“Walk in the Meekness of My Spirit, and You Shall Have Peace in Me”
Doctrine and Covenants 19:23
23 Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.
Elder David A. Bednar said:
“Please notice the characteristic the Lord used to describe Himself in the following scripture: ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls’ [Matthew 11:29; emphasis added].
“Instructively, the Savior chose to emphasize meekness from among all the attributes and virtues He potentially could have selected.
“A similar pattern is evident in a revelation received by the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1829. The Lord declared, ‘Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me’ [D&C 19:23; emphasis added].
“Meekness is a defining attribute of the Redeemer and is distinguished by righteous responsiveness, willing submissiveness, and strong self-restraint. . . .
“The Christlike quality of meekness often is misunderstood in our contemporary world. Meekness is strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; restrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash. A meek person is not easily provoked, pretentious, or overbearing and readily acknowledges the accomplishments of others.
“Whereas humility generally denotes dependence upon God and the constant need for His guidance and support, a distinguishing characteristic of meekness is a particular spiritual receptivity to learning both from the Holy Ghost and from people who may seem less capable, experienced, or educated, who may not hold important positions, or who otherwise may not appear to have much to contribute. Recall how Naaman, captain of the king’s army in Syria, overcame his pride and meekly accepted the advice of his servants to obey Elisha the prophet and wash in the river Jordan seven times [see 2 Kings 5:1–17]. Meekness is the principal protection from the prideful blindness that often arises from prominence, position, power, wealth, and adulation.”
(“Meek and Lowly of Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 31–32.)
