When I have thoughts of nobleness, I usually associate it with nobility and royalty or more particularly with Kings and Queens of far off lands. I remember, as a youth, hearing a story that our family, on my mother’s side, had descended from an Indian ‘princess,’ and I thought at the time that we were somehow special. Then a few years ago, while writing my mother’s history, I researched our ancestry and we, in fact, did have a Chippewa Chief ’s daughter in our line only three generations before my mother. As I read more and more about Native American tradi- tions, I came upon an article about royalty, and it said that Native Americans did not use the term royalty or Kings, Queens and Princesses. That terminology came only from the European trad- ers and trappers and was not an appropriate or common term among the Native Americans.
As I became more and more involved in family history research, I would frequently hear the advice among others involved in this work, that if you can trace your line back to royalty then you will be able to go back several generations further because their ancestral lines are already available. I later learned that well-to-do merchants in the middle ages wanted to be associated with royalty so they would hire a genealogist to tie them to royal lines. So, in reality, not all royal genealogies are accurate and true, as many are bogus. How a person could determine one from another, I have no idea. Prior to fifteen hundred there were very few records available, so most of the family history work during those periods are going to have to wait for the millennium for verification. That which can be traced has already been done. Royal families intermarried to maintain their royal lines; they were not allowed to marry a commoner. Many royal families have been referred to as ‘blue bloods’ identifying the condition of hemophilia, which some royal families were known to carry. This condition and other common diseases were kept in the family through intermarriage.
Being somewhat of a history buff, I have read much about European royal families primarily during the middle ages and how corrupt and cruel many of them were. It made me wonder why anyone would want to be related to them. There were a few benevolent kings and queens, but the majority were not. When a person is raised in a privileged environment, with it being drummed into them daily that they are royalty and better than others of a lower social standing, they become puffed up. Some believe that they can get away with anything, while taking advantage of the common folk. It seems to be human nature as described in the scriptures: “We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.” (D&C 121:39) When in reality, all authority should be exercised in only one way, as also described in the Doctrine and Covenants: “No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood (authority), only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned.” (D&C 121:41–43) Yes! Many may have worn a jewelled crown, but there was very little nobleness or nobility in their character nor in their reign.
However, I have met many common folk who, by nature of their dispositions and the way they have responded to others, have shown nobility of character. George Bernard Shaw said that “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” Many have created a life of respect and, yes, even nobleness. No, they were not born into a royal family, but they became noble by virtue of the lives they lived. Christ, who is known as the King of Kings and the greatest and most noble of all. Based on His characteristics, the essence of nobility is a kind heart, a loving nature and words of hope and encouragement. Without ever having met a King or any other member of a royal family, I have looked into the face of nobility many times, and I saw a friend, a neighbor, even a member of my own family and yes, even a stranger. Because I saw in their faces those Christ-like characteristics of love and kindness. The wonderful thing about common nobility is that it can be contagious. A Sage by the name of Lovell has said, “As one lamp lights another, nor grows less, so nobleness enkindeleth nobleness.” May we live such that when one looks into our faces that they will see a value that they would like to emulate.