I Am Worthy When

I began this thought with the question: "Am I Worthy?" As you can see, the title has changed.

The change acknowledges that everyone is created spiritually perfect in the kingdom of God. This divine image and likeness can only be altered by our actions in the material world. However, this also means that we can return to a state of perfection through the correction of our actions—our life path and journey.

In AA, we have the 12 Steps to assist us. With the help of a sponsor, we identify our errors, become willing to correct them, and through daily efforts, achieve some degree of worthiness. It would be too presumptuous to claim that this is all we need to do. The 12 Steps are only a part of my experience.

Other ways to cultivate worthiness can be found in the wisdom of philosophers and scholars. Here are some thoughts on finding worthiness in Heaven’s Kingdom:

• Søren Kierkegaard – "The door to happiness opens outward. If one forces it open inward, it closes all the more."

• Blaise Pascal – "Faith tells us what the senses do not, but it is not contrary to their findings. It simply transcends them."

• Fyodor Dostoevsky – "The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for."

• Leo Tolstoy – "The only meaning of life is to serve humanity by contributing to the establishment of the Kingdom of God."

• Dietrich Bonhoeffer – "Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God’s will."

To tie my thoughts together, I turn to Jesus’ words about the sheep and the goats:

"Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." — Matthew 25:40 (KJV)

Joseph Smith also spoke of worthiness through faithful obedience to God’s laws:

"When we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."

For me, recovery, self-examination, following God's laws, and taking action are the key components of worthiness. Without them, we miss the point of Grace.