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TheDiscipleMD (Read In Over 112 Countries)

My favorite movie of all-time is “The Great Escape.” The World War II prison movie contains, for me, all the elements of a great movie. Recently I watched it again. One of the lines in the movie jumped out at me. After fifty of the escapees are executed by the Gestapo, a few others are returned to the concentration camp. Upon arriving they are informed that fifty of the men have been killed. A conversation between the officer in charge at the camp, Ramsey, and Hendley, a returning escaped prisoner, played by James Garner ensues. Ramsey says, referring to the ringleader of the breakout:

“Roger’s idea was to get back at the enemy the hardest way he could. Mess up the works! From what we have heard here, I think he did exactly that!

Hendley replies: “Do you think it was worth the price?”

Ramsey replies: “That depends on your point of view, Hendley!”

A couple of years ago I was sitting on the stand with a member of a bishopric of the ward I was visiting. We were chit chatting before the start of the meeting and he began to subtly complain about how church headquarters was too controlling of the local affairs of the church, and that ‘they’  were not as informed to our problems as the local leaders. He lamented that the church was too “centralized” and that more power to make decisions should be given to local leaders. He was interested in my response.

I told him that if he examined other churches he would see the fallacy in his thought process. It seemed to me that every time I read something about other denominations,  they were battling over, not only administrative issues, but also doctrinal questions. One part of their leadership would pronounce something, and another part of the same denomination would reject it. They always seemed to be divided. I told him that the splintering of authority was the cause of the apostasy. I told him that  I thought  the brethren were inspired in administering the affairs of the church! He politely smiled and then softly said, “Well, I guess it depends on your point of view.”

My goal is that I will always see the affairs of the church from the Lord’s “point of view.”  I believe that “point of view” comes from inspiration and revelation as revealed through living apostles and prophets.  Most of us understand that, “our point of view,” can be vastly different from that of the Lords. Sometimes it will be the same, and sometimes not. However, if we humble ourselves and make the commitment to have the same point of view as living prophets and apostles, I know we are on solid ground.

What I detected from my friend was that he wanted his “point of view” to be right.  And I’m sure that often his view is in line with that of the  Lords.   However, the true test of discipleship is when we are willing to humble and submit ourselves when our ‘point of view’ doesn’t align with that of the prophets.