Heavenly Father has revealed many things about himself. Among these revealed truths we learn one of His chief characteristics—“he is no respecter of persons”. The Lecture on Faith teaches in order, “to exercise faith in God we must first have ‘a correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes’.” The prophet listed six of these and number five says: “God is no respecter of persons, meaning that all his children in all ages will be taught the same gospel and granted the same privilege to enjoy its blessings.”
What does this bit of knowledge mean to you and me? What use can you put this knowledge to, this very hour, to help you acquire greater faith?
I’d like to offer a few ideas to answer these questions.
Elder Boyd K. Packer said, “No member of the Church is esteemed by the Lord as more or less than any other…The Lord is ‘no respecter of persons.'” Boyd K. Packer, “The Weak and the Simple of the Church,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 6-9.
We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord. He doesn’t love one more than the other. The newest member of the church, in a far away land has the same privilege as you or I, or as President Monson, to apply the first principles and ordinances of the gospel, and thereby begin the journey back to Father’s presence. Each of us has equal access to the path. We may not be at the same place on the path, but we’re all promised the same blessings if we will be faithful and endure to the end.
Ideas mean something, especially revealed ones. They are powerful sources of faith when we understand and believe in them. I hope that all of us will understand and believe that Heavenly Father is no respecter of persons, and that we’ll act on this revealed knowledge.
For example, this very moment, with the authority of this revealed truth, we can throw off some of our self imposed chains of untruth, and replace them with truth. If we have believed or assumed that because we our lacking in some area, we’re are not as acceptable to Heavenly Father as another, then we can unchain ourselves from this destructive falsehood.
I know of some members who believe a high profile church calling makes you more acceptable to the Lord than those who have run of the mill callings. Others feel that if they weren’t born into the covenant, then they are lacking in comparison to those who were. Still others believe that education, personal appearance, wealth, or notoriety of some kind, are symbols of those more beloved by Heavenly Father. The Book of Mormon addressing those of us who get entangled in these false ideas says, “…they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.” 2 Nephi 28:14
Let’s stop making these errs and listen to the Lord’s counsel and believe Him when He says, “I Am No Respecter of Persons”.
Each of us need to believe what Heavenly Father tells us. If for some reason we don’t, then the solution is to repent. Through His help we can repent of believing untruth. We can ask Him to soften our hearts so that we can believe His truths as taught in the scripture, and by His servants. If we will so this then the truth will set us free.
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