A Letter from James
An invitation to obey, not just hear, God’s word
James was a son of Mary and one of Jesus Christ’s brothers. James was also a Church leader in Jerusalem. He wrote a letter to God’s people all over the world to help them live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
James wrote, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.” Many years later, a boy named Joseph Smith read these words and decided to pray about his questions. Joseph Smith later said, “I had found the testimony of James to be true.” God answered Joseph’s prayer, and He will answer ours too.
James 1:5; Joseph Smith—History 1:11–17, 26
James also wrote that we should listen carefully to what other people say and try not to get angry at them. When we are angry, we can’t serve God.
James said that it’s not enough just to hear God’s word; we also need to live it. “Be ye doers of the word,” he wrote, “and not hearers only.”
Being a follower of Jesus Christ is more than just believing in God, James explained. Even the devil knows that God is real. When we see people who are cold or hungry, we should give them clothing and food. We should visit widows and orphans. “Faith without works is dead,” James wrote.
James also wanted to teach the Saints to speak kindly to people. He said that being careful with our words is like guiding a horse. We can guide a large horse with a bridle, which is attached to a small piece of metal in the horse’s mouth. Our words might also seem small, but they can be powerful.
James said that controlling our words is like steering a ship. Even if the ship is large and the winds are strong, we can guide the ship by controlling a very small helm or rudder. The helm is like our words. If we can control what we say, we can make a big difference!
Unkind words, James explained, can be like a small flame that starts a large fire. They can spread quickly and cause a lot of hurt. This is why it’s important to be careful with our words.
James wrote that we use our mouths to pray to Heavenly Father. But sometimes we also use our mouths to say mean things to other people, who are Heavenly Father’s children. James said it shouldn’t be that way.
To teach the Saints to speak kind words, James taught that a fountain can’t give both fresh water and bitter water. A fig tree can’t grow olives, and a grapevine can’t grow figs. In the same way, if we have goodness and love in our hearts, our words should be good and loving too!