"Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart I have written my law, fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings." (2 Nephi 8:7)
I want to focus on the word know.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of know is: to perceive directly, have understanding or direct cognition of, to recognize the nature of, to be acquainted or familiar with, to be aware of the truth of, to have a practical understanding of.
So in this particular scripture it is addressing all of us who "know righteousness". So how do we know if we fall into that category?
I was thinking about people I know. Not the people that I "know of" but the people that I truly know. When I know someone it is usually because I have been around them, I know what they do and where they go. I know how they react and even what they would say in certain situations. If I know them very well, I know their weaknesses and what makes them happy. I might even start to talk and act like them. Some people even say that when you spend a lot of time with someone you start looking like them.
I think the same ideas can be applied to "knowing righteousness". It takes a lot of work. You have to spend a lot of time with it. You have to get to know it so you know what righteousness says and what it does. You need to know it so well that you talk like it, act like it, and even look like it.
So if righteousness was a person, who would it be?
Jesus Christ was and is the only perfect person to ever live on the earth. He is righteousness. If we want to know righteousness, we need to know Jesus Christ. You need to spend time with Him. You need to learn about Him. You need to know what he does and says. You need to talk like Him and act like Him so there is no doubt in anyone's mind that you know Jesus Christ.
3 Nephi 12:48 says: "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." (See also Matthew 5:48)
A modern apostle, Russell M. Nelson said, "Our adoration of Jesus is best expressed by our emulation of Jesus."
Our Savior, Jesus Christ has invited us to become perfected even as he is perfect. We all make mistakes, but as we continue to learn about Jesus Christ we can know Him, become like Him, and become perfected. Every day we can get a little closer to becoming like Jesus Christ. Every day we can know righteousness better than we did the day before.
For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart? (Mosiah 5:13)
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)
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