“Chapter 6: Seek Christlike Attributes,” Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2023)
“Chapter 6,” Preach My Gospel
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Calling of the Fishermen (Christ Calling Peter and Andrew), by Harry Anderson
Chapter 6
Seek Christlike Attributes
Consider This
How will seeking Christlike attributes help me fulfill my purpose as a missionary?
How can I both seek and receive Christlike attributes?
Which attribute or attributes should I focus on now?
Introduction
At the beginning of His mortal ministry, Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and called out to two fishermen, Peter and Andrew. “Follow me,” He said, “and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19; see also Mark 1:17).
The Lord has also called you to His work, and He also invites you to follow Him. “What manner of men ought ye to be?” He asked. “Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27).
Some chapters in Preach My Gospel focus on what you need to do as a missionary, such as how to study, how to teach, and how to set goals. Just as vital as what you do is who you are and who you are becoming. That is the focus of this chapter.
The scriptures describe Christlike attributes that are essential for you to seek as a missionary and throughout your life. A Christlike attribute is a quality or trait of the Savior’s nature and character. This chapter describes some of those attributes. Study these and the scriptures associated with them. Look for other Christlike attributes as you study other scripture passages.
Personal Study
Study Doctrine and Covenants 4. What attributes does the Lord identify as being important for missionaries? How does seeking these attributes help you fulfill your missionary purpose?
“Seek This Jesus”
The prophet Moroni exhorted, “I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written” (Ether 12:41). One important way to seek Jesus is to make a diligent effort to learn about Him and become more like Him. Your mission is an ideal time to focus on this.
As you strive to become more like Christ, you will better accomplish your purpose as a missionary. You will experience joy, peace, and spiritual growth as His attributes become part of your character. You will also establish a foundation for continuing to follow Him throughout your life.
Gifts from God
Christlike attributes are gifts from God. Like all good things, these gifts come through “the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost” (Ether 12:41).
Focus on Christ as you seek to cultivate His attributes (see Doctrine and Covenants 6:36). These attributes are not items on a checklist. They are not techniques you develop in a self-improvement program. They are not earned only through personal determination. Rather, you can receive them as you strive to become a more devoted disciple of Jesus Christ.
Pray for God to bless you with these attributes. Humbly acknowledge your weakness and your need for His power in your life. As you do, He will “make weak things become strong unto [you]” (Ether 12:27).
A Gradual Process
Becoming more like the Savior is a gradual, lifelong process. With a desire to please God, improve one decision at a time.
Be patient with yourself. God knows that change and growth take time. He is pleased with your sincere desires and will bless you for every effort you make.
As you seek to become more like Christ, your desires, thoughts, and actions will change. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost, your very nature will be refined (see Mosiah 3:19).
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Parley P. Pratt
The Holy Ghost expands and enlarges our abilities. He “inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. … In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being” (Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology [1855], 98–99).
Scripture Study
What do these scriptures teach about following Jesus Christ’s example?
For faith to lead to salvation, you must center it in Jesus Christ (see Acts 4:10–12; Mosiah 3:17; Moroni 7:24–26). When you have faith in Christ, you trust in Him as the Only Begotten Son of God. You are confident that as you repent, you will be forgiven of your sins through His atoning sacrifice and be sanctified by the Holy Ghost (see 3 Nephi 27:16, 20).
Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge. Rather, it is an assurance from the Spirit of things you do not see but that are true. (See Alma 32:21.)
You express your faith through action. These actions include following the Savior’s teachings and example. They include serving others and helping them choose to follow Christ. You also express your faith through diligence, repentance, and love.
Faith is a principle of power. As you exercise faith in Jesus Christ, you will be blessed with His power suited to your circumstance. You will be able to experience miracles according to the Lord’s will. (See Jacob 4:4–7; Moroni 7:33; 10:7.)
Your faith in Jesus Christ will grow as you become better acquainted with Him and His teachings. It will increase as you search the scriptures, pray sincerely, and obey the commandments. Doubt and sin undermine faith.
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Elder Neil L. Andersen
“Faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision. With prayer, study, obedience, and covenants, we build and fortify our faith. Our conviction of the Savior and His latter-day work becomes the powerful lens through which we judge all else. Then, as we find ourselves in the crucible of life, … we have the strength to take the right course” (Neil L. Andersen, “It’s True, Isn’t It? Then What Else Matters?” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 74).
