Being a Disciple of Jesus Christ

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Elder L. Tom Perry

Did you know that Elder L. Tom Perry’s father grew up working on a farm and wanted his children to learn about milking cows and gardening? Elder Perry likes sports and gardening. He teaches about what being a disciple of Jesus Christ means.

Each Saturday morning as my brothers and sisters and I were growing up, our mother gave us housecleaning chores to do. Her instructions to us had been learned from her mother: “Be certain you clean thoroughly in the corners and along the mopboards. If you are going to miss anything, let it be in the center of the room.”

She knew very well if we cleaned the corners, she would never have a problem with what was left in the center of the room. What could be seen would never be left unclean.

My advice to you is that we must create ways of living that help us with our spiritual housecleaning—ongoing and continual processes that draw us closer to the Lord our Savior so that we can be numbered among His disciples.

The central purpose of our [life] is to prepare to meet God and inherit the blessings He has promised to His worthy children. The Savior set the pattern during His earthly ministry and encouraged those who followed Him to become His disciples.

The following has been written about discipleship: “The word disciple comes from the Latin [meaning] a learner. A disciple of Christ is one who is learning to be like Christ—learning to think, to feel, and to act [like] he does” (Ensign, Sept. 1974, 81).

As true disciples of Christ, may our lives reflect His example. May God bless us that we will earnestly desire to do our spiritual housecleaning, getting into all the corners, cleaning out all those things that would [keep us from being] a disciple of the Lord so that we can move forward in our service to Him who is our King and Savior.