Actor portrayal of Joseph Smith reading the Bible and praying, photograph by Christina Smith
The Epistle of James preaches a gospel of action: Ask of God if you lack wisdom (James 1:5). Be doers of the word (James 1:22-25). Visit the fatherless and widows (James 1:27). Faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26). Anoint the sick with oil, praying over them (James 5:14-15).
It also preaches self-discipline, including controlling our tongues (James 1:26, James 3), patiently enduring (James 1:2-4, James 5:7-8, 10-11), and not judging (James 2:1-13, James 4:11, James 5:9).
Several passages in this epistle encourage us to reach out to God when we need help, notably the following passage near the beginning:
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:5
The word "upbraid" means to scold, reprimand, or find fault with someone. This verse powerfully affected a fourteen-year-old boy named Joseph Smith in 1820, who was seeking to know which church he should join. He was particularly encouraged by the promise that God would not upbraid him for asking the question: "I at length came to the determination to 'ask of God,'" he wrote, "concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture" (Joseph Smith—History 1:13).
Here are some other lessons I've learned from this epistle, with links to relevant blog posts:
1. When you commit to something, you need to follow through.
James promised that God would answer our sincere prayers, but he added that we must "ask in faith, nothing wavering" (James 1:6). If God is to guide us, we must be willing to follow through on a course of action, not constantly changing our mind and following the latest trend. Public opinion can be fickle, and discipleship demands that we be willing and able to stand firm.
Here's a blog post on that topic: Nothing Wavering
2. God is the ultimate source of all good gifts.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, and with gift-giving season upon us, it's a good time to reflect on the good gifts we have received and which we can give to others. James says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17), which echoes Mormon's testimony that "every good gift cometh of Christ" (Moroni 10:18).
In this blog post, I consider the attributes of good gifts, both to help us improve our giving and to appreciate the gifts we have received: "Every Good Gift" – Moroni 10:18.
3. We should be particularly mindful of widows and orphans.
James contrasts "pure religion" with those who merely "seem to be religious." He doesn't say that pure religion consists of praying longer or attending more church services or fasting more often. Instead, he says that pure religion consists of two things:
- Visiting "the fatherless and widows"
- Keeping ourselves "unspotted from the world."
(See James 1:27.)
God expects us all to minister to one another but with a particular focus on those who are most vulnerable. Throughout the generations, prophets have urged us to pay particular attention to widows and orphans in our ministering efforts.
Here's a post about that: Widows and Orphans.
4. Disciples of Christ are "easy to be entreated."
James advises us that "earthy" and "sensual" people indulge in "envying and strife," while people who are in harmony with heaven are "easy to be entreated" (James 3:13-17). In the Book of Mormon, both Alma and Nephi encouraged people to develop this attribute.
To entreat is to "ask someone earnestly or anxiously to do something." We need to intentionally be more responsive to requests from others and to promptings from God.
Here is a blog post on that topic: What Does It Mean to Be "Easy to Be Entreated?"
5. If you can overcome lust, you can resist temptation.
James identified lust as the reason that temptation leads to sin: "Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin" (James 1:14-15).
Lust is a desire so strong that it overpowers reason. Thus, if we can overcome lust, then temptation will no longer lead to sin.
See the following blog post: What Is Lust?
6. Prayers matter. Pray for the people you love.
James said, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16). Then, he gave an example: Elijah the prophet was an ordinary human being like us, yet God answered his prayers with miracles.
In the Book of Mormon, when an angel appears to a wayward young man, he informs him that he has come in response to his father's prayers. "The Lord hath heard the prayers...of his servant, Alma, who is thy father" (Alma 27:14).
We don't know why prayers are answered on different timelines and in different ways, but we do know that God answers prayers. Therefore, we ought to pray on behalf of the people we love.
See the following blog post: He Has Prayed with Much Faith – Mosiah 27:14.
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