Joseph B. Wirthlin, deceased, wrote: “When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he exclaimed, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” At that moment, Nathanael recognized that Jesus could see into his heart and asked, in surprise, “Whence knowest thou me?” The Saviors reply demonstrated an even greater power of perception. He said that before Phillip had called him (Nathanael) to come and see, Jesus had seen him under a fig tree.
Nathanael apparently had undergone some surpassing spiritual experience while praying, meditating, or worshiping under a fig tree. The Lord, though absent in body, had been present with him in spirit. Nathanael then recognized the Savior as the Christ and said, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” (John 1:47-49.)
Nathanael spoke without guile. The words came from his heart. They expressed a deep conviction of truth. He followed the Savior.
To be without guile is to be free of deceit, cunning, hypocrisy, and dishonesty in thought and action. To beguile is to deceive or lead astray, as Lucifer beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden. A person without guile is a person who is innocent, who has honest intent or pure motives, and whose life reflects the simple act of conforming daily actions to principles of integrity.
The psalmist wrote, “Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity , and in whose spirit there is no guile” (Psalm 32:2), and then admonished, “Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile” (Psalm 34:13).
In the New Testament, we learn that the Savior was without guile (see 1 Peter 2:22) and that he who will love life, and see good days, let him refrain this tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile” (1 Peter 3:10).
. . . . When he spoke of being without guile, (Jesus) referred to something far deeper than outward appearance. He was reaching into the soul, to the very heart of righteousness. He was touching the key to goodness and to the Christlike life.”
~Joseph B. Wirthlin was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.This quote is from his book, “Finding Peace in Our Lives”, p. 180-81, Deseret Book 1995
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