Meekness - A Dimension of True Discipleship

I actually didn't want to post this until after I had read or listened to Elder Bednar's talk Daniel guided us to, but I haven't done that yet. But I just got off the phone with John. I mentioned I've listened to the same podcast now three times. It's from an address given by Neal A. Maxwell at a BYU fourteen-stake fireside on 5 September 1982, and can be found in the March 1983 Ensign. He starts off thusly:

Meekness is one of the attributes of Deity. Instructively, Jesus, our Lord and exemplar, called attention to Himself as being “meek and lowly in heart.” (Matt. 11:29.) Paul extolled the “meekness and gentleness of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:1.) The Greek rendition of the word meek in the New Testament, by the way, is “gentle and humble.”

Actually, meekness is not an attribute which is essential only in itself, said Moroni. It is also vital because one cannot develop those other crucial virtues—faith, hope, and charity—without meekness.

In the ecology of the eternal attributes, these cardinal characteristics are inextricably bound up together. Among them, meekness is often the initiator, facilitator, and consolidator.

In fact, if one needs any further persuasion as to how vital this virtue is, Moroni warned, “none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart.” (Moro. 7:43–44.) If we could but believe, really believe, in the reality of that bold but accurate declaration, you and I would find ourselves focusing on the crucial rather than the marginal tasks in life!

The link for the written:

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1983.htm/ensign%20march%201983%20.htm
/meeknessa%20dimension%20of%20true%20discipleship.htm

The link for the audio:

http://www.ldsvoices.com/index.php?id=117