My last name is extremely ordinary: White. However, there is something that I love about my last name—I love when it is spoken in hushed tones by temple workers. Without fail, one of them comments on how suitable my name is for the temple. It always makes me smile. Even though white may seem boring and common, it contains light and beauty. White is the color of the temple. White is the color of purity. Living up to my last name means striving to be pure—but more importantly, living up to the name we all took upon us at baptism means as pure as Jesus Christ.
When I think of being pure words like white, clean, and temple come to mind instantly. However, purity is not limited to those concepts. While looking up words for purity in several languages I made some interesting connections. In Russian purity is a standard and it also denotes neatness and tidiness. Those are two words I had never linked to purity before, but I thought they were appropriate because the Lord has said, “Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion.” (D&C132:8) This ties purity even more closely to the temple, and is also important as we consider ourselves. In order to have purity our thoughts and hearts must be free of confusion. This is only possible as we look to the Lord. In German another meaning of purity is clearness—our minds must be clear which implies that they should be free from addictions and harmful thoughts. Purity also implies innocence and honor. To be pure we must be sinless and virtueous.
For something to be pure it must be free of imperfections; however, as a natural consequence of the fall, we are all imperfect. There is only one perfect, holy being and it is through His love and blood that we can be purified. As Isaiah said, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) As we are healed we can become perfect in Christ—we can become pure. This means that though we are flawed we can apply the atonement and become spotless though our “sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)
When we repent we change our hearts. This means our desires and thoughts rise higher and become more Christ-like. In Alma 13:12 it reads, “Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence.” As our hearts become pure, we better realize the ugliness of sin. Black always looks darker when it is compared to unadulterated white.
The question put forth in Psalms 24:3 is particularly important. “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?” The hill of the Lord generally means the temple. To be in high and holy places of revelation requires a certain state of worthiness. The Lord has many times said that He cannot dwell in unholy temples. The answer to the above question is found in the following verse, “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart.” Clean hands mean that our actions are righteous, but having clean hands goes deeper; it means that our thoughts and intentions, the very desires of our hearts must be pure. By purifying ourselves we make it possible for the Lord to dwell within us. We can make our hearts holy places that can receive revelation and we can also be worthy to enter the house of the Lord.
As the desires of our hearts change we will take upon us attributes of purity. The changes that overcome include working on other virtues. As we gain these Christ qualities we will desire to be in places that our pure. One of my favorite hymns contains the lines: “More purity give me, more strength to o’er come, / More freedom from earth-stains, more longing for home.” I love the idea of longing for home (Heaven) because that is the purest place and if we are holy that is where we will yearn to be. As we become examples of living purity our strength will increase as we draw nearer to the Lord because we will long to be near Him and we will always stand in pure and holy places.
Works Cited:
The Bible: Isaiah 1:18 and 53:5, Psalms 24:3-4
The Book of Mormon: Alma 13:12
Doctrine and Covenants 132:8
Hymn 131 “More Holiness Give Me”
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15 comments:
Brittney, I like your introduction and the language insights you include. I think that it really allows you to do an extended analysis on a concept. Good job!
I love this talk. It is so --- PURE. Thank you for beginning with the story about your surname in the Temple. Well done. Conference presentation, or contest entry?
Brittney, that's a great blog! I like how you used different languages to find out the meaning of the word purity like we do it class. I also like how you mentioned that as the desires of our hearts change we can more easily become pure. Great job, I really liked it!
I really enjoyed the motif of white and purity. and White is a sweet last name, like Lyman White! Thank you for your blog.
Thanks for your blog, Brittney WHITE! Purity is essential and you illustrated that beautifully.
Awesome blog, you really demonstrated how important it is to be pure!
I like how you use different languages to elaborate on the meaning of purity. As a native German speaker I have come to similar conclusions as to its meaning.
Thanks for your blog. I liked your Russian tie into purity. It's interesting that when our lives are free of sin we are more organized and we have confidence about ourselves so we do have houses of order.
Names define who we are and I love my name. Lutes, from German Lutz and Ludwig. Meaning Famous Warrior. I like to think that I will be a warrior of the Lord. To spread forth his Gospel diligently and valiantly. We can learn so much from studying the scriptures and tying them into our own lives.
I love how you tell how we, as imperfect people, have hope through the atonement. Thank you so much.
I loved how you included the different languages to develop your topic, it gave me a lot of insight. Your blog is easy to read and flows nicely, and I can feel your testimony. Great Job!
I love how you associated your last name with your concept. Very pure, as Sister Hallen said.
I enjoyed the emphasis you put on being pure. It really is an important thing. You seem to be really faithful and have a great testimony in the lord. Thanks for your words.
Loved the introduction and also your references to the temple as a house of purity. I am so thankful that I can be redeemed from my imperfections by the blood of Christ and be made pure so that I can enter into such a holy place.
I really liked how you used the hymn,"More Holiness Give Me" in your blog. It is one of my favorites and it related very well.
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