The Heart of Our Matters

This morning, I was reading the Gospel of Matthew, where Christ tells His disciples not to worry about providing food, drink, or clothing to keep his commandments. He explains that if they think they can't keep his commandments because of a lack of worldly possessions, it's because they're actually seeking  to excuse themselves:

"Why is it that you murmur among yourselves, saying, We cannot obey your word, because you have not all these things, and seek to excuse yourselves, saying that after all these things do the gentiles seek?" (Matthew 3:38).

This line of questioning is exactly what I would expect from our Lord because he loves us enough to reveal our character defects, loyalty, and trust in him. 

So I did a word search on the different ways "seek to excuse yourself" is used in scripture, and below are the results. I plan to apply these in my own life but hope it's helpful to you, as well. 

I don’t wish to excuse myself because of other men, but I would excuse myself because of the weaknesses of human nature. (Covenant of Christ 1 Nephi 5:35)

The Lord says: This people are beginning to increase in iniquity; they don’t understand the scriptures, trying instead to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms because of what’s written about David and his son Solomon. (Covenant of Christ Jacob 2:6)

Indeed, she broke a lot of hearts, but that doesn’t excuse you, my son. (Covenant of Christ Alma 19:1)

Don’t try to excuse yourself in the least degree because of your sins by denying God’s justice. (Covenant of Christ Alma 19:17)

And My grace is sufficient for the meek, so that they won’t find an excuse in your weaknesses. (Covenant of Christ Ether 5:5)

Charity is a determination to live a certain way and to not allow oneself to be overcome by the jealousies, envies, and all the negative things that make it so easy to excuse giving kindness to others. (Covenant of Christ A Selected Glossary)

Why is it that you murmur among yourselves, saying, We cannot obey your word, because you have not all these things, and seek to excuse yourselves, saying that after all these things do the gentiles seek? (New Testament Matthew 3:38)

And they all, with one consent, began to make excuses. ... The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground and I must go and see it; I ask that you have me excused. ... And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen and I go to prove them; I ask that you have me excused. (New Testament Luke 9:7)

For God has revealed unto them the invisible things of him, from the creation of the world, which are clearly seen — things which are not seen being understood by the things that are made through his eternal power and Godhead — so that they are without excuse; because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (New Testament Romans 1:4)

And as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law, for the hearers of the law are not just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified — for when the gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to the gospel. (New Testament Romans 1:9)

Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves unto you? (New Testament 2 Corinthians 1:46)

(For those priests were made without an oath, but this with an oath, by him that said unto him — the Lord swore and will not excuse himself — You are a priest for ever after the Order of Melchizedek.) (New Testament Hebrews 1:20)

And now if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weakness which is in me according to the flesh, I would excuse myself. (Book of Mormon 1 Nephi 5:35)

For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begins to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms because of the things which are written concerning David, and Solomon his son. (Book of Mormon Jacob 2:6)

Yea, she did steal away the hearts of many, but this was no excuse for thee, my son. (Book of Mormon Alma 19:1)

Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins by denying the justice of God, but do you let the justice of God and his mercy, and his long-suffering, have full sway in your heart, but let it bring you down to the dust in humility. (Book of Mormon Alma 19:17)

What I, the Lord, have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself. (Teachings and Commandments Section 54:7)

I say brother because I feel so from the heart, and although it is not long since I wrote a letter unto you, yet I feel as though you would excuse me for writing this, as I have many things which I wish to communicate — some things which I will mention in this letter, which are laying great with weight upon my mind. (Teachings and Commandments Section 83:1)

Therefore, they are left without excuse and their sins are upon their own heads. (Teachings and Commandments Section 86:15)

What I have said unto you must needs be, that all men may be left without excuse, that wise men and rulers may hear and know that which they have never considered, that I may proceed to bring to pass my act, my strange act, and perform my work, my strange work, that men may discern between the righteous and the wicked, says your God. (Teachings and Commandments Section 101:20)

And now beloved brethren, we say unto you that inasmuch as God has said that he would have a tried people, that he would purge them as gold, now we think that this time he has chosen his own crucible wherein we have been tried, and we think if we get through with any degree of safety and shall have kept the faith, that it will be a sign to this generation altogether sufficient to leave them without excuse. (Teachings and Commandments Section 138:15)

But we feel to excuse everybody and everything, yea, the more readily, when we contemplate that we are in the hands of worse than a bear, for the bear would not prey upon a dead carcass. (Teachings and Commandments Section 138:27)

And perhaps a committee can be appointed to find out these things, and to take statements and affidavits, and also to gather up the libelous publications that are afloat, and all that are in the magazines, and in the encyclopedias, and all the libelous histories that are published, and that are writing, and by whom, and present the whole concatenation of diabolical rascality, and nefarious and murderous impositions that have been practiced upon this people, that we may not only publish to all the world, but present them to the heads of the government, in all their dark and hellish hue, as the last effort which is enjoined on us by our Heavenly Father before we can fully and completely claim that promise which shall call him forth from his hiding place, and also that the whole nation may be left without excuse before he can send forth the power of his mighty arm. (Teachings and Commandments Section 139:13)

Call therefore upon them with loud proclamation and with your testimony, fearing them not — for they are as grass, and all their glory as the flower thereof which soon falls away — that they may be left also without excuse, and that I may visit them in the day of visitation, when I shall unveil the face of my covering to appoint the portion of the oppressor among hypocrites where there is gnashing of teeth if they reject my servants and my testimony which I have revealed unto them. (Teachings and Commandments Section 141:3)

You are not excused from writing a statement of principles that I have required at your hands. (Teachings and Commandments Section 157:55)

We had got into the habit of praying much at our meetings and Newel had said that he would try and take up his cross and pray vocally during meeting, but when we again met together he rather excused himself. (Teachings and Commandments Joseph Smith History 19:1)

And also, that by him a righteous judgment might come upon all flesh, and that all who walk not in the law of God may justly be condemned by the law and have no excuse for their sins. (Teachings and Commandments Lectures on Faith 5:2)

If I had not come and testified of the truth to them, they would not be accountable for rebellion, but now they have no excuse for their rebellion. (Teachings and Commandments Testimony of St. John 10:21)

Only one thing changes: the one that is chosen will now know God — but he will still need to go to work and pay the bills. It does not mean retirement, nor does it excuse him from this life’s labors, difficulties, challenges, or struggles. (Teachings and Commandments Glossary: Rest of the Lord)

Remember the modern caution in T&C 101:20: What I have said unto you must needs be, that all men may be left without excuse, that wise men and rulers may hear and know that which they have never considered, that I may proceed to bring to pass my act, my strange act, and perform my work, my strange work, that men may discern between the righteous and the wicked, says your God. (Teachings and Commandments Glossary: Strange Act)