For the last gospel doctrine article, we discussed a true heart. Along the same vein, I would like to examine an honest heart, and how to cultivate it.
Promises are given to those who have an honest heart. In D&C 8:1, Oliver Cowdry is promised that if he asks with an honest heart, he will receive the knowledge he desires. (Faith, of course, is also a key component in the asking.) Similarly, in D&C 11:10, Hyrum Smith is promised gifts from the Lord if he asks with an honest heart. The most wonderful promise of all, however, comes in D&C 97:8. Those with an honest heart are accepted of the Lord.
All of these are wonderful blessings that come with an honest heart, and the footnotes linked to honest give a little more insight. From those footnotes, we are referred to the topical guide on sincerity, prayer, motivation, and contrite heart. From this, I gather that an honest heart reflects our motivation. If we have an honest heart, we sincerely desire to serve the Lord, and we are sincerely sorry when we sin. We are also sent to a verse in Luke. Luke 8:15, part of the parable of the sower, notes that the good seeds are those with a “good and honest heart” who hear the word and obey it. Thus, a person with an honest heart hears the Lord’s voice and follows it.
The question that came to my mind next was, how can we cultivate an honest heart? After all, if a person bearing such a thing is accepted by the Lord, then that is the kind of person I long to be. The best answer I could determine was to frequently re-examine my own motivations for serving. There are, of course, many aspects of my life in which this applies – in the home, in the church, and in the world.
I began to consider my calling. I wonder if there are times when we serve because it is expected of us, or because it is our duty, instead of because we are serving the Lord. Do we sometimes get caught up in the details, the meetings, and the committees, and forget that we are the Lord’s hands? Do we grow frustrated with the people we serve because they are not growing the way we wanted to, or as quickly as we wanted to? I know I have been guilty of this. Surely I am not alone. Similarly, I am guilty of this as a mother, as well.
I encourage all of you to take a look at your life and determine what your motivations are. Most of the time, I think, we seek to serve the Lord because we love Him. But we are all human, and sometimes we get distracted or discouraged. It is my belief that as we return our focus to Him and remember that we really are His hands on the earth, we will find more joy in service, and take more peace from it.
Related Articles:
Gospel Doctrine: “I Am A (Spiritual) Child of God”
Whom the Lord Calls, He Qualifies