"Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be?"

This, said President Howard W. Hunter, is one of the most important questions ever asked of mortals.

The answer, which the Savior Himself provided, sets the standard to which all should aspire: "Verily I say unto you, even as I am" (3 Nephi 27:27).

"The world is full of people who are willing to tell us, 'Do as I say.' And, of course, only One in human history could rightfully and properly make that declaration. History provides many examples of good men and women, but even the best of mortals are flawed in some way or another. None could serve as a perfect model nor as an infallible pattern to follow, however well-intentioned they might be,"' said President Hunter, then President of the Quorum of the Twelve, in his April 1994 general conference address.

During His mortal ministry and upon His visit to the New World, the Savior issued special invitations: "Follow me." "Learn of me." "Do the things you have seen me do." "Drink of my water and eat of my bread." "Look unto me and ye shall live." "Love one another as I have loved you."

These invitations issued nearly two millennia ago are extended to us also. Imagine how personal these invitations would seem if we received in the mail these very words printed on special card stock. Would we respond immediately or would we lay them aside?

People generally find comfort in knowing they can trust their leaders, that they have reliable guides who will never lead them astray. We can follow the Savior anywhere with confidence.

Much has been written or said about young people finding good role models. In reality, we all — adults as well as youngsters — need good role models. The Savor is the perfect role model.

A question we ought to ask ourselves in every situation is that posed by Saul upon the Savior's appearance to him en route to Damascus: "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6.)

We know that thoughts lead to actions. To become as Jesus is, we must think about Him. Thinking about Him from time to time isn't enough; He must ever be in our thoughts; we are reminded when we partake of the sacrament to "always remember him" (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79; Moroni 4:3; 5:2).

President Ezra Taft Benson wrote: "The Lord said, 'Look unto me in every thought' (Doctrine and Covenants 6:36). Looking unto the Lord in every thought is the only possible way we can be the kind of men and women we ought to be....If our thoughts make us what we are, and we are to be like Christ, then we must think Christlike thoughts" ("Think on Christ," Ensign, March 1989, p. 2).

Many children who have performed in a recital, acted in a play or participated in a sporting event ask their parents: "Did I do OK?" The tendency to want to know if we're doing OK, if we're doing the right thing, seems to stay with us all our lives. At times, people seem driven to "do OK," or to be successful; there are those who want to excel, and others are driven to achieve worldly acclaim and riches.

The most successful life, without doubt, is the one that is most closely aligned with the blueprint that the Savior has given us — the pattern of His own life. Money, acclaim, influence or power aren't even notations jotted in the margin of this blueprint or pattern. True happiness and fulfillment come through living a Christlike life. We are told that He is the way (we might say, "He is the only way"), the truth and the life. The only way to achieve the abundant life is by following Him.

In President Hunter's conference address cited above, he said, "We must know Christ better than we know Him; we must remember Him more often than we remember Him; we must serve Him more valiantly than we serve Him. Then we will drink water springing up unto eternal life and will eat the bread of life.

"What manner of men and women ought we to be? Even as He is."