Nephi tells us near the end of his writings that we can receive the Holy Ghost by following the Son “with full purpose of heart.” He goes on to clarify his meaning: “acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent” (2 Nephi 31:13).
In subsequent passages, Jacob and Limhi use the same phrase to describe the attitude we should have as we turn to God for help (Jacob 6:5, Mosiah 7:33). The Savior Himself used the phrase three times during His visit to the American continent, including this explanation for why we should not exclude unworthy people from our worship services:
Ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them (3 Nephi 18:32). (See also 3 Nephi 10:6, 3 Nephi 12:24).
The phrase “full purpose of heart” does not appear in the Bible. But in the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior taught the same principle. He said that, if our eye is single, our whole body will be full of light (Matthew 6:22, 3 Nephi 13:22). The Greek word translated “single” in that passage is haplous (ἁπλοῦς), which means literally “unfolded.” In other words, if we have no other agenda, if we hold nothing back, if we are willing to “unfold” ourselves before God and hide nothing, then the light of the gospel can flow into our lives.
The Savior wants to bless us. He wants us to turn our hearts to Him. But He can’t work with half a heart. If we hold back part, if we commit partially, we may not be able to receive the blessings He is trying to give us.
Elder Patrick Kearon has encouraged us to set aside the things that prevent us from giving our whole hearts to God:
We find healing and relief only when we bring ourselves to the feet of the Great Physician, our Savior, Jesus Christ. We must lay down our weapons of rebellion (and we each know what they are). We must lay down our sin, vanity, and pride. We must give up our desires to follow the world and to be respected and lauded by the world. We must cease fighting against God and instead give our whole hearts to Him, holding nothing back. Then He can heal us. Then He can cleanse us from the venomous sting of sin (“Come unto Me with Full Purpose of Heart,” General Conference, October 2010).
Today, I will pray with “full purpose of heart.” I will bring my full heart to my communications with God, holding nothing back, willing to set anything that contradicts or distracts from my commitment to follow Him, unfolding myself before Him, so that I can receive His healing and cleansing power.
When you make fast offering or humanitarian donations, make them in such a way that it is a sacrifice of something you may want or even need…or in other words, make the offering so you will feel it in your wallet….by doing it that way your heart can be changed…2 Nephi 32:.8 And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the aSpirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the devil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. 9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.
Your comment reminds me of the following guideline for charitable giving from CS Lewis:
“If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.” (Mere Christianity, 52-53).
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Paul