The gospel in words: 'Worship'

This is a reprint of an earlier column

"And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him." (3 Nephi 11:17)

The Old Testament word usually translated as "worship" has a sense

of to depress, as in to prostrate, especially in homage to royalty or

God; to bow down; to stoop; to fall down flat.

The New Testament word is essentially the same, with the added sense of reverence and adoration.

In English, the word "worship" means to honor or adore as divine or

sacred, especially with rituals or ceremonies; to offer prayers to God;

to regard with extreme respect, devotion or love; to idolize; to regard

or treat a person with honor or respect, specifically, to bow down or

salute (Oxford English Dictionary).

There are two aspects of worship. First, there is the more formal

sense of worship, such as sacrament meetings, public prayers and temple

worship. The second aspect is our own personal attitude of worship. Of

course, the two are intimately linked.Simply sitting in a worship

service without a personal attitude of worship is not worship.

It is in this more personal sense that the elements of "to fall

down," "to prostrate oneself" or "bow down" become more instructive.

Paul, in speaking of spiritual gifts, notes that "so falling down on

his face he will worship God" (1 Corinthians 14:25).

Most of the scriptural uses of worship have this sense of personal

submission to the divine. In its deepest sense, worship means the

surrender of our will to God's will. We are taught "that the right way

is to believe in Christ ... wherefore ye must bow down before him, and