True and Faithful

When a group of military leaders asked Jeremiah for advice, they promised that they would follow the Lord’s instructions, whatever they might be:

The Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us.

Jeremiah 42:5

The Hebrew words for true—emet (אֶמֶת)—and faithful—neʾeman (נֶאֱמָן)—are closely related. The first indicates honesty, while the second conveys reliability. When you are true, your statements are factually accurate. When you are faithful, you can be counted on to follow through on your commitments.

In the book of Revelation, John uses this pair of adjectives five times to describe the Savior and His words. (See Revelation 3:14, 19:11, 21:5, 22:6.)

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi hears the Father endorse the words of the Savior using the same two words:

The words of my Beloved are true and faithful. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.

2 Nephi 31:15

The phrase “true and faithful” appears in five revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants, all received between October 25 and December 1, 1831. In four of those revelations, the phrase describes God’s words or commandments (Doctrine and Covenants 1:37, 66:11, 68:34, 71:11), but on one occasion, he uses the phrase to describe a missionary companion:

Hearken unto me, saith the Lord your God, for my servant Oliver Cowdery’s sake. It is not wisdom in me that he should be entrusted with the commandments and the moneys which he shall carry unto the land of Zion, except one go with him who will be true and faithful.

Wherefore, I, the Lord, will that my servant, John Whitmer, should go with my servant Oliver Cowdery.

Doctrine and Covenants 69:1-2

This week’s Come, Follow Me lesson poses several questions about that passage:

• Why do you think it was “wisdom in [the Lord]” for someone “true and faithful” to accompany Oliver Cowdery on the assignment described in this verse?
• Why is it important to be with people “who will be true and faithful”?
• How can we make sure we are true and faithful to the Lord?
• How can He use us to bless others when we are true and faithful?

We all need friends who will both keep their commitments and tell us the truth, particularly truths that are difficult to hear. It follows that we should aspire to those same characteristics in order to be the best friends that we can be. The Savior can always be trusted to speak truth and keep His promises. As His disciples, we should strive to emulate those attributes.

Today I will be true and faithful. I will strive to keep my commitments with exactness and to always tell the truth.