Hope is not simply wishful thinking. Instead, it is an abiding confidence, grounded in your faith in Christ, that God will fulfill His promises to you (see Moroni 7:42). It is the expectation “of good things to come” through Christ (Hebrews 9:11).
Your ultimate source of hope is Jesus Christ. The prophet Mormon asked, “What is it that ye shall hope for?” He then answered, “Ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise” (Moroni 7:41; see verses 40–43).
As you center your hope in Christ, you have the assurance that all things will work together for your good (see Doctrine and Covenants 90:24). This assurance helps you persevere with faith when you face trials. It can also help you grow from trials and develop spiritual resilience and strength. Hope in Christ provides an anchor for your soul (see Ether 12:4).
Hope gives you confidence that God will magnify your diligent, righteous efforts (see Doctrine and Covenants 123:17).
One way to increase hope is through repentance. Becoming cleansed and forgiven through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ engenders and revives hope (see Alma 22:16).
Nephi exhorted, “Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men” (2 Nephi 31:20). As you live the gospel, you will grow in your ability to “abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).
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President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“In times of distress, we can hold tightly to the hope that things will ‘work together for [our] good’ as we follow the counsel of God’s prophets. This type of hope in God, His goodness, and His power refreshes us with courage during difficult challenges and gives strength to those who feel threatened by enclosing walls of fear, doubt, and despair” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Infinite Power of Hope,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 23).
A man once asked Jesus, “Which is the great commandment in 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. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:36–39).
Charity is “the pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:47). It includes God’s eternal love for all His children.
The prophet Mormon taught, “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love” (Moroni 7:48). As you pray to have charity fill your heart, you will taste of God’s love. Your love for people will increase, and you will come to feel a sincere concern for their eternal happiness. You will see them as children of God with the potential of becoming like Him, and you will labor in their behalf.
As you pray for the gift of charity, you will be less inclined to dwell on negative feelings such as anger or envy. You will become less likely to judge or criticize others. You will have more desire to try to understand them and their points of view. You will become more patient and try to help people when they are struggling or discouraged. (See Moroni 7:45.)
Charity, like faith, leads to action. You strengthen it as you serve others and give of yourself.
Charity is transformative. Heavenly Father bestows it “upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; … that when he shall appear we shall be like him, … that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moroni 7:48).
“We believe in being … virtuous,” the Articles of Faith state (1:13). Virtue is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards. It is fidelity to God and others. An essential part of virtue is striving to be clean and pure spiritually and physically.
Virtue originates in your thoughts and desires. “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly,” the Lord said (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45). Focus on righteous, uplifting thoughts. Put unworthy thoughts out of your mind rather than dwell on them.
Your mind is like a stage in a theater. If you allow unwholesome thoughts to linger on the stage of your mind, you are more likely to sin. If you actively fill your mind with wholesome things, you are more likely to embrace what is virtuous and shun what is evil. Be wise about what you allow to enter and remain on the stage of your mind.
As you endeavor to live virtuously, your “confidence [will] wax strong in the presence of God; and … the Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion” (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45–46).
Integrity flows from the first great commandment to love God (see Matthew 22:37). Because you love God, you are true to Him at all times. Like the sons of Helaman, you “walk uprightly before him” (Alma 53:21).
When you have integrity, you understand that there is right and wrong and that there is absolute truth—God’s truth. You use your agency to choose according to God’s truth, and you promptly repent when you do not. What you choose to think—and what you do when you believe no one is watching—is a strong measure of your integrity.
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Daniel in the Lions’ Den, by Clark Kelley Price
Integrity means you do not lower your standards or behavior so you can impress or be accepted by others. You do what is right even when others scoff at your desire to be true to God (see 1 Nephi 8:24–28). You live with honor in all environments, including how you represent yourself online.
When you have integrity, you keep your covenants with God as well as your righteous commitments to others.
Integrity includes being honest with God, yourself, your leaders, and others. You do not lie, steal, cheat, or deceive. When you do something wrong, you accept responsibility and repent instead of trying to justify or rationalize it.
As you live with integrity, you will have inner peace and self-respect. The Lord and others will trust you.
Scripture Study
How did Jesus show integrity even in His most vulnerable moments?
The Lord counseled, “Seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118). During your mission and throughout your life, seek knowledge, especially spiritual knowledge.
Study the scriptures every day, as well as the words of the living prophets. Through study and prayer, seek help for specific questions, challenges, and opportunities. Look for scripture passages you can use in teaching and in answering questions about the gospel.
