42. “Pure Religion”
James teaches what the practices of a true disciple of Christ ought to be. Disciples will exemplify pure religion through their works. Care for the poor and needy, bridling one’s tongue, and seeking wisdom are but a few of the requirements of those who would become perfect like Christ.
Be Doers of the Word
“Discipleship and the Epistle of James,” David M. Whitchurch, Go Ye into All the World: Messages of the New Testament Apostles
Dr. Whitchurch examines the authorship, reception, and content of the epistle of James. Themes of the Epistle are giving one’s all to Christ and seeking perfection: “Discipleship looms large in the mind of anyone committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ…. Actions reveal our true belief of Christ.” James condemns the practices of the wealthy who cause the poor to be miserable.
“‘If Any of You Lack Wisdom’: James’s Imperative to Israel,” Craig K. Manscill, Go Ye into All the World: Messages of the New Testament Apostles
Dr. Manscill writes about the background of the Epistle of James and the themes of wisdom, fear of the Lord, and perfection. “There is no avoiding the awkward, even frightening challenge of this word perfect in the New Testament. It is by no means only in James that we hear it. Indeed the reason we meet it here is likely because James had heard the doctrine taught by his half-brother Jesus Christ.”
Chart 13-10: “The Jameses,” Charting the New Testament
“In the Judeo-Christian world of the first century, surnames were seldom used except by Romans. In keeping with the customs of the time, reference to individuals in the New Testament is usually made using only their given name or occasionally some other identifying factor such as filiation or provenance.” Such language can cause confusion about the identity of different individuals in scripture. Chart 13-10 differentiates between the three men named James in the New Testament.
“They Pray and They Go,” Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 2002
In his epistle, James teaches us what it means to truly live your religion: “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only”. In this article, President Thomas S. Monson echoes James’ sentiment by encouraging the brethren of the church to take action: “Whatever our calling, regardless of our fears and anxieties, let us pray and then go and do.”
- Isaiah 13–14; 24–30; 35 – “A Marvellous Work and a Wonder”
- Isaiah 1–12 – “God Is My Salvation”
- Proverbs 1–4; 15–16; 22; 31; Ecclesiastes 1–3; 11–12 – “The Fear of the Lord Is the Beginning of Wisdom”
- Psalms 102–103; 110; 116–119; 127–128; 135–139; 146–150 – “Let Every Thing That Hath Breath Praise the Lord
- Psalms 49–51; 61–66; 69–72; 77–78; 85–86 – “I Will Declare What He Hath Done for My Soul”
- Psalms 1–2; 8; 19–33; 40; 46 – “The Lord Is My Shepherd”
- Job 1–3; 12–14; 19; 21–24; 38–40; 42 – “Yet I Will Trust in Him”
- Esther – “Thou Art Come … for Such a Time as This”
- Ezra 1; 3-7; Nehemiah 2; 4-6; 8 – “I Am Doing a Great Work”
- 2 Kings 17–25 – “He Trusted in the Lord God of Israel”
- 2 Kings 2–7 – “There Is a Prophet in Israel”
- 1 Kings 17–19 – “If the Lord Be God, Follow Him”
- 2 Samuel 5–7; 11–12; 1 Kings 3; 8; 11 – “Thy Kingdom Shall Be Established for Ever”
- 1 Samuel 8–10; 13; 15–18 – “The Battle Is the Lord’s”
- Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–3 – “My Heart Rejoiceth in the Lord”
- Judges 2–4; 6–8; 13–16 – “The Lord Raised Up a Deliverer”
- Joshua 1–8; 23–24 – “Be Strong and of a Good Courage”
- Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34 – “Beware Lest Thou Forget the Lord”
- Numbers 11–14; 20–24 – “Rebel Not Ye against the Lord, Neither Fear”
- Exodus 35–40; Leviticus 1; 16; 19 – “Holiness to the Lord”
- Exodus 24; 31-34 – “My Presence Shall Go with Thee”
- Exodus 18-20 – “All That the Lord Hath Spoken We Will Do”
- Easter – “He Will Swallow Up Death in Victory”
- Exodus 14-17 – “Stand Still, and See the Salvation of the Lord”
- Exodus 7-13 – “Remember This Day, in Which Ye Came Out from Egypt”
- Exodus 1-6 – “I Have Remembered My Covenant”
- Genesis 42-50 – “God Meant It unto Good”
- Genesis 37-41 – “The Lord Was with Joseph”
- Genesis 28-33 – “Surely the Lord Is in This Place”
- Genesis 24-27 – “The Covenant Is Renewed”
- Genesis 18-23 – “Is Any Thing Too Hard for the Lord?”
- Genesis 12-17; Abraham 1-2 – “To Be a Greater Follower of Righteousness”
- Genesis 6-11; Moses 8 – “Noah Found Grace in the Eyes of the Lord”
- Moses 7 – “The Lord Called His People Zion”
- Genesis 5; Moses 6 – “Teach These Things Freely unto Your Children”
- Genesis 3-4; Moses 4-5 – “The Fall of Adam and Eve”
- Genesis 1-2; Moses 2-3; Abraham 4-5 – “In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth”
- Moses 1; Abraham 3 – “This Is My Work and My Glory”
