How the Primary Answers Could Be Turning Us Into Whited Sepulchres
You’ve been there. You’re sitting in Sunday School or Relief Society or Elder’s Quorum. The teacher asks a question that starts off with, “How do we…” or “What do we do in order to…” There’s an awkward silence. Then somebody (usually the teacher) offers, “Well…the primary answers, right?” Everybody nods in a agreement. They are the keys to living the gospel, the class affirms unanimously. And the teacher writes the basic list on the board (the list everyone has had memorized since primary):
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Say your prayers
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Read your scriptures
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Attend church
If people are going a little deeper you might hear:
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Fulfill your calling
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Serve your neighbor
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Attend the temple
Now, don’t get me wrong—these are all the right answers. They should all be on any Latter-day Saint’s “to-do” list. Except, that’s also what’s wrong with the primary answers. They get dangerously close to a list kept by a group of people that Jesus ended up condemning during His earthly ministry. You’ve heard of them—the Pharisees and the Sadduccees.
These men walked the walk. Literally. They took the right amount of steps on the Sabbath (and no more). They read their scriptures (I mean, they actually wore them on their foreheads), they attended their meetings, and they offered their sacrifices at the temple. They were the “perfect model” for Jewish people wanting to attain a higher level of righteousness.
But the Savior knew that a “to be” list was much more important than a “to do” list. And that’s where the Pharisees and the Sadduccees went wrong. For them, it was all about looks. It was all about accomplishments. Check off another item on the list. Read the scriptures for another 30 minutes. Check. Attend the Sabbath meetings every week. Check. Offer your sacrifices at the temple frequently. Check.
They knew their checklist was marked off in a systematic way every day of their lives. And that’s where they totally misunderstood religion.
Because religion isn’t about doing…it’s about being.
The Savior said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” (Matthew 23:27)
Habitual actions (what we do) are what paint us white on the outside. But unless we let those actions take us to the next level in spiritual development and change us on the inside (who we are), then we are also full of uncleanness.
When we don’t take care of our inner vessel, the primary answers are merely white paint, rather than the catalyst for spiritual maturity that they should be.
My point in saying this isn’t to keep you from reading your scriptures, but to get you to become what is in them. Elder Richard G. Scott taught:
Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ (Ensign, November 2011).
Saying prayers isn’t bad in and of itself, but do you feel transformed when you get up off your knees?
For behold, God hath said a man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing.
Moroni 7:6
And as for attending church—for heaven’s sake—why would you make all the effort to get dressed up and go to THREE HOURS of meetings on Sunday, if you didn’t allow what you learned or taught there to make you a better person? Or if you didn’t understand that your showing up at church might be more about what you give than what you get?
Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together.
D&C 50:22
