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| Queen Esther (lds.org) |
While I was talking to my husband about the story in Esther I couldn't help but think about Vashti and how she is always over looked. She was rebuffed by the king because her humility and lack of vanity, not wanting to parade in front of the King and his guests (Esther 1:11-12). She must have known that King Ahasuerus wouldn't take her refusal well and yet, she stuck to her morals and was strip of her title and material possessions. Mordecai was another great example. In Esther 3:2 he refused to bow to Haman because Mordecai knew that that kind of reverence should been reserved for the Lord. Haman was in a high position and could have probably killed Mordecai quickly had it not been for Esther, yet, he knew that he needed to be true to the commandments of the Lord and would not turn from them. Esther is of course the star of the show. Once Haman had sent out a decree to rid the country of Jews, Mordecai pleaded with Esther to talk to the king and get him to rescind the decree. She new that going before the king without being asked could mean the end of her life. So, what did she do? Esther turned to the Lord and fasted for his guidance and assistance in order to save her life and the lives of her people.
A few attributes that we can learn from these two women, Vashti and Esther, and Mordecai are humility, selfless service, and obedience to the commandments of the Lord no matter the consequence. I think one of the best ways to develop all of these attributes is to study the lives of our prophets, ancient, deceased, and living. If we look to their example and the example of the Lord we can know how to develop these talents and apply them in our lives. Think of President Monson and his willingness to serve the widows in his ward, his willingness as a young man to serve his uncle who could not walk. President Monson is just
one example of selfless service. I need to be able to put others before myself in order to create humility, selflessness, and obedience.
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