43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.
44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.
(Moroni 7:43-44)
Moroni tells us that his father’s sermon to the church was about faith, hope, and charity (Moroni 7:1). During the second half of the sermon, Mormon defines all three of those attributes and emphasizes their interconnectedness. In the passage above, he adds a fourth attribute which is closely linked with the other three: meekness.
Meekness is gentleness due to humility. Elder Ulisses Soares explained how this attribute manifests itself in our daily lives:
Think for a few seconds how you react when someone does not comply with your desires the moment you want them to. What about when people disagree with your ideas, even though you are absolutely sure that they represent the proper solution to a problem? What is your response when someone offends you, critiques your efforts, or is simply unkind because he or she is in a bad mood? At these moments and in other difficult situations, we must learn to control our temper and convey our feelings with patience and gentle persuasion (“Be Meek and Lowly of Heart,” General Conference, April 2013).
Elder Soares then quoted the following counsel from the Apostle Paul to his young colleague Timothy:
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
And that they may recover themselves (2 Timothy 2:24–26).
Today, I will strive to be meek. When I disagree with others, even if I’m sure I’m right, I will be gentle and patient with them. I will remember that my efforts to grow in faith, hope, and charity are tightly coupled with my development of meekness.