A Spiritual Catalyst

And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.
--D & C 84:88

To me, the idea of a spiritual catalyst is not new, merely different verbage to explain an idea that I have repeatedly broached--that we may be angels to other people, in their exact moment of need; we have the power to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees" (D & C 81: 5; Heb. 12:12). For me, this is an idea so empowering that it seems worth looking at once again.

A catalyst is any substance that aids in the reaction of any other chemical substance. A positive catalyst is one that speeds up the reaction; a negative catalyst slows the reaction down. The potency of the catalyst may increased via substances called promoters, and likewise the activity of the catalyst may be decreased through substances called catalytic poisons.

In President Gordon B. Hinckley's talk entitled "What Shall We do with Jesus which is Called Christ?" (Tambuli, Apr 1984, 1), we learn that Christ is the ultimate "promoter," and it is His example which we must follow if we wish to have the power to be spiritual catalysts. President Hinckley cites Christ's example as a giver of himself, as the source of eternal life, as one full of love, compassion, and forgiveness, and as one who provides peace. It is evident that Christ is the real catalyst, but that we must choose to be vehicles by which it causes a positive reaction, speeding the pace by which we and others learn the Gospel, feel the Spirit, and heed its promptings.

But make no mistake; there are many catalytic poisons out there, just waiting for us to provide the compound of imperfection, pride, and self-doubt. Catalytic poisons thrive on "letting up," an inevitability that happens as our system of providing positive catalytic reactions grows inefficient.

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not. --Mosiah 4:30

In Elder Dallin H. Oaks' talk, "Our Stengths Can Become Our Downfall (Liahona, May 1995, 10)," we learn that even the most righteous desires can turn into poisons if we are not vigilant, as described by King Benjamin in the scripture above. The following are a list of ways he cited that our strengths might become poisoned:

Misapplication of Love and Tolerance
Not Really Following the Prophet
Materialistic Self-Reliance
All-Consuming PatriotismInordinate Church Service
Distorted Faith
Accomplishment and Pride
Excesses in Giving
Neglect or Distortion of Family Duties
Popular Teachers and the Potential of Priestcraft
An Intense Focus on Goals
Social Consciousness Not Tempered by Other Values
A Desire to Sacrifice More Than Is Needful
Honors That Sometimes Turn to Our Detriment
A Desire to Be Led in All Things
A Desire to Know All
Misapplication of Spiritual Gifts
Gospel Hobbies
It is apparent that there are many ways in which we might be poisoned, and thus it is important to take preventative action. Elder Oaks explained:

As I conclude, I need to caution myself and each of my readers that the very nature of this message could tend to the same downfall that it warns against. The idea that our strengths can become our weaknesses could be understood to imply that we should have “moderation in all things.” But the Savior said that if we are “lukewarm,” he “will spew [us] out of [his] mouth” (Rev. 3:16). Moderation in all things is not a virtue, because it would seem to justify moderation in commitment. That is not moderation, but indifference. That kind of moderation runs counter to the divine commands to serve with all of our “heart, might, mind and strength” (D&C 4:2), to “seek … earnestly the riches of eternity” (D&C 68:31), and to be “valiant in the testimony of Jesus” (D&C 76:79). Moderation is not the answer.

How, then, do we prevent our strengths from becoming our downfall? The quality we must cultivate is humility. Humility is the great protector. Humility is the antidote against pride. Humility is the catalyst for all learning, especially spiritual things. Through the prophet Moroni, the Lord gave us this great insight into the role of humility: “I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them” (Ether 12:27).

We might also say that if men and women humble themselves before God, he will help them prevent their strengths from becoming weaknesses that the adversary can exploit to destroy them.

If we are meek and humble enough to receive counsel, the Lord can and will guide us through the counsel of our parents, our teachers, and our leaders. The proud can hear only the clamor of the crowd, but a person who, as King Benjamin said, “becometh as a child, submissive, meek, [and] humble” (Mosiah 3:19), can hear and follow the still, small voice by which our Father in Heaven guides his children who are receptive.

I know that as we humbly accept God's will for us, we make the only true sacrifice we can make, being our own will. But oh, how great the blessings that follow if we do so! That is my testimony to you. I am grateful for the talents that I have been afforded with, and know that as I use each of them to build the kingdom, being a positive catalyst unto others, that blessings flow. May we all strive to be humble, that we may become like Christ, promoting a greater portion of the Spirit in each of our brothers and sisters. as we do so, as we let Christ in, He will go before our face.

Have a great week!