As you study diligently and prayerfully, the Holy Ghost will enlighten your mind. He will teach you and give you understanding. He will help you apply the teachings of the scriptures and latter-day prophets in your life. Like Nephi, you can say:
“My soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them. … Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard” (2 Nephi 4:15–16).
Patience is the capacity to trust God as you face delay, opposition, or suffering. Through your faith, you trust God’s timing for His promised blessings to be fulfilled.
When you are patient, you look at life from an eternal perspective. You do not expect immediate blessings or outcomes. Your righteous desires will usually be realized “line upon line, … here a little and there a little” (2 Nephi 28:30). Some righteous desires may not be realized until after this life.
Patience is not idleness or passive resignation. It is “cheerfully [doing] all things that lie in [your] power” as you serve God (Doctrine and Covenants 123:17). You plant, water, and nourish the seed, and God gives the increase “by and by” (Alma 32:42; see also 1 Corinthians 3:6–8). You work in partnership with God, trusting that when you have done your part, He will accomplish His work in His time and according to individual agency.
Patience also means that when something cannot be changed, you come to accept it with courage, grace, and faith.
Develop patience with others, including your companion and those you serve. Be patient with yourself as well. Strive for the best within yourself while realizing that you will grow step-by-step.
As with other Christlike attributes, growing in patience is a lifelong process. Exercising patience can have a healing influence on your soul and on those around you.
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President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
“Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Continue in Patience,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 57).
In Favour with God (Jesus Praying with His Mother), by Simon Dewey
Humility
Humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord. It is willingness to give Him the honor for what is accomplished. It is being teachable (see Doctrine and Covenants 136:32). Humility includes gratitude for God’s blessings and acknowledgment of your constant need for His help. He helps those who are humble.
Humility is a sign of spiritual strength, not of weakness. Humility is a vital catalyst for spiritual growth (see Ether 12:27).
When you humbly trust the Lord, you can have the assurance that His commandments are for your good. You are confident that you can do whatever He requires of you if you rely on Him. You are also willing to trust His servants and follow their counsel. Humility will help you be obedient, work hard, and serve.
The opposite of humility is pride. To be prideful means to put greater trust in oneself than in God. It also means to put the things of the world above the things of God. Pride is competitive; those who are prideful seek to have more and presume they are better than others. Pride is a great stumbling block.
Diligence is consistent, earnest effort. In missionary work, diligence is an expression of your love for the Lord. When you are diligent, you find joy and satisfaction in the Lord’s work (see Alma 26:16).
Diligence includes doing many good things of your own free will instead of waiting for leaders to tell you what to do (see Doctrine and Covenants 58:27–29).
Continue to do good even when it is hard or you are tired. Yet recognize the need for balance and rest so you do not “run faster than [you have] strength” (Mosiah 4:27).
Center your heart and interests on the Lord and His work. Avoid things that distract you from your priorities. Focus your time and efforts on the activities that will be most effective in your area and most helpful to the people you are teaching.
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President Henry B. Eyring
“This is the Lord’s Church. He called us and trusted us even in the weaknesses He knew we had. He knew the trials we would face. By faithful service and through His Atonement, we can come to want what He wants and be what we must be to bless those we serve for Him. As we serve Him long enough and with diligence, we will be changed. We can become ever more like Him” (Henry B. Eyring, “Act in All Diligence,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 62–63).
Two Thousand Young Warriors (Two Thousand Stripling Warriors), by Arnold Friberg
Obedience
Your service as a missionary is an extension of covenants you made with God at baptism and in the temple. When you received the ordinances of baptism and the endowment, you covenanted that you would keep His commandments.
King Benjamin taught: “I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness” (Mosiah 2:41).
Obeying the commandments is an expression of love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (see John 14:15). Jesus said, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (John 15:10).
Follow the guidelines in Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ. Also follow the counsel of your mission president and his wife as they counsel you in righteousness.
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Elder Dale G. Renlund
“Obedience is our choice. The Savior made this clear. As stated in the Joseph Smith Translation of Luke 14:28, Jesus directed, ‘Wherefore, settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you.’ It is that simple. … As we do so, our spiritual stability will be greatly enhanced. We will avoid squandering God-given resources and making unproductive and destructive detours in our lives” (Dale G. Renlund, “Constructing Spiritual Stability” [Brigham Young University devotional, Sept. 16, 2014], 2, speeches.byu.edu).
