Week Three: The Beatitudes

According to the footnote "A" for Matthew 5:3, "beatitude" comes from the Latin word "beatus," meaning "to be fortunate," "to be happy," and "to be blessed." In the Institute Manual it says that to be blessed is something higher than to be happy. It says that happiness is dependent on outside circumstances, whereas blessedness comes from within. From these two sources, I would come to the conclusion that blessedness is a happiness that comes from living the gospel and looking to Christ, rather than from other, temporary actions.

Up until now, I had not understood what it meant to be "poor in spirit." It sounded to me like somebody who did not have the Holy Ghost's help very often because they were "poor" in "the Spirit." Later, I learned that people who are poor in spirit are people who are not rich in pride. So then I thought, "Why didn't Christ just say 'Blessed are the poor in pride?'" But when I read the commentary in the Institute Manual, I finally understood. It says, "To be poor in spirit is to feel yourselves as the spiritually needy, ever dependent upon the Lord...". I realized then that this, while I had not had a name for it, was what I had been learning over the past six months. I've been "discovering my dependency," as I put it in a journal entry. As I read the commentary, my heart was touched, and I knew that I am on the path to becoming poor in spirit.

Another commentary that impressed me was the one that gave the definition of meekness. I always thought being meek meant being timid. I always pictured a mouse when I heard "meek" in the scriptures. But the Institute Manual says that "A meek man is defined as one who is not easily provoked or irritated and forbearing under injury or annoyance. Meekness is not synonymous with weakness. The meek man is the strong, the mighty, the man of complete self-mastery." What really caught my eye was "not easily provoked." This stood out to me because it is something I have been working on the past few weeks. I've noticed that I have snapped at my siblings on occasion, and have been working on not letting what other people say irritate or offend me. I once thought I was meek. Now I know I still have things to work on.

The third beatitude that caught my eye was "Blessed are the peacemakers." I had always fancied myself a peacemaker. I got along with just about everybody; even if we disagreed at times, I still got along with them. But now I realize that there might be more to it than that. Would being a peacemaker mean not taking sides? Would it mean trying to be the moderator when you're caught in the middle of a disagreement? Would it mean not getting offended when people don't respect my opinion? Would it mean learning to agree to disagree and not drag out the argument for the argument's sake? As I've thought this, I realized that I still have a ways to go before I'm truly a peacemaker.

I'm not perfect, as no mortal is, but I know that as long as I follow Christ and trust in Him, He will show me the way on the path to perfection.