Now Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people of the city of Ammonihah; therefore they would not hearken unto the words of Alma. Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance. Nevertheless, they hardened their hearts… Now when the people had said this, and withstood all his words, and reviled him, and spit upon him, and caused that he should be cast out of their city, he departed thence and took his journey towards the city which was called Aaron. And it came to pass that while he was journeying thither, being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, it came to pass while Alma was thus weighed down with sorrow, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, saying: Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him… behold, I am sent to command thee that thou return to the city of Ammonihah, and preach again unto the people of the city… Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah.
- Paul: Bible
- Sacrifice
- Willingness to forsake everything for Christ
- Brigham Young: Church History - The Empowerment of Humility - Richard C Edgely (Oct 2003)
- A story is told of an encounter between the Prophet Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. In the presence of a rather large group of brethren, the Prophet severely chastised Brother Brigham for some failing in his duty. Everyone, I suppose somewhat stunned, waited to see what Brigham’s response would be. After all, Brigham, who later became known as the Lion of the Lord, was no shrinking violet by any means. Brigham slowly rose to his feet, and in words that truly reflected his character and his humility, he simply bowed his head and said, “Joseph, what do you want me to do?” The story goes that sobbing, Joseph ran from the podium, threw his arms around Brigham, and said in effect, “You passed, Brother Brigham, you passed”
How do I Become a Better Disciple?
1.25mins (13)
- 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. (1)
- Our true claim as disciples comes when we can say with certainty that His ways have become our ways. (1)
- We should follow Christ’s commandment to be even like He is.
Is It Worth It?
45secs (14)
- 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. (1)
Sources
- Discipleship: By James E Faust
- Bible Dictionary Entry for Disciple
- Doctrine and Covenants 103:27-28
- Alma 8:8-18
- The Empowerment of Humility by Richard C Edgely