Cultivate Pure Desires

I have been preparing a lesson for next Sunday’s gospel doctrine class. The purpose of the lesson is, “To help class members recognize and avoid hypocrisy and thus strengthen their commitment to Jesus Christ”.

The lesson contains several scriptural examples of hypocrisy. The most glaring example of hypocrisy is that of the Pharisees, in Matthew 23. The Savior said, “They [the Pharisees] say, and do not” (Matt. 23:3). The Pharisees held others to a higher standard than themselves. “They bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers” (Matt. 23:4).

In another condemnation, the Savior points out that, “All their works they do for to be seen of men” (Matt. 23:5). In other words, they do some things that are righteous but for selfish motives. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord cautions, “When thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward” (Matthew 6:2). In other words, even if we do what is right but do it for impure motives, our reward is less than it would otherwise have been.

It is easy for us all to condemn the Pharisees. They make an easy target. However, we are all subject to the same human weaknesses—even if they aren’t as extreme. What can we do to avoid the trap? Cultivate pure desires.

Elder Oaks’ talk, “Desire,” in the May Ensign (lds.org/ensign/2011/05/desire?lang=eng), gives us some great counsel on cultivating desires that will lead us to do the right thing for the right reason. He said, “I hope each of us will search our hearts to determine what we really desire and how we rank our most important desires. Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Desire,” Ensign, May 2011, 42).

Neal A. Maxwell said, “Actually, everything depends—initially and finally—on our desires. These shape our thought patterns. Our desires thus precede our deeds and lie at the very cores of our souls, tilting us toward or away from God (see D&C 4:3). God can “educate our desires” (see Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine [1939], 297). Others seek to manipulate our desires. But it is we who form the desires, the “thoughts and intents of [our] hearts” (Mosiah 5:13).

“The end rule is “according to [our] desires … shall it be done unto [us]” (D&C 11:17), “for I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts” (D&C 137:9; see also Alma 41:5; D&C 6:20, 27). One’s individual will thus remains uniquely his. God will not override it nor overwhelm it. Hence we’d better want the consequences of what we want! (Neal A. Maxwell, “Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father,” Ensign, Nov. 1995.)

My commitment is that I will frequently examine my desires and the priorities that I place on them, lest I fall into the trap to which the Pharisees fell victim.