Worship
What does worshipping God mean for you and me?
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
“Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
The Magi, as they are sometimes called, were wise in seeking to find and worship the Messiah. For them, worshipping meant falling down before Him and offering Him gifts of gold and precious, fragrant spices.
What does worshipping God mean for you and me?
When we think of worship, our thoughts typically turn to the ways we show religious devotion both privately and in Church services. As I have considered the matter of worshipping our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son, our Savior, four concepts have come to mind: first, the actions that constitute our worship; second, the attitudes and feelings that figure into our worship; third, the exclusivity of our worship; and fourth, the need to emulate the Holy Beings that we worship.
First, the Actions That Constitute Our Worship
One of the most common and important forms of worship is to gather in a consecrated space to perform acts of devotion. The Lord says, “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day.” This is, of course, our primary motivation in building chapels. But, if necessary, a non-dedicated space will do if we can invest it with some degree of sanctity.
Most important is what we do when we gather on the Lord’s day. Of course, we dress as best we can according to our means—not extravagantly but modestly in a way to signal our respect and reverence for Deity. Our conduct is similarly reverent and respectful. We worship by joining in prayer; we worship by singing hymns (not just listening to but singing the hymns); we worship by instructing and learning from one another. Jesus says, “Remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations [meaning thine ‘offerings … of time, talents, or means, in service of God and fellowman’] and thy sacraments unto the Most High, confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord.” We come together not to entertain or be entertained—as by a band, for instance—but to remember Him and be “instructed more perfectly” in His gospel.
At the most recent general conference, Elder Patrick Kearon reminded us that “we do not gather on the Sabbath simply to attend sacrament meeting and check it off the list. We come together to worship. There is a significant difference between the two. To attend means to be present at. But to worship is to intentionally praise and adore our God in a way that transforms us!”
Devoting our Sabbaths to the Lord and His purposes is itself an act of worship. Some years ago, then-Elder Russell M. Nelson observed: “How do we hallow the Sabbath day? In my much younger years, I studied the work of others who had compiled lists of things to do and things not to do on the Sabbath. It wasn’t until later that I learned from the scriptures that my conduct and my attitude on the Sabbath constituted a sign between me and my Heavenly Father [see Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12, 20]. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and don’ts. When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, ‘What sign do I want to give to God?’”
Worship on the Lord’s day is marked by a particular focus on the great atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We appropriately and specially celebrate His Resurrection at Easter but also every week as we partake of the sacramental emblems of His Atonement, including His Resurrection. For the penitent, partaking of the sacrament is the highlight of Sabbath worship.
Worshipping together as “the body of Christ” has unique power and benefits as we teach, serve, and sustain one another. Interestingly, one recent study found that those who view their spiritual lives as entirely private are less likely to prioritize spiritual growth, or to say their faith is very important, or to have regular devotional time with God. As a community of Saints, we strengthen each other in worship and in faith.
Even so, we cannot forget the daily acts of worship that we engage in individually and at home. The Savior reminds us, “Nevertheless thy vows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times.” One sister wisely observed, “I cannot think of a more profound way to worship God than to welcome His little ones into our lives and care for them and teach them His plan for them.”
Alma and Amulek taught the Zoramites who had been banned from their synagogues to worship God not merely once a week but always and “in whatsoever place ye may be in.” They spoke about prayer as worship:
“Ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.
“Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually.”
They also spoke of searching the scriptures, bearing testimony of Christ, performing charitable acts and service, receiving the Holy Ghost, and living in thanksgiving daily. Consider that thought: “living in thanksgiving daily.” It speaks to my second concept:
The Attitudes and Feelings Inherent in Worship
Feeling and expressing gratitude to God are, in fact, what infuses worship with a sense of joyful renewal as opposed to seeing it as just one more duty.
True worship means loving God and yielding our will to Him—the most precious gift we can offer. When asked which was the great commandment in all the law, Jesus replied, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” He also called this the first commandment.
This was the pattern of Jesus’s own worship of the Father. His life and His atoning sacrifice were dedicated to the glory of the Father. Poignantly we remember Jesus’s heartrending plea in the midst of unimaginable suffering and anguish: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me,” but then His submissive “nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
Worship is striving to follow this perfect example. We will not attain perfection in this course overnight, but if each day we “offer for a sacrifice unto [Him] a broken heart and a contrite spirit,” He will again baptize us with His Spirit and fill us with His grace.
Third, the Exclusivity of Our Worship
In the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord pronounces this indictment of the world:
“They have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;
“They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world.”
It is good for us to remember the example of the three Jewish young men Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, carried captive to Babylon not long after Lehi and his family left Jerusalem. A Babylonian officer renamed them Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Later, when these three refused to worship an image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar, he commanded that they be thrown into a burning fiery furnace, saying to them, “And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?”
You will recall their bold answer:
“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
“But if not, be it known unto thee … that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”
The furnace was so hot that it killed those who threw them into it, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were unharmed. “Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath … delivered his servants that trusted in him, … and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.” They trusted in Jehovah for deliverance, “but if not,” that is, even if God in His wisdom did not prevent their death, yet they would remain true to Him.
Whatever takes precedence over worship of the Father and the Son becomes an idol. Those who reject God as the source of truth, or disavow any accountability to Him, in effect substitute themselves as their god. One who places loyalty to a party or cause ahead of divine direction worships a false god. Even those who purport to worship God but do not keep His commandments are walking in their own way: “They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” The object of our worship is exclusively “the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] hast sent.”
Finally, the Need to Emulate the Father and the Son
Ultimately, how we live may be the best, most genuine form of worship. Showing our devotion means emulating the Father and the Son—cultivating Their attributes and character in ourselves. If, as the saying goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then we might say with respect to Deity, emulation is the sincerest form of veneration. This suggests an active, sustained effort on our part to seek holiness. But becoming more Christlike is also the natural outcome of our acts of worship. Elder Kearon’s phrase cited earlier about worshipping “in a way that transforms us” is significant. True worship is transformative.
This is the beauty of the covenant path—the path of worship, love, and loyalty to God. We enter that path by baptism, pledging to take upon us the name of Christ and to keep His commandments. We receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, the messenger of the Savior’s grace that redeems and cleanses us from sin as we repent. We could even say that in repenting we are worshipping Him.
There follow additional priesthood ordinances and covenants made in the house of the Lord that further sanctify us. The ceremonies and ordinances of the temple constitute an elevated form of worship.
President Russell M. Nelson has emphasized that “every man and every woman who participates in priesthood ordinances and who makes and keeps covenants with God has direct access to the power of God.” This is not only a power we draw upon to serve and to bless. It is also the divine power that works in us to refine and purify us. As we walk the covenant path, the sanctifying “power of godliness is manifest” in us.
May we, as the ancient Nephites and Lamanites, “fall down at the feet of Jesus, and … worship him.” May we, as commanded by Jesus, “fall down and worship the Father in [the] name [of the Son].” May we receive the Holy Spirit and yield our hearts to God, have no other gods before Him, and as disciples of Jesus Christ, emulate His character in our own lives. I testify that as we do, we will experience joy in worship. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.