Although meek rhymes with weak, it has a different meaning altogether. Indeed, it is possible to be both meek and bold, for scriptural meekness and masculinity are not mutually exclusive. No one taught this better than the Prophet Joseph Smith:
"Some of the company thought I was not a very meek Prophet; so I told them: 'I am meek and lowly in heart,' and will personify Jesus for a moment, to illustrate the principle, and cried out with a loud voice, 'Woe unto you, ye doctors; woe unto you, ye lawyers; woe unto you, ye scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites!' But you cannot find the place where I ever went that I found fault with their food, their drink, their house, their lodgings; no, never; and this is what is meant by the meekness and lowliness of Jesus." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 270, see also Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p. 210-11)
It was the meek and lowly Jesus who twice cleansed the Temple. It was the meek and lowly Jesus who had no fear of offending the most powerful religious and political leaders of his day. Spencer W. Kimball stated:
"If the Lord was meek and lowly and humble, then to become humble one must do what he did in boldly denouncing evil, bravely advancing righteous work, courageously meeting every problem, becoming the master of himself and the situations about him and being…oblivious to personal credit.
"Humility is not pretentious, presumptious, or proud. It is not weak, vacillating, or servile…Humble and meek properly suggest virtues, not weaknesses. They suggest a consistent mildness of temper and an absence of wrath…Humility is teachableness…It is not boastful, because when one becomes conscious of his great humility, he has already lost it." (Improvement Era, Aug. 1963, pp. 656-7, 704)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Meekness ranks low on the mortal scale of things, yet high on God's: 'For none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart.' (Moroni 7:44.) The rigorous requirements of Christian discipleship are clearly unattainable without meekness. In fact, meekness is needed in order to be spiritually successful, whether in matters of the intellect, in the management of power, in the dissolution of personal pride, or in coping with the challenges of daily life. Jesus, the carpenter—who, with Joseph, 'undoubtedly had experience making yokes' —gave us that marvelous metaphor: 'Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.' (Matthew 11:29.) The yoke of obedience to Him is far better than servitude to sin, but the demands are real.
"…meekness has a metabolism that actually requires very little praise or recognition-of which there is usually such a shortage anyway.
"…Meekness also protects us from the fatigue of being easily offended. There are so many just waiting to be offended. They are so alerted to the possibility that they will not be treated fairly, they almost invite the verification of their expectations! The meek, not posted on such a fatiguing alert, find rest from this form of fatigue.
"…Bruising as the tumble off the peak of pride is, it may be necessary…Meekness enables