Thinking about the attributes of Jesus Christ this month has made it more meaningful to me. His birth brought about the most significant event in the history of the world. A God had come to earth to dwell among men and to bring about their spiritual salvation. The keeping of time as we know it (BC and AD) began the day he was born and continues today. The law of Moses was fulfilled and a new law was instituted. He showed us the way. He showed us the attributes we need to gain to become more like him and to return to his presence.
In I Peter 1:3-8, it outlines these attributes in scripture, reminding us that "exceeding great and precious promises" are given to us if we strive to obtain these virtues into our lives so that we can "avoid the corruption that is in the world through lust." Who wouldn't like to access these precious promises and avoid the corruption of the world??
In the book
Preach My Gospel it gives a check list for missionaries to assess their spiritual health in the nine areas of spiritual growth. I share it here for all of us because it gives us some ideas of practical things we can do to improve our spiritual lives. Spiritual growth is a gradual process, and no one is perfect, so you should expect to rate
yourself better on some items than on others. The point is to keep trying, to keep moving forward, to keep making tiny steps in putting off the natural man and coming to Christ.
ATTRIBUTE ACTIVITY
Read each item below carefully. Decide how true that statement is about you, and choose the most appropriate response from the response key.
Write your response to each item in your study journal.
Response Key 1 = never 2 = sometimes 3 = often 4 = almost always 5 = always
Faith
1. I believe in Christ and accept Him as my
Savior. (2 Nephi 25:29)
2. I feel confident that God loves me.
(1 Nephi 11:17)
3. I trust the Savior enough to accept His will
and do whatever He asks. (1 Nephi 3:7)
4. I firmly believe that through the Atonement
of Jesus Christ I can be forgiven of all my
sins. (Enos 1:5–8)
5. I have enough faith in Christ to obtain
answers to my prayers. (Mosiah 27:14)
6. I think about the Savior during the day and
remember what He has done for me.
(D&C 20:77, 79)
7. I have the faith necessary to help make
good things happen in my life or the lives
of others. (Ether 12:12)
8. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost
that the Book of Mormon is true. (Moroni
10:3–5)
9. I have enough faith in Christ to accomplish
anything He wants me to do—even
miracles if necessary. (Moroni 7:33)
Hope
10. One of my greatest desires is to inherit
eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God.
(Moroni 7:41)
11. I am confident that I will have a happy and
successful life. (D&C 31:3–5)
12. I feel peaceful and optimistic about the
future. (D&C 59:23)
13. I firmly believe that someday I will dwell
with God and become like Him. (Ether 12:4)
Charity and Love
14. I feel a sincere desire for the eternal
welfare and happiness of other people.
(Mosiah 28:3)
15. When I pray, I ask for charity—the pure
love of Christ. (Moroni 7:47–48)
16. I try to understand others’ feelings and
see their point of view. (Jude 1:22)
17. I forgive others who have offended or
wronged me. (Ephesians 4:32)
18. I try to help others when they are
struggling or discouraged. (Mosiah 18:9)
19. When appropriate, I tell others that I love
them and care about them. (Luke 7:12–15)
20. I look for opportunities to serve other
people. (Mosiah 2:17)
21. I say positive things about others.
(D&C 42:27)
22. I am kind and patient with others, even
when they are hard to get along with.
(Moroni 7:45)
23. I find joy in others’ achievements.
(Alma 17:2–4)
Virtue
24. I am clean and pure in heart. (Psalm
24:3–4)
25. I have no desire to do evil but to do good.
(Mosiah 5:2)
26. I am dependable—I do what I say I will
do. (Alma 53:20)
27. I focus on righteous, uplifting thoughts
and put unwholesome thoughts out of my
mind. (D&C 121:45)
28. I repent of my sins and strive to overcome
my weaknesses. (D&C 49:26–28)
29. I feel the influence of the Holy Ghost in my
life. (D&C 11:12–13)
Knowledge
30. I feel confident in my understanding of
gospel doctrines and principles. (Ether
3:19–20)
31. I study the scriptures daily. (John 5:39)
32. I earnestly seek to understand the truth and
find answers to my questions. (D&C 6:7)
33. I receive knowledge and guidance through
the Spirit. (1 Nephi 4:6)
34. I love and cherish the doctrines and
principles of the gospel. (2 Nephi 4:15)
Patience
35. I wait patiently for the blessings and
promises of the Lord to be fulfilled.
(2 Nephi 10:17)
36. I am able to wait for things without getting
upset or frustrated. (Romans 8:25)
37. I am patient and long-suffering with the
challenges of being a missionary.
(Alma 17:11)
38. I am patient with the faults and
weaknesses of others. (Romans 15:1)
39. I am patient with myself and rely on the
Lord as I work to overcome my
weaknesses. (Ether 12:27)
40. I face adversity and afflictions calmly and
hopefully. (Alma 34:40–41)
Humility
41. I am meek and lowly in heart. (Matthew
11:29)
42. I rely on the Lord for help. (Alma 26:12)
43. I am sincerely grateful for the blessings I
have received from the Lord. (Alma 7:23)
44. My prayers are earnest and sincere. (Enos
1:4)
45. I appreciate direction from my leaders or
teachers. (2 Nephi 9:28)
46. I strive to be submissive to the Lord’s will,
whatever it may be. (Mosiah 24:15)
Diligence
47. I work effectively, even when I’m not
under pressure or close supervision.
(D&C 58:26–27)
48. I focus my efforts on the most important
things. (Matthew 23:23)
49. I have a personal prayer at least twice a
day. (Alma 34:18–27)
50. I focus my thoughts on my calling as a
missionary. (D&C 4:2, 5)
51. I set goals and plan regularly. (D&C
88:119)
52. I work hard until the job is completed
successfully. (D&C 10:4)
53. I find joy and satisfaction in my work.
(Alma 36:24–25)
Obedience
54. When I pray, I ask for strength to resist
temptation and to do what is right.
(3 Nephi 18:15)
55. I keep the required commandments to be
worthy of a temple recommend. (D&C
97:8)
56. I willingly obey the commandments and
follow the counsel of my leaders.
(Hebrews 13:17)
57. I strive to live in accordance with the laws
and principles of the gospel. (D&C 41:5)
