Actor portrayal of Joseph Smith reading the Bible and praying, photograph by Christina Smith
The Epistle of James preaches a gospel of action: Ask of God if you lack wisdom (James 1:5). Be doers of the word (James 1:22-25). Visit the fatherless and widows (James 1:27). Faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26). Anoint the sick with oil, praying over them (James 5:14-15).
It also preaches self-discipline, including controlling our tongues (James 1:26, James 3), patiently enduring (James 1:2-4, James 5:7-8, 10-11), and not judging (James 2:1-13, James 4:11, James 5:9).
Several passages in this epistle encourage us to reach out to God when we need help, notably the following passage near the beginning:
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
James 1:5
The word “upbraid” means to scold, reprimand, or find fault with someone. This verse powerfully affected a fourteen-year-old boy named Joseph Smith in 1820, who was seeking to know which church he should join. He was particularly encouraged by the promise that God would not upbraid him for asking the question: “I at length came to the determination to ‘ask of God,'” he wrote, “concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture” (Joseph Smith—History 1:13).
Here are some other lessons I’ve learned from this epistle, with links to relevant blog posts:
1. When you commit to something, you need to follow through.
James promised that God would answer our sincere prayers, but he added that we must “ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:6). If God is to guide us, we must be willing to follow through on a course of action, not constantly changing our mind and following the latest trend. Public opinion can be fickle, and discipleship demands that we be willing and able to stand firm.
Here’s a blog post on that topic: Nothing Wavering
2. God is the ultimate source of all good gifts.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, and with gift-giving season upon us, it’s a good time to reflect on the good gifts we have received and which we can give to others. James says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17), which echoes Mormon’s testimony that “every good gift cometh of Christ” (Moroni 10:18).
In this blog post, I consider the attributes of good gifts, both to help us improve our giving and to appreciate the gifts we have received: “Every Good Gift” – Moroni 10:18.
3. We should be particularly mindful of widows and orphans.
James contrasts “pure religion” with those who merely “seem to be religious.” He doesn’t say that pure religion consists of praying longer or attending more church services or fasting more often. Instead, he says that pure religion consists of two things:
- Visiting “the fatherless and widows”
- Keeping ourselves “unspotted from the world.”
(See James 1:27.)
God expects us all to minister to one another but with a particular focus on those who are most vulnerable. Throughout the generations, prophets have urged us to pay particular attention to widows and orphans in our ministering efforts.
Here’s a post about that: Widows and Orphans.
4. Disciples of Christ are “easy to be entreated.”
James advises us that “earthy” and “sensual” people indulge in “envying and strife,” while people who are in harmony with heaven are “easy to be entreated” (James 3:13-17). In the Book of Mormon, both Alma and Nephi encouraged people to develop this attribute.
To entreat is to “ask someone earnestly or anxiously to do something.” We need to intentionally be more responsive to requests from others and to promptings from God.
Here is a blog post on that topic: What Does It Mean to Be “Easy to Be Entreated?”
5. If you can overcome lust, you can resist temptation.
James identified lust as the reason that temptation leads to sin: “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin” (James 1:14-15).
Lust is a desire so strong that it overpowers reason. Thus, if we can overcome lust, then temptation will no longer lead to sin.
See the following blog post: What Is Lust?
6. Prayers matter. Pray for the people you love.
James said, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). Then, he gave an example: Elijah the prophet was an ordinary human being like us, yet God answered his prayers with miracles.
In the Book of Mormon, when an angel appears to a wayward young man, he informs him that he has come in response to his father’s prayers. “The Lord hath heard the prayers…of his servant, Alma, who is thy father” (Alma 27:14).
We don’t know why prayers are answered on different timelines and in different ways, but we do know that God answers prayers. Therefore, we ought to pray on behalf of the people we love.
See the following blog post: He Has Prayed with Much Faith – Mosiah 27:14.
Blog Posts: November 13-19
Ask Not Amiss
Jesus promised that our prayers will be answered. James added a caution: we need to pray with the right motives. Bishop Keith B. McMullin taught that the Spirit can help us understand what to ask for, so that our prayers can be aligned with God’s will.
Faith and Works
Paul taught that we are saved through faith, not works. James added that we show our faith by our works. Both statements are true. Faith without works isn’t really faith. Works without faith will not invite God’s power.
James and the Sermon on the Mount
At least 14 times in his epistle, James teaches principles found in the Sermon on the Mount. He never quotes from the sermon, but its influence is unmistakeable. He internalized the word of God and was therefore able to share it naturally and spontaneously.
Bridling My Tongue
James warns us to watch our words. They can be surprisingly harmful if we’re not careful. We can govern our tongues by (1) managing our thoughts, (2) pausing before speaking, and (3) looking for encouraging and uplifting things to say.
Her Perfect Work
“Let patience have her perfect work,” says James. When you go through a trial, remember that it will end when its purpose is accomplished. Let the trial do its job, proving you and stretching you as part of God’s plan for your happiness.
There is an interesting connection between “Be doers of the word” (James 1:22-25) and D&C 84.
