Lesson by Krys C. on "Becoming Holy"

Reference: “Reflections on a Consecrated Life,” D. Todd Christofferson, October
2010

Consider tension in our lives between
Sacred, holy, lasting, consecrated
Profane, unclean, transitory, unhallowed
Regarding holiness, we are subject to two requirements:
1) To stand in holy places
My disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved” (Doctrine
& Covenants, 45:32, see also D&C 87:8; D&C 101:22)).
2) To behave in a holy way, to be holy.
Psalm 29:1-2: Given unto the Lord, O ye might, give unto the Lord glory
and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the
beauty of holiness.
Leviticus 19:2: “Say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God
am holy.” (Lev. 19:2.)

What does it mean to be holy? What are the various things that “holiness” can
apply to or describe?

Holy Ghost (my view: more like a title than a description)
Holy One of Israel

“Holy” as authority or relationship:
Holy Priesthood
Holy Scriptures
Holy One of Israel (also a title)
The most holy faith (D&C 21:1-2)

“Holy” as a purpose or a state of mind:
Holiness to the Lord
- Not only on temples, but was on early stock certificates in Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution
Holy of Holies
Paul – a holy calling (2 Tim 1:9)
Sabbath day, to keep it holy
Silence can by Holy
Purity


“Holy” as a place:
Holy Temple (repeat)
Zion = Holy City of the Lord
City of Holiness, even Zion, (Moses 7:19++)
Homes –
Holy Land

Old Testament:
The most common word for “holiness” and “holy” is qodesh (ko desh),
which refers to (a) holiness or holy name (as in “my holy name” in Psalms 2:6
or Isaiah 11:9), (b) a thing consecreated to God (as in the silver consecrated in
the temple in 1 Chronicles 26:20), (c) a sanctuary (as in the holy tabernacle in
Exodus 35:19 or the temple in Daniels 8:14), or (d) the most holy thing – with
reference to the temple or the ark of the covenant. There is a sense in which
a ‘holy’ thing is dedicated or hallowed.

-dedicated or hallowed things are holy because they have been linked directly to deity.
-holy things also have light in them- spiritual qualities.

New Testament:
In the New Testament, the word “holy” is from Hagios (ha ge os). It has a
connotation of something hallowed (it is derived from a word for something
awful): something “on account of some connection with God possess a certain
distinction and claim to reverence, as places sacred to God which are not to be
profaned.” (Thayer’s) Lexicon). It refers to the temple in Acts 7:33 and Matthew
14:15, the land of Palestine, Jerusalem (Matthew 4:5, Revalation 9:2). “Holy”
also refers to people as well as places, such as apostles, angles, prophets.

A second meaning in the New Testament is something “set apart for God,”
including the group of saints and Christians. Finally, holy can mean “prepared
for God” (as in a sacrifice with solemn rites), or “pure, sinless and upright” (as in
reference to John the Baptist in Mark 6:20)

Book of Mormon:
In the Book of Mormon, “holy” is used to refer to something related to God

(Alma 10:9, a “holy man” identified by an angel, a holy calling or ordinance (Alma
13:6-8) and even Jesus Christ (2 Ne 31:7), “holy scriptures” and “holy prophets”
(Hel 15:7). It is also used in the sense of purity: “If ye were holy I would speak
unto you of holiness.”

Music can be holy, especially hymns

The Visiting Teaching message for August was about how we are a "society of holy women"
If we are holy women, then we try to live a life of consecrating our works to God and standing on holy ground.

Why do we have holy places? What is the relationship between a holy
place (or time, or thing) and us as holy people?

There seem to be at least two purposes for describing something as holy:
(1) to demonstrate its relationship to God or deity
(2) to give instruction or warning to maintain its holiness

Isaiah 35:8: And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be
called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it [shall be] for
those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err [therein].

D. Todd Christofferson, “Reflections on a Consecrated Life” (Oct 2010 General
Conference, from Ensign)

Bro Christofferson says: “To consecrate is to set apart or dedicate something as
sacred, devoted to holy purposes.” He suggests five elements of a consecrated
life (i.e., one that is more holy).
1) Purity
• “Consecration therefore means repentance,” because we are
seeking to become sinless and spotless.
2) Work
• “A consecrated life is a life of labor.”
• God glorified his word of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal
life of his children; designed mortal existence to require nearly
constant exertion (plus a “kind word for leisure)
3) Respect for physical body
• Your body is a temple of God, “therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor 6:19-20).
4) Service
• Servant is not greater than the Lord (John 13:14-16).

5) Integrity
• Integrity is not naivete. It is “naïve to suppose that we are not accountable to God.”

I think of these as specific ways that we can change our relationship
with the divine, and to find a sense and place of sanctuary (Old Testament) or
connection (New Testament).

- sing songs which are holy in a reverent way (especially hymns). Separate the things that need to be kept holy and pure form the things of the world.
-make family time a sacred time- one of rejuvenation and strengthening family relationships.
-Sometimes we just need to raise our eyes a "foot or two" and look at the beauty around us.