Scripture Study
What can you learn about obedience from the following scriptures?
Christ and the Fishermen (Lovest Thou Me More Than These), by J. Kirk Richards
A Pattern for Becoming More Christlike
The following pattern can help you develop and receive the attributes described in this chapter and other attributes described in the scriptures:
Identify the attribute you want to seek.
Write a description of the attribute.
List and study passages of scripture that show examples of the attribute or that teach about it.
Record your feelings and impressions.
Set goals and make plans to progress in the attribute.
Pray for God to help you develop and receive the attribute.
Evaluate your progress periodically.
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Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
“The Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept the need for commandments and try to keep them, who cherish Christlike virtues and strive to the best of their ability to acquire them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is there to help you keep going. … Soon enough you will have the success you seek” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 126).
Personal Study
Identify an attribute from this chapter or from the scriptures. Follow the pattern just described to understand and seek the attribute.
Look at your missionary name tag. How does it differ from those worn by employees of a company? Note that the two most prominent parts are your name and the Savior’s name.
How can you better represent the Savior as one of His disciples?
Why is it important for people to associate your name with the Savior’s in a positive way?
Write your thoughts in your study journal.
Scripture Study
Review the attributes listed in the following scriptures. Record any impressions in your study journal.
Periodically complete the “Attribute Activity” at the end of this chapter.
Identify an attribute in this chapter. Ask yourself:
How can I learn more about this attribute?
How will seeking this attribute help me become a better minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Find examples of Christlike attributes in the lives of men and women in the scriptures. Record your impressions in your study journal.
Find examples of Christlike attributes in the sacred music of the Church. As you seek an attribute, memorize the words of hymns or songs to find strength and power. Repeat or sing the words to yourself for inspiration and to invite the influence of the Spirit.
Companion Study and Companion Exchange
Study references to Christlike attributes in Gospel Library or other approved resources. Discuss how to apply what you learn. You may also discuss what you have learned in your personal efforts to become like Christ.
District Council, Zone Conferences, and Mission Leadership Council
Several days before the council or conference, ask each missionary to prepare a five-minute talk on a Christlike attribute. Allow time in the meeting for a few missionaries to share their talks.
Divide the missionaries into four groups and give them the following assignment:
Group 1: Read 1 Nephi 17:7–16 and answer the following questions:
How did Nephi exercise his faith?
What did Nephi do that was Christlike?
What promises did the Lord make to Nephi?
How does this account apply to missionary work?
Group 2: Read Mark 5:24–34 and answer the following questions:
How did this woman exercise faith in Jesus Christ?
Why was she healed?
How can we follow her example in our missionary efforts?
Group 3: Read Jacob 7:1–15 and answer the following questions:
Why was Jacob’s faith strong enough to resist Sherem’s attack?
How did Jacob exercise faith when he talked with Sherem?
In what ways did Joseph Smith exercise faith in Jesus Christ?
How was his faith tried?
What did he do that was Christlike?
How can we follow Joseph Smith’s example?
After the groups finish, bring the missionaries together and ask them to share what they discussed.
Mission Leaders and Mission Counselors
Ask missionaries to read one of the four Gospels in the New Testament or 3 Nephi 11–28. Have them underline what the Savior did that they can also do.
Use goal setting and planning to teach missionaries about diligence. Show how diligence in focusing on people is an expression of love.
During interviews or in conversations, ask missionaries to talk about a Christlike attribute they are seeking.
Attribute Activity
The purpose of this activity is to help you identify opportunities for spiritual growth. Read each item below. Decide how true that statement is about you, and choose the appropriate response. Write your responses in your study journal.
No one can respond “always” to every statement. Spiritual growth is a lifelong process. That is one reason it is exciting and rewarding—because there are countless opportunities to grow and to experience the blessings of growth.
Be comfortable with beginning where you are. Commit yourself to doing the spiritual work needed to grow. Seek God’s help. When you have setbacks, have confidence that He will help you. As you pray, seek guidance about which attributes to focus on at various times during your mission.
Response Key
1 = never
2 = sometimes
3 = often
4 = almost always
5 = always
Faith
I believe in Christ and accept Him as my Savior. (2 Nephi 25:29)
I trust the Savior enough to accept His will and do what He asks. (1 Nephi 3:7)
I believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost, I can be forgiven of my sins and sanctified as I repent. (Enos 1:2–8)
I have faith that God hears and answers my prayers. (Mosiah 27:14)