Be Lief

Lief is an archaic word that can be used as an adverb to mean gladly or willingly, or as an adjective to mean dear or beloved. We can think of the word belief as being made up of the words "be" and "lief." This is almost entirely wrong etymologically speaking but I think it can help us to understand a little better an important truth. To be lief means to be or to act gladly or willingly. To be lief also means to be dear or beloved. The two are inextricably linked. Jesus Christ was our Heavenly Father's Well Beloved Son precisely because He was so glad and willing to sacrifice Himself to save all of God's children. Christ chose to be lief and submit gladly and willingly to His Father's will even when He would have given anything to let the cup pass from before Him, and in this way did Christ earn the right to be lief or be dear and beloved to His Father and to all of us. In the very first words of the Book of Mormon, Nephi says, "having seen many afflictions in the course of be days ( or in other words, having been lied or glad and willing to suffer those afflictions), nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord (or in other words, having been lief or dear and beloved to the Lord)" (1 Nephi 1:1). Nephi really ought to have used "and thus" instead of "nevertheless" to connect those two ideas. Nephi was highly favored not in spite of but because he gladly suffered what he must in order to fulfill God's purposes. If we want to have strong beliefs then we have to choose to be lief, to be glad and willing to submit to everything that the Father sees fit to inflict upon us. And if we have the courage and the humility to be so willing and glad to endure whatever comes out way, not grudgingly but gladly, then will we not only ensure that our beliefs become unshakeable, but we will be lief, or dear and beloved and highly favored in our Heavenly Father's eyes.