GIFTS: The Three Most Important Words --- a prophet's answer

The plan was to show you much sooner President Hunter's answer to the young woman's question on the three most important words.

The reason for the delay is a bit complex.  I learned a lot from the responses you submitted.  The main thing I learned is that you and I are on a different wavelength when it comes to the gospel, and on what's important.

Most of your responses were as gospel slogans, almost like advertisements or the political slogans we saw on placards at the Republican convention this week.

The young woman was actually looking for a prophet of God, President Hunter, to confirm her own "three most important words" --- I love you. I imagine she'd had a discussion with a friend or family member on the issue and she wanted a prophet to endorse her views.  She left disappointed. 

Some of you suggested "I love you."  Most of you had Love as one of your three words, confirming the sad observation that love and service for most of us are the heart and core of the gospel message.  Again it is clear: this is not a doctrinal era in the Church.  We are miles away from understanding the prime place the doctrine of Christ should occupy in our thinking and teaching and testimonies.  It is more than sad to me, it is depressing.  As I say, I learned a lot from this little exercise, this informal survey.

There may be a tendency among us to think that each opinion is of equal value.  Our democratic view of the gospel and the Church tends to lead to that errant conclusion.  But what matters and what counts is the "opinion" of the Lord and His prophets. We seem to miss that vital point.  We should cherish and treasure what they cherish and treasure. We must think like they do. That is what having "the mind of Christ" is all about (see 1 Corinthians 2:16).  We have little hope of eternal life unless and until we do.

Some answers had real merit.  "It is finished," for example, in reference to the Savior's last words on the cross.  The key point in this is to know and have a deep understanding of what "it" is in this sentence.

"Feed my sheep" speaks well of someone's understanding of the plan and the increasingly urgent need to feed and nourish in our gospel classrooms and homes.  So does "Ye must repent."  "Love your neighbor" is more or less scriptural, at least, and "Keep my commandments" is getting closer.

Now we are not being contrary here in a sort of "guess-what's-on-my-mind" game, and "everyone-else's-answer-is-wrong-if-it-doesn't-match-mine" idea. That is childish and silly.  No, as we said above, we must learn to think like the Lord and His prophets and be willing to bring our views into correspondence with theirs.  This is what true worship is all about --- emulation of the Lord.  This is the essence of salvation and of the true definition of eternal life, which is to know God and His ways enough to adopt them and make them our own, so that we Become.  Like.  Him.

"Ask in faith" . . . "Seek the Spirit" . . . "Search the scriptures" would be on the right path, wouldn't they? No one suggested them.  What you mostly said was any tri-permutation of LOVE SERVICE OBEDIENCE ETERNITY HONESTY FORGIVE REMEMBER SERVE LOVE, LOVE, and LOVE.

Nothing much wrong with those words. They all have a place, even a place within the gospel.  But it is not the prime place, and they certainly hardly qualify as the most important three words the Lord would have us cherish and obey.

President Hunter's three-word answer to the young woman appears uniquely in a Book of Mormon chapter we will soon "study" in Sunday School.  A variation of it was spoken by the Father to Joseph in the Sacred Grove, when He introduced the Son to the boy-prophet. In all recorded sacred history we have only (by my count) forty-two words spoken by the Father Himself, and always to introduce His Beloved Son.

After this lengthy introduction the words themselves will likely be anti-climactic, if not a sure disappointment.  But consider all we have said here.  And contrast the young woman's disappointment at not hearing from the prophet, "I love you," with the joy the Nephites felt when they heard from the Father: "Hear ye Him," and the rapture in the bosom of the young farm boy in the Grove at, "Hear Him," meaning "Hear the words of my Son, your Savior!---He will now instruct you."

Those were the words in President Hunter's answer: Hear ye Him!

There is more to say on this.  More to explain and to expound, to understand and make a part of ourselves.

But those are the words: Hear ye Him!

More soon.

Steve

GIFTS: The Three Most Important Words

A young woman once approached Howard W. Hunter, fourteenth President of the Church, and asked him what are the three most important words.

How would you answer that?

I am tempted to do two or three different things here.  At first I planned to simply share President Hunter's answer with no, or little, comment.  For his answer is profound, and can stand as a doctrinal insight by itself, especially in light of the answer the young woman was expecting.

Then I entertained the idea of asking you readers, my family and friends, to send me your answer.  And then we could share and discuss and expound as we compare our answers with President Hunter's.

A third option would be to expound and explain and build up here the context to President Hunter's answer, so it would have the deep meaning we want to convey.  Believe me, it is deep and profound.  I wonder if you are ready for it?  There is such a thing as learner readiness, which the Master Teacher, the Savior Himself, used to great effect.

Elder Packer once began a general conference talk in this way:

"What I shall say I could say much better if we were alone, just the two of us. It would be easier also if we had come to know one another, and had that kind of trust which makes it possible to talk of serious, even sacred things.

"If we were that close, because of the nature of what I shall say, I would study you carefully as I spoke. If there should be the slightest disinterest or distraction, the subject would quickly be changed to more ordinary things.

"I have not, to my knowledge, in my ministry said anything more important."

I am not deliberately being evasive here, or teasing you for no reason.  I want this discussion to have meaning for you all, to have the same impact it had on me and Alison when we first heard this in an Education Week lecture at BYU three years ago tomorrow.

Having said all this, I'm now clear on how to proceed.

What are the three most important words for you?

Let me know --- in the middle of your busy schedule --- your pondered and reasoned response, would you?  We'll give it a few days for your answers to come in, then we'll return and report.

There is something special in store --- Trust me.

As always,

Steve

P.S.  Feel free --- even obliged(?!) --- to share this one with others.  The more answers we have the better the discussion, in this case.  Feel free to use the Comments box below for your answer, or send me a three-word e-mail reply.  Thanks.

P.P.S.  Happy Birthday, President Monson, 85 years old today!