What does it mean to be godly, or to live a godly life?
2 Peter 1:3
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
I believe that this means that having godliness in our lives means living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Moroni 7:30
For behold, they [the angels] are subject unto him [God], to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.
Angels will minister to any righteous person, no matter the part of their life it is that is considered godly. Thus, to be godly means to possess some characteristic or attribute of Christ, though not necessarily all of them, or in their fullness.
D&C 20:69
The members shall manifest before the church, and also before the elders, by a godly walk and conversation, that they are worthy of it [the gift of the Holy Ghost], that there may be works and faith agreeable to the holy scriptures--walking in holiness before the Lord
Those who receive the gift of the Holy Ghost must show their continued faithfulness in the church by "a godly walk," which means they must keep the commandments. Their actions and words should be like the Savior's.
D&C 84:20
in the ordinances [of the priesthood], the power of godliness is manifest.
There are two interpretations for this that I can think of. The first is that God's power is shown to us through ordinances. The other is that we can see the power that flows into our lives when we are living worthy of the ordinances of the priesthood. This power can help us to develop Christ-like attributes.
JS-H 1:19
They teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.
The Father condemned the religions of the earth at the time of Joseph Smith because they appeared to lead godly lives because of all the commandments they followed, but did not actually live as Jesus would have. Thus, they have "a form of godliness," as in they look as if they were godly, but they do not have the power that comes from living the true gospel covenants.
In April 2016 General Conference, Elder Kent F. Richards gave a talk called "The Power of Godliness" and bore his testimony about the blessings that come to those who serve in the temple. The power of God comes to those who live godly lives through their temple worship.
After speaking of certain essential attributes for missionaries in D&C 4:5, verse 6 contains a list of additional attributes we are commanded to "remember." One of these attributes is godliness. It is commanded that those who engage in missionary work remember the importance of living Godly lives so that those they teach may recognize the power of God in their lives.
Conclusion: living a godly life consists in doing the things that God would do if He were in the same situation as yourself. In short, it is to develop and practice Christ-like attributes. I personally believe it also means acting in such a way that those around you can tell that you believe in God.
2 Peter 1:3
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
I believe that this means that having godliness in our lives means living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Moroni 7:30
For behold, they [the angels] are subject unto him [God], to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.
Angels will minister to any righteous person, no matter the part of their life it is that is considered godly. Thus, to be godly means to possess some characteristic or attribute of Christ, though not necessarily all of them, or in their fullness.
D&C 20:69
The members shall manifest before the church, and also before the elders, by a godly walk and conversation, that they are worthy of it [the gift of the Holy Ghost], that there may be works and faith agreeable to the holy scriptures--walking in holiness before the Lord
Those who receive the gift of the Holy Ghost must show their continued faithfulness in the church by "a godly walk," which means they must keep the commandments. Their actions and words should be like the Savior's.
D&C 84:20
in the ordinances [of the priesthood], the power of godliness is manifest.
There are two interpretations for this that I can think of. The first is that God's power is shown to us through ordinances. The other is that we can see the power that flows into our lives when we are living worthy of the ordinances of the priesthood. This power can help us to develop Christ-like attributes.
JS-H 1:19
They teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.
The Father condemned the religions of the earth at the time of Joseph Smith because they appeared to lead godly lives because of all the commandments they followed, but did not actually live as Jesus would have. Thus, they have "a form of godliness," as in they look as if they were godly, but they do not have the power that comes from living the true gospel covenants.
In April 2016 General Conference, Elder Kent F. Richards gave a talk called "The Power of Godliness" and bore his testimony about the blessings that come to those who serve in the temple. The power of God comes to those who live godly lives through their temple worship.
After speaking of certain essential attributes for missionaries in D&C 4:5, verse 6 contains a list of additional attributes we are commanded to "remember." One of these attributes is godliness. It is commanded that those who engage in missionary work remember the importance of living Godly lives so that those they teach may recognize the power of God in their lives.
Conclusion: living a godly life consists in doing the things that God would do if He were in the same situation as yourself. In short, it is to develop and practice Christ-like attributes. I personally believe it also means acting in such a way that those around you can tell that you believe in God.
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