Among the more poignant accounts in the New Testament is the incident of a man who approached the Lord Jesus Christ to ask what he must do to attain eternal life.

Combining the narratives in Matthew, Mark and Luke, we learn that he was young, that he had substantial wealth and that he was a ruler. In the classic 1913 book Jesus the Christ, Elder James E. Talmage of the Quorum of the Twelve suggested that the appellation "ruler" could mean the man was a leader in a local synagogue or perhaps even a member of the prestigious Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council.

We can be confident of his earnestness, evidenced by the fact that he comes running and kneels to the Lord, asking, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17).

Jesus responds with a recitation of some of the basic commandments from the Decalogue prohibiting adultery, murder, theft, falsehood and enjoining honor of father and mother.

"Master, all these have I observed from my youth," the man replies.

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me" (Mark 10:21).

All three of the Gospel accounts relate that the young man went away sorrowful, presumably unwilling to sacrifice his "great possessions" for the sake of following the Master (see Matthew 19:22; Mark 10:22; and Luke 18:23).

Elder Talmage, for one, holds out hope that the man afterward relented, followed the Savior's counsel and accepted His invitation (see Jesus the Christ, p. 478). We might share in that hope, if for no other reason than we are moved by what Mark tells us, that Jesus "loved him."

But do we not see in the rich, young ruler a parallel of our own condition today? He is perhaps an ancient counterpart to the modern-day high achiever, agenda-driven and task-list-oriented, hoping to accumulate enough tally marks to earn his way into heaven.

Consider the circumstances; He was well-versed in the law of Moses, having known and observed the commandments from his youth. Presumably, he was industrious and talented, having attained both wealth and position. And, ostensibly at least, he was fervent and sincere in his desire to do right, as he rushed to obtain counsel from the Master. Yet, in his heart he must have felt the troubling impression that something was still missing.

Surely, the Lord recognized this. Continued beseeching from the man elicited this gentle prodding from Jesus: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me" (Mark 19:21, emphasis added).

The word perfect in the above passage is translated from the Greek adjective teleios (a transliteration), which may also be defined as complete, mature or fulfilled. The use of the word in this passage suggests that the man's conduct up to then was acceptable insofar as it went, but that still more was required before he could reach spiritual maturity.

From Jesus' counsel to the man, are we to infer that discipleship, in each and every instance, requires a total divestiture of one's possessions with all of the proceeds given to the poor?

Elder Talmage comments: "Love of worldly things was this man's besetting weakness; Jesus diagnosed his case and prescribed a suitable remedy. We are not warranted in saying that the same treatment would be best in all cases of spiritual defection; but where the symptoms indicate the need, it may be employed with confidence as to the cure" (Jesus the Christ, p. 477).

For a broader application of this scriptural incident, we perhaps can draw instruction from the verse in which Jesus tells the young man, "Come, take up the cross, and follow me" (Mark 10:21, emphasis added).

What, then, does it mean to "take up the cross"?

That imagery is used in several scriptural passages. The Guide to the Scriptures, the Church-published scriptural study aid, provides this explanation under the entry "Cross": "Many in the world now think of it as a symbol of Christ's crucifixion and atoning sacrifice; however, the Lord has established his own symbols for his crucifixion and sacrifice ?— the bread and the water of the sacrament. In the scriptures, those who take up their cross are those who love Jesus Christ so much that they deny themselves ungodliness and every worldly lust and keep his commandments."

Thus, the resurrected Christ told the Nephites not to let lustful thoughts enter their heart and said, "For it is better that ye should deny yourself of these things, wherein ye will take up your cross, than that ye should be cast into hell" (3 Nephi 12:30).

In Matthew 10:38, Jesus says, "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

Taking up one's cross is designated as something one must do daily and is equated with denying oneself (see Luke 9:23). It is declared as being essential to discipleship (see Luke 14:27). In Doctrine and Covenants 23:6-7, Joseph Knight is admonished to take up his cross by praying vocally and in secret, by uniting with the true church and preaching continually.

As implied in the Savior's instruction to the young ruler, it entails giving of one's material substance to the poor and needy.

Indeed, taking up one's cross might mean different specific things to different individuals. For example it might entail letting go of the sort of pride wherein learning and self-regarded sophistication engender an attitude of fault-finding toward others, the Lord's anointed in particular.

Above all, taking up one's cross seems to mean total and unreserved surrender of one's own will to that of the Master. In so doing, we will find in the end we have given up comparatively little, considering what we gain. As the Savior admonished in the context of taking up of one's cross as a condition of discipleship: "Break not my commandments for to save your lives, for whosoever will save his life in this world shall lose it in the world to come. And whosoever will lose his life in this world for my sake, shall find it in the world to come. Therefore, forsake the world, and save your own souls; for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (JST Matthew 16:27-29).

The thought prompts introspection and soul-searching. As Elder Talmage wrote, "Everyone of us may pertinently ask, What do I lack?" (Jesus the Christ, p. 478).