The Condensed Version for Super Busy Moms
(Now with fewer calories!)
The Second Cornerstone: The Triumvirate
To Qualify as a cornerstone:
- It must be an eternal principle
- It must support and sustain itself
- It must be sanctioned by Heavenly Father
- Faith
- Hope
- Charity
Looking To Zion Not-So-Lite
(Full of zest, flavor, and waaay too many calories for our own good!)
We spoke of Jesus Christ as the first cornerstone. His perfection and Atonement are the Hub of the great and eternal plan of salvation that has been acting out since before the creation of the world. He is an external, guiding force for Zion. It is because of Him that Zion is even possible.
The second cornerstone is a bit more abstract, and is made up of three aspects, rather than one contiguous ideology. I’m going out on a limb here, and submitting that the second cornerstone is on equal footing with the first. This cornerstone is a trinity of attributes, namely: Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Before you lynch me as a heretic, please allow me to explain my reasoning. Without this triumvirate of essential principles, Christ could not be the person He is. These attributes are both an essential part of our existence, and a vehicle for our salvation. Where Jesus Christ and His Atonement were given to us, these three attributes are what we give in return. In essence, they are our half of the Covenant of Salvation that we make at baptism.
They are each verbs; ideas in action…they don’t sit idle within us. Where Christ is the external guidance, Faith, Hope, and Charity are the internal. And when we are actively perfecting their use, we are helping others to perfect themselves. They are in effect, just as essential to our salvation as the Atonement is.
As principles, these three things, especially the third aspect, are the driving force throughout creation itself, and all of the laws of the Gospel are tied to them. By making these three attributes a focus in our lives we change ourselves and the world around us from the inside out. It is subtle and gentle, and comes together incrementally in moments and steps, but the change does come.
I could write a book about each of these three attributes, and in truth each one deserves to be addressed individually. No doubt, one day, I’ll revisit them and give them the individual respect they deserve. Today, however, I’m just going to introduce them. So, let’s start off with Faith.
“Faith is knowing that the sun will rise…” (Faith, # 96, LDS Children’s Song Book.) That’s how the Primary song goes. Of all the concepts cited in the scriptures, the attribute of Faith is most likely the one mentioned most. Love probably ties with it, and repentance is a close second, but Faith as a concept is taught quite a bit by the scriptures. With all this attention, its importance should be quite plain. Yet, it is probably the most misunderstood and misinterpreted principle in the gospel. Perhaps this is because there are so many aspects to the principle. It isn’t simply belief, as some people mistakenly imply. There are many times throughout the New Testament, where Jesus chides and rebukes His disciples and the people of Israel for their unbelief. They (and we are just as guilty of this) professed belief, yet their actions dictated otherwise. Faith requires that we move forward. We cannot sit idle, twiddling our thumbs and saying: “All is right with the world.” If we say we believe it will force us to act on those beliefs.
Faith endures loyally. It is a choice to embrace belief, when all around you do not. It weathers every storm, because it is built on our understanding. The more we know God, the easier it is to believe in Him. If it falters, then it is due to our lack of understanding. When we have true Faith, we can take that blind step into the darkness without hesitation. Why will it be easy? Simply put, we will have the confidence that we are doing the right thing; and when we do the right thing, God backs us up. In this life or the next.
Hope is one of those slippery concepts that doesn’t want to be defined. It springs eternal, yet you can lose it so very easily. It is more than desire, and much more complex than anticipation or expectation. It’s founded on positive emotion, and inspires the same in turn. It is more than optimism and dreams of a better tomorrow. It uses our imagination to fuel itself, yet it’s not all mental; there is an emotional aspect to it too. Hope is closely tied to Faith, much like a twin. It is also founded in understanding. Of the three, I find it the hardest to quantify. It remains a mystery to me.
Charity on the other hand is straight forward. It is the greatest, and most necessary of the three. It never faileth. (1 Cor. 13) It is the compassionate service that arises from Faith and Hope. It is the concern we show our family and friends, when their world is in turmoil. It is the unconditional acceptance we shower on our children as babies, and as adults. It is the secret act you perform, just to see the smile on someone’s face. It is the willingness to understand another’s point of view, and the act of really seeing a person as a Child of God – in spite of the way they behave, speak, or present themselves. It is loving when there is no cause to love. It is often the physical expression of Faith’s and Hope’s affection. And while Charity is the most demonstrative of the Triumvirate, it too has its hidden depths and mysteries.
Each of these three attributes act as anchors for our spirits. They tie us to Christ and our Heavenly Father; for as we embrace and use the Triumvirate in our lives, we cannot help but draw nearer to them. Zion cannot live without these three attributes. They are its life’s blood. A citizenship without these three principles supporting it, it is doomed to implode. For in their absence – Unbelief, Despair, and Pride all hold sway over the hearts of men. This is what Nephi was referring to when he said:
“For the Spirit of the Lord will not always strive with man. And when the Spirit ceaseth to strive with man then cometh speedy destruction, and this grieveth my soul.” 2 Ne. 26: 11We will inevitably return to these three at a later date, to explore them in more depth. In the meantime, I will continue to study them and their application. I encourage you to do the same.
As we apply these attributes first in our hearts, and then externally, we slowly become a closer knit people. Our minds and actions align and we eventually begin to share the same goals and desires. Our thoughts and actions unify under one purpose. We change, and Zion is the result.
So, find your Faith. Shroud it in Hope. And nurture it through expressions of Charity.
Until Sunday,
Jeffrey
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