The Savior Teaches His Disciples to Do Righteous Works
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Jesus Christ preaching to a multitude of people. Christ is seated on a rocky hillside. He is dressed in red and blue robes. He has one arm raised. Some of the figures have their hands clasped in devotion.
Jesus continued His Sermon on the Mount, teaching that we should do good works to please our Heavenly Father and not to gain attention from others. In this lesson, you will have the opportunity to evaluate your motives for doing good works and decide how you would like to improve.
Our motives
Think about the following statement: Gustavo fixed his neighbor’s fence.
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Stick figure holding a hammer
What do you think about Gustavo?
Would your opinion change if Gustavo fixed the fence because he broke it in a fit of rage? What if he fixed it as part of a service project that his mom made him attend? What if he fixed it because he didn’t want his neighbor’s dog coming into his yard or because he was trying to impress his neighbor’s daughter? Or what if he simply wanted to be kind?
Why are our motives important?
We read in Matthew 6 that the Savior continued His Sermon on the Mount and taught about motives for doing good works. To help you think about the reasons you do good works such as ministering, serving others, praying, and attending seminary, do the following activity.
Create a three-column chart in your study journal. Fill out the top of the chart as follows:
What are three good works you have done in the past week? (List one per row.)
What were your reasons for doing them?
How did you feel after you did these good works?
Read Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18, looking for what the Savior taught about our motives for our righteous acts. The word alms refers to “acts of religious devotion” ( verse 1, footnote b), such as giving to the poor. The word hypocrites refers to those who are “pretenders” (verse 2, footnote a).
How would you summarize what the Savior taught?
It is important to understand that public prayer is not wrong simply because it is not done “in secret” (Matthew 6:6). Prayer and other religious practices can be performed publicly if they are performed with sincerity, devotion, and a desire to glorify God. This is also true in regard to fasting. The phrases “sad countenance” and “they disfigure their faces” in Matthew 6:16 refer to individuals in Jesus’s time who made outward displays of their fasting to draw attention to themselves.
Why do you think the Lord cares so much about our motives, even when we are performing righteous acts?
Look back at your chart and compare your reasons for the good works you have done to what the Savior taught as recorded in Matthew 6.
Why do you think you should “strive to serve for the reasons that are highest and best”? (Dallin H. Oaks, “Why Do We Serve?” Ensign, Nov. 1984, 13).
If someone were struggling to act for the right reasons, what would you recommend they do?
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, taught about the Savior’s motives in performing His labors. Watch the video “On Being Genuine” from time code 15:34 to 16:29, or read the following text.
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Official portrait of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2006. Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, 3 February 2008. Made official portrait in 2008 replacing portrait taken in 2004.
The greatest, most capable, most accomplished man who ever walked this earth was also the most humble. He performed some of His most impressive service in private moments, with only a few observers, whom He asked to “tell no man” what He had done [see Luke 8:56]. When someone called Him “good,” He quickly deflected the compliment, insisting that only God is truly good [see Mark 10:17–18]. Clearly the praise of the world meant nothing to Him; His single purpose was to serve His Father and “do always those things that please him” [John 8:29]. We would do well to follow the example of our Master.
(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “On Being Genuine,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 83)
Think of examples that illustrate the Savior’s motives for doing His work.
What impresses you about these examples?
How do these examples increase your understanding of the Savior’s love and why He atoned for our sins?
1. Answer the following questions in your study journal:
How do you feel about your motives for doing good works?
In what ways can your motives for doing good works influence your relationship with Heavenly Father?
What is one thing you can do to follow the Savior’s example in doing good works?
Optional: Want to Learn More?
What are the right reasons for us to serve?
President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency taught about the right reasons to serve:
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Official Portrait of President Dallin H. Oaks taken March 2018.
The prophet Moroni taught that if our works are to be credited for good, they must be done for the right reasons. If a man “offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing.
“For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness.” (Moro. 7:6–7.) …
… Our service should be for the love of God and the love of fellowmen rather than for personal advantage or any other lesser motive.
How can a testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel motivate us to do good works?
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught about “the most powerful motivating force in our lives”:
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Official portrait of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2006. Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, 3 February 2008. Made official portrait in 2008 replacing portrait taken in 2004.
Our motives and thoughts ultimately influence our actions. The testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the most powerful motivating force in our lives. Jesus repeatedly emphasized the power of good thoughts and proper motives: “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not” (D&C 6:36).
… Our testimony motivates us to live righteously, and righteous living will cause our testimony to grow stronger. …
… A testimony motivates us to choose the right at all times and in all circumstances. It motivates us to draw nearer to God, allowing Him to draw nearer to us (see James 4:8).