When
looking for examples of supreme leadership I look to the Savior not as he led
the masses but as he built individuals from what they were to what they could
be. The scriptures clearly describe the process that goes into making leaders.
Perfect examples include Moses who was turned from a jabbering disgraced prince
of Egypt chasing sheep in the wilderness to a man that would truly lead Israel.
See Exodus 3:15-20. Another example is Nephi and Lehi in the Book of Mormon.
Consider how Nephi was all but giving up crying and yelling and altogether
being miserable on his garden town where everyone could hear. Then the Lord
teaches him a valuable lesson as he reveals the murderer of the chief judge and
his power over all things. Then Nephi and Lehi convert the Lamanites and
Nephite dissenters by the tens of thousands and change an entire nation. Some
thing changed in-between his garden prayer and those miracles. A switch
flipped. See the book of Helaman.
Consider
Nephi, The youngest son that goes around bossing everyone including his father
and mother to the point where his brothers are so ticked off that they try to
kill him. Then the Lord rescues him…and he does it again…and he is rescued…and
he ticks everyone off again…and the Lord rescues him. His brothers are
estranged and his father dead. His family is split because he had completely
failed to connect in a meaningfully way to his brothers. Then something changes
and he starts writing differently. In the 4th chapter of 2 Nephi
something clicks. He starts talking about “my God,” “the Lord my God,” “my Savior.”
He stops writing about his annoying brothers and how they always forgot what he
was talking about. He stops wring history and how the Lord helped him. From
then on he only writes about the Savior of Israel. In his awe for the
scriptures he quotes Isaiah for chapters and chapters. Then he prophesies of
the Savior coming, apostasy and restoration. His final words describe the
Doctrine of Christ in intricate detail and feeling. He stops telling his story
and starts teaching THE message.
Peter
the fisherman that sank in the water, cut off ears, failed to understand the
priesthood, denied the Savior 3 times, tried to send people away when they had
no food, doubted the Savior had been resurrected and went back to fishing after
he met the resurrected Lord. But a late night encounter on the beach changed
him and he became something through the true Leadership of the Savior.
Something that nobody saw coming. Something that 1billion Catholics base their
faith on. Something that rocked the world.
Moroni
complained that he wasn’t a good enough writer to complete the record. Joseph Smith
lost ¼ of the Book of Mormon. Alma served wicked king Noah. Alma the younger
sought to destroy the church. Enos did not believe his father. Lehi murmured.
Job doubted. Moses struck a rock unnecessarily. Joseph bragged to his brothers
and got himself sold to Egypt. Jonah got eaten by a fish after he ran from the
Lord by trying to take a boat. Seriously how stupid was he? Did he really think
he could hide from God by taking a boat in the opposite direction? Did he
really think that would work? What a terrible idea. Compare the second chapter
of Jonah and the 4th chapter of 2 Nephi.
Long
story short we can read the scriptures and see what others have done wrong.
That is in there. If it looks like that was a bad idea that probably means it
was. What we must read in the scriptures is not watching perfect people doing
great things. No, we must watch the Lord do marvelous things to make
individuals true leaders. Being is not a prevalent theme in the scriptures but
becoming is. This is a becoming gospel. From what we were to where we can go
and what we can do for others when we have grown.
I
believe true leadership is not clearly demonstrated by prophets of old. They
did marvelous things and organized great numbers of people. Fought battles and
taught the gospel. That was all wonderful and necessary but the only true
leadership was demonstrated as they grew under the tutelage of Christ. The
scriptures don’t teach us how to lead, they teach us how to make leaders.
Most
of the time these leaders to be knew better than what they did. Heavens we know
better than to go around telling everybody that “I had a dream where everyone
bowed to me...” as Joseph of Egypt did. What made them leaders is acting
courageously on what they were taught. True leadership is not getting people to
do things that they need to do. It is not management. Management has bosses and
schedules and stuff to do and people to call to repentance. Leadership cleanses
us from our sins and enables others to do the same. Leadership enables the Plan
of Salvation. Management would remove our agency and force us, even if it was
for a good reason.
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