Mary Jane Duke Tanner
Growing up, my Mom would often greet me with the words “How’s my heart?” As if I was her heart. I was thinking about those words today during stake conference. President Brinley of our stake presidency spoke about the importance of giving your whole heart to the Lord. He cited the passages in Isaiah where the Lord was not pleased with the sacrifices and religious observance of the people:
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
These passages seem odd because God had told them to do these religious rites in order to observe the law of Moses. But if we look closer we will understand what the Lord is getting at here. The Lord does not want us to perform our ordinances or sacrifices in vain. Meaning if we don’t have our hearts in the right place, if we need to repent, if we are holding back or giving a halfhearted effort, if we are just trying to check things off our list so we can think that we are good or righteous we are missing the point. Our service and sacrifice will not be consecrated for our good if we approach it in this way. The service and sacrifices we make in the work of the Lord are to be with real intent and sincere. They are to be performed with humility relying on the merits and mercy of Christ. They should be wholehearted we should give Him our all. If we do, we will receive all of the blessings associated with our service, including forgiveness and the retaining of a remission of sins.
So how is my heart? It’s a question I should ask daily.
Thanks Mom.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.