Humiliated or Humbled? — D&C 94-97 — Life Experienced with Terri Anne Flint

It was on the grounds of the St. George temple during an early morning walk. While exploring flower beds, a common practice of mine, a voice spoke clearly into my mind, “Pay your tithing.” I turned, thinking someone was behind me, but the path was empty. Shaken, I knew I had just been divinely chastised–directly, clearly, and undeniably. I don’t comprehend all the details of this experience, but I obeyed and have been blessed.

Being chastised, or receiving difficult feedback, is not easy or comfortable. The first moments are filled with fight, flight or freeze because our bodies detect a threat to our comfort zone. But after we catch our breath, there is always a choice: be humiliated or be humbled. When humiliated, we blame the messenger, reject the message and justify the status quo. When humbled, we take time to consider the feedback, especially when given by a trusted person who cares about our well-being. Humbleness combined with affirmation from the Spirit is the perfect combination for deciding how to respond to feedback, criticism or chastisement.

Hyrum Smith is an example of a humble responder. After being rebuked (see D&C 95) for not beginning to build the temple, he immediately ran to his parents’ house, grabbed a scythe and said to his bewildered mother, “We are preparing to build a house for the Lord and I am determined to be the first at the work.”

What I learned about my Savior: He chastens me because he loves me and He will help me make course corrections, even on early morning walks.

“Even when we encounter mean-spirited criticism from persons who have little regard or love for us, it can be helpful to exercise enough meekness to weigh it and sift out anything that might benefit us.” –Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten,” April 2011, General Conference

“Eventually, much of our chastening should come from within—we should become self-correcting. One of the ways that our late beloved colleague Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin became the pure and humble disciple that he was, was by analyzing his performance in every assignment and task. In his desire to please God, he resolved to determine what he could have done better, and then he diligently applied each lesson learned.” –Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “As Many as I Love, I Rebuke and Chasten,” April 2011, General Conference

Humiliated or Humbled? — D&C 94-97