His meekness honors our power of agency and waits for us to invite. He can work with His prophets in their agency to initiate, consolidate, and facilitate His plan. His meekness would not allow Him to manipulate them or dictate what they must do to enact His plan. He persuades, and with any persuasion, there are alternatives that they can choose. He is prepared for their choices, but He will not discourage or limit their voluntary intention to seek His views.¹

This morning, I listened to the April 1996 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. David B. Haight reminded me of the revelation that the living apostles received on June 1, 1978 concerning the priesthood being offered to all worthy males. The story of this revelation is worth any LDS member’s time² but not the point of this post. I want to connect that event with President Nelson’s revelation on how we emphasize our Church’s name and President Hinckley’s revelation on small temples to provide additional insight into God’s meekness concerning His church.

The meek revelations

Each of the three revelations provides a glimpse at how God persuades and confirms His church in its use of agency instead of reaching out as a sovereign king that speaks such that no subject can challenge him.

The name

Shane Goodwin recently wrote The History of the Name of the Savior’s Church: A Collaborative and Revelatory Process that tells the story of the naming of our Church³. He helps us see that D&C 115:4 was not a sovereign dictate from above but a meek confirmation of His people struggling to understand His persuasions and message. Shane concludes,

In a similar fashion to how the Lord did not provide Nephi and his family a prebuilt ship for their journey, Latter-day Saints were not given a polished and official name at the outset of the Restoration. Instead, they arrived at the title “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” through a collaborative and revelatory process that continues today.

The temples

Two years ago, I talked about Inspiration, Revelation, and God’s Will - Temples and Gordon B. Hinckley where I highlighted President Hinckley’s revelation on the small temples as a meek stamp of approval from God. In that post, I said

President Hinckley’s experience and reason allowed him to understand an essential principle about temples. In 1973, he did not claim a revelation on how temples should be built. However, I think his journal entry shows that he was thinking about the topic profoundly and must have been reasoning with the Lord throughout this process. … Over 20 years before President Hinckley’s revelation, he was reasoning about the size and reach of temples. It looks like then Elder Hinckley took time to work out his beliefs and that he eventually received a confirmatory revelation [in 1997 as the prophet].

The priesthood

The picture included with this post is of the living apostles at the time of the revelation on the priesthood. With President Monson’s passing, all men that were there for that revelation have passed. As you read their quotes, I hope you feel the meekness in God’s revelation. See how He showers the prophets in love for their unified petition to Him. To me, this is the prime example of God’s revelations in meekness. He let His apostles choose the right and then reached out in confirmatory love once that path was chosen. The article titled, ‘Spencer W. Kimball and the Revelation on Priesthood’ sets the stage of God’s meek revelation. The article shares President Kimball’s invitation to the twelve on the day of the revelation.

Brethren, I have canceled lunch for today. Would you be willing to remain in the temple with us? I would like you to continue to fast with me. I have been going to the temple almost daily for many weeks now, sometimes for hours, entreating the Lord for a clear answer. I have not been determined in advance what the answer should be. And I will be satisfied with a simple Yes or No, but I want to know. Whatever the Lord’s decision is, I will defend it to the limits of my strength, even to death.

President Kimball asked, “Do you mind if I lead you in prayer?” There were things he wanted to say to the Lord. He had reached a decision after great struggle, and he wanted the Lord’s confirmation, if it would come. They surrounded the altar in a prayer circle. President Kimball told the Lord at length that if extending the priesthood was not right, if the Lord did not want this change to come in the Church, he would fight the world’s opposition.

We know that God confirmed President Kimball’s petition in an outpouring of love. Listen to a few short descriptions from a few apostles that were in the room.

David B. Haight

I hope that others will have opportunities such as I had when I was in the temple when President Spencer W. Kimball received the revelation regarding the priesthood. I was the junior member of the Quorum of the Twelve. I was there. I was there with the outpouring of the Spirit in that room so strong that none of us could speak afterwards. We just left quietly to go back to the office. No one could say anything because of the powerful outpouring of the heavenly spiritual experience. April 1996

Gordon B. Hinckley

There was a hallowed and sanctified atmosphere in the room. For me, it felt as if a conduit opened between the heavenly throne and the kneeling, pleading prophet of God who was joined by his Brethren. The Spirit of God was there. And by the power of the Holy Ghost there came to that prophet an assurance that the thing for which he prayed was right, that the time had come, and that now the wondrous blessings of the priesthood should be extended to worthy men everywhere regardless of lineage. Every man in that circle, by the power of the Holy Ghost, knew the same thing. It was a quiet and sublime occasion. May 1988

Howard W. Hunter

Following the prayer . . . comments were made about the feeling shared by all, that seldom, if ever, had there been greater unanimity in the council.

L. Tom Perry

I don’t think we’ve had a president more willing to entreat the Lord or more receptive since the Prophet Joseph. We knew that he had received the will of the Lord.

Ezra T. Benson

President Ezra Taft Benson recorded in his journal: “Following the prayer, we experienced the sweetest spirit of unity and conviction that I have ever experienced. . . . Our bosoms burned with the righteousness of the decision we had made.” He also said he “had never experienced anything of such spiritual magnitude and power.” Each who felt this powerful spiritual experience confirming the decision proposed by President Kimball perceived it as a revelation.

God’s meekness

His power and influence in our lives and the universe come as He takes the role of initiator, facilitator, and consolidator. He understands that he does not need to manipulate others to choose the truth as manipulation is about envy, arrogance, and self-promotion.¹ He knows that even a benevolent dictator limits the authenticity of truly loving relationships.

In my ponderings of the meekness of God, I asked in June of 2019, ‘How might we describe God’s attribute of meekness?’ and ‘How does God’s attribute of meekness explain His relationship with us?’ to help us reevaluate how He might guide our lives and the Church’s course. President Kimball’s brethren were much different than President McKay’s brethren⁴, and God could perceive the unity of the request in His temple in 1978. He saw the agency of His brethren asking for confirmation, and He displayed His confirming love in response. He will not manipulate us; he will persuade us; he will respond in confirming love when we use our agency to find His purpose.

I am grateful for a God that leads His church in meekness.

• attributes
• meekness