In D&C 84 (Given to recently returned missionaries in a report meeting on 22 Sep 1832 on the 5th anniversary of the day Joseph Smith got the Plates and Urim and Thummin and Breast Plate from Moroni) we have the following:
49 And the whole aworld lieth in sin, and groaneth under bdarkness and under the cbondage of sin.
50 And by this you may know they are under the abondage of sin, because they come not unto me.
51 For whoso cometh not unto me is under the abondage of sin.
52 And whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with amy voice, and is not of me.
53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole aworld bgroaneth under sin and darkness even now.
54 And your aminds in times past have been bdarkened because of cunbelief, and because you have treated dlightly the things you have received—
55 Which avanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of aZion, even all.
57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new acovenant, even the bBook of Mormon and the cformer commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to ddo according to that which I have written— [footnote “d” refers to James 1:22 which doesn’t have a footnote to D&C 84:57]
58 That they may bring forth afruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a bscourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.
59 For shall the children of the kingdom apollute my holy land? Verily, I say unto you, Nay. [I believe the holy land is ancient America, a land choice above all other lands.]
President Benson spoke about how we as a church are still under condemnation because we have treated lightly the Book of Mormon. I believe we treat the Book of Mormon lightly in several ways.
1. We fail to frequently read, ponder and pray about the Book of Mormon and incorporate those teachings and principals into our lives so we can come unto Christ and develop the attributes of Godliness.
2. Teach a false translation method. [I believe what Joseph and Oliver always said, it was translated via the Urim and Thummin and never by the false seer stone in a hat which was pushed in the 1834 Anti Mormon book, Mormonism Unvailed [sic] to discredit Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon].
3. Teach false geography about where the Book of Mormon took place. About 1/3 of the artwork in the 2020 and 2024 Book of Mormon Come Follow Me manual promotes the Mesoamerican model. There are over 150 documented models of where the events of the Book of Mormon took place. However, the church proclaims to be neutral on geography, but the appendages of the church (CES, BYU, Book of Mormon Central, Maxwell Institute, FAIR, Meridian Magazine, Ensign, Liahona, Friend, Interpreter Foundation, Saints Vol 1, etc.) continue to promote the Mesoamerican model and the false translation method. This model has dominated the conversation since the 1950s. I discovered about 8 years ago that the events of the Book of Mormon actually happened in ancient America and the evidence is insurmountable! Everyone is welcome to believe what they want. The Mississippi River is the river Sidon and the city of Zarahemla was located across the river from Nauvoo at Montrose, Iowa. Moroni deposited the plates, breastplate, and Urim and Thummim in the hill Cumorah near Palmyra, NY where the final Jaredite and Nephite battles took place. Sadly, the senior Missionaries at the Hill Cumorah Visitors Center will try to tell you that the final battles took place in southern Mexico at a different hill Cumorah that has never been located.
Thanks for the comment. I like that connection between James 1:22 and Doctrine and Covenants 84:57. It reminds me of Joseph Smith’s statement that we will grow closer to God by abiding by the precepts of the Book of Mormon than by any other book. It’s not sufficient to study it. As you said, we need to incorporate its principles into our lives.
I don’t know enough about Joseph Smith’s translation process or the precise location of Book of Mormon events to comment on your points 2 and 3, but I agree with your first point. I have grown closer to God as I’ve tried to live by the principles taught in the Book of Mormon.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Happy Thanksgiving!
When I read the Bible or Doctrine and Covenants, it really helps me to visualize and understand if I know where and when the events described happened. There are over 500 geographical references in the Book of Mormon. We have at least 1 pin in the map–Cumorah near Palmyra, NY. This is the site of the last battles of the Jaredites (Ramah) and Nephites. The missionaries at the hill Cumorah Visitor’s Center and the scholars want you to believe that the final battles took place at some imaginary hill in southern Mexico that has never been located. This is simply not true. There is only 1 hill Cumorah. Scholars are hijacking church history as evidenced in Saints Vol 1.
The BYU Book of Mormon map at https://virtualscriptures.org/ does not help because it’s built on a fictious hourglass shaped map with a narrow neck. This fantasy map is nothing more than rotating the Isthmus of Tehuantepec 90 degrees to the right to get an east and west sea (which is actually the Great Lakes). The map shows the river Sidon flowing northward (not found in the Book of Mormon). If readers follow this map, they’ll conclude that the Book of Mormon is a fantasy.
Lehi landed in the panhandle of FL (location of the oldest Hopewell site) about 32 degrees north Latitude just like Jerusalem. They planted their seeds, and the crops grew exceedingly. The Nephites distanced themselves from the Lamanites by moving North to Tennessee and eventually to the Land of Zarahemla at Montrose, Iowa over 300 years later. Zarahemla is abandoned about 325 AD and the Nephites retreat to Cumorah for the final battles in 385 AD.
Scholars also want us to believe that the translation was done with the Urim and Thummim and the seer stone in a hat (another false notion). In Joseph Smith’s history in the Pearl of Great Price, it states Urim and Thummim 6 times. Nowhere in the scriptures does it say seer stone in a hat. This false notion was perpetuated in the 2nd Anti Mormon book in 1834 when Eber D. Howe published Mormonism Unvailed [sic]. This book also pushed the Solomon Spaulding (died in 1816) manuscript as the source for the Book of Mormon. When the Spaulding manuscript was found in Hawaii in the 1880s, it proved there was no correlation to the Book of Mormon. Joseph and Oliver were the most familiar with the translation process. I believe them and NOT the scholars!