Learning to Be Disciples of Jesus Christ

A few days ago, I heard a phrase that stayed with me.

It was during the setting apart of a young woman who was preparing to leave on her mission. As our stake president spoke about her calling, he explained something that seemed simple at first, yet made me think deeply:

Missionaries go out to help others become disciples of Jesus Christ.

Not simply to learn about a Church.

Not simply to learn doctrine.

Not simply to be baptized.

But to become disciples of Jesus Christ.

Ever since then, I have been thinking a lot about that word: disciple.

Jesus taught:

“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.”

— John 8:31

And I began to understand that being a disciple is not simply saying, “I believe in Jesus Christ.”

It is learning to live as He taught us to live.

It is asking myself, especially when life becomes difficult:

How would a disciple of Christ respond to what I am going through right now?

Because it is relatively easy to talk about faith when everything is going well.

True discipleship begins to reveal itself when adversity comes.

When someone disappoints us.

When our plans do not turn out the way we expected.

When we wait for an answer that takes much longer than we hoped.

When we experience frustration, loneliness, or sadness.

When we lose something—or someone—we love.

Even when we face death.

Being disciples of Jesus Christ does not mean that these experiences will stop hurting.

Christ never promised us a life without tears.

What He offers us is something different: we do not have to go through them alone, and we do not have to go through them in the same way.

A disciple cries too, but holds on to hope.

A disciple may feel disappointed, but learns to forgive.

A disciple may be afraid, but continues walking in faith.

A disciple may not understand why something is happening and still choose to trust God.

A disciple may lose someone deeply loved and experience tremendous sorrow, yet still look beyond death because of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps that is why discipleship is not learned simply by reading about Christ.

We learn discipleship by trying to live as Christ would when life puts us to the test.

Mormon was able to say: “I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.”

What a simple statement—and yet, what a powerful one.

And it made me ask myself:

Could I say the same?

Not simply, “I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

But:

“I am learning to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.”

Perhaps that is one of the most important purposes of our lives.

To learn to know Him.

To learn to trust Him.

To learn to love as He loves.

To learn to forgive as He forgives.

And little by little, experience after experience, adversity after adversity, to become a little more like Him.

Because perhaps our trials do not become smaller when we follow Christ.

Perhaps it is we who, by walking with Him, learn to face them differently.

And then we begin to understand that being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not simply a way of believing.

It is a way of living.