This is part of a series of Visiting Teaching Messages featuring aspects of the attributes of the Savior.
The Attributes of Jesus Christ: Virtue
( Downlaod message)
“Let
virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax
strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall
distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven” (D&C 121:45).
What
is virtue? President James E. Faust (1920–2007) said: “Virtue in its
fuller sense encompasses all traits of righteousness that help us form
our character.”1
President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) added: “Love of God is the
root of all virtue, of all goodness, of all strength of character.”2
Of the relationship between women and virtue, Elder D Todd Christofferson
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Women bring with them into
the world a certain virtue, a divine gift that makes them adept at
instilling such qualities as faith, courage, empathy, and refinement in
relationships and in cultures. …
“Sisters, of all your associations, it is your relationship with God,
your Heavenly Father, who is the source of your moral power, that you
must always put first in your life. Remember that Jesus’s power came
through His single-minded devotion to the will of the Father. … Strive
to be that kind of disciple of the Father and the Son, and your
influence will never fade.”3
Additional Scriptures
Psalm 24:3–5; Philippians 4:8; 2 Peter 1:3–5; Alma 31:5; Doctrine and Covenants 38:23–24
From the Scriptures
Today, virtuous women, full of faith, reach out to the Savior. In Luke 8
we read of a woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years that could
not be healed. She sought healing when she “came behind [Christ], and
touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood
[stopped]. … And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive
that virtue4
is gone out of me.” This virtuous faithful woman fell down before Him,
declaring “unto him before all the people” that “she had touched him”
and “was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good
comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole” (see Luke 8:43–48; see also 6:17–19).
Through His virtue,5 Christ can heal, enable, strengthen, comfort, and cheer when we choose with courage and faith to reach out to Him.
Consider This
How does virtue empower and strengthen us?
Notes
1. James E. Faust, “The Virtues of Righteous Daughters of God,” Ensign, May 2003, 108.2. Gordon B. Hinckley, “Excerpts from Recent Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley,” Ensign, Apr. 1996, 73.
3. D. Todd Christofferson, “The Moral Force of Women,” Ensign, Nov. 2013, 29, 31.
Virtue has power (see Mark 5:30).
4. In Guide to the Scriptures, “Priesthood” is defined as “the authority and power that God gives to man to act in all things for the salvation of man (D&C 50:26–27).”
Suggested handout (download)
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Some other sites to check
Sugardoodle
The Idea Door
Inkablinka
My Happy Tribe
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