The Sermon on the Mount - Matt 5:1-4

Jesus has formally called and ordained His 12 apostles and is thronged by people and begins what President Thomas S. Monson calls, “the greatest person who ever lived delivered the greatest sermon ever given- the Sermon on the Mount.” The IM quotes President Harold B. Lee as teaching, “In his Sermon on the Mount the Master has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect,… and in so doing has given us a blueprint for our own lives. … In that matchless Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has given us eight distinct ways by which we might receive (real) joy. Each of his declarations is begun by the word ‘Blessed.’ … These declarations of the Mater are known in the literature of the Christian world as the Beatitudes… They embody in fact the constitution for a perfect life.” The Sermon on the Mount is taught on both Matthew and Luke of the New Testament, and also 3rd Nephi in the Book of Mormon and we will be pulling from all three of these places to get the most comprehensive teachings of the Savior.

Jesus begins, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.” In the Book of Mormon account, Jesus adds, “blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.” Poor always dignified to me to be lacking in something, in our society poor means someone lacking money, so I imagined that poor in spirit referred to those who lacked spirituality, and I thought “why would he be pleased with those who aren’t spiritual.” The footnotes refer us to “contrite heart,” “humility, humble.” The IM quotes President Harold B. Lee as teaching, “those who are spiritually needy, who feel so impoverished spiritually that they reach out with great yearning for help.” In a talk entitled “The Beatitudes” Elder O. Leslie Stone asks, “What is meant by ‘poor in spirit’? Is it not humility, which renders us teachable and eager to learn? They who feel themselves spiritually poor approach God, asking him to supply their needs. They who have faith in him, learn his laws and try diligently to obey him. They thus become eligible for the great blessings he has promised, including salvation, exaltation, and eternal life, which are the greatest of all the gifts of God.” Brigham Young adds, in the Journal of Discourses, “Blessed are they who are poor in spirit, or blessed are they who feel their own weakness, and know their own inability and the power of God, and enjoy the Holy Ghost.”

He continues, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” This is a tough one for me, and maybe it’s just depression or something but I feel like my heart is a scarred over ball of flesh and that’s not good, but there is so much and, I don’t know. There are different ways in which we can look at this statement and the most powerful way for me is to see it as finding meaning of our suffering, to know why these things happened to us, and to have everything restored again to us in the next life. JTC adds, “the mourner shall be comforted for he shall see the divine purpose in his grief, and shall again associate with the beloved ones of whom he has been bereft.” This is the most powerful way to look at it, for me, and brings me great joy to know that all will be made right, that everything will be good again and that we will have only joy and happiness if we are righteous. President Harold B. Lee provides a different perspective explaining “that ‘they that mourn’ relates to those who mourn over their sins: ‘And again, blessed are all they that mourn.’… He is talking about repentance. He is talking about the promise that will come to whom? All who would ‘come down into the depths of humility’ and have been baptized and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost.” The IM continues, “Another meaning of this teaching is provided in Mosiah 18:9, which teaches that one requirement of Church membership is being ‘willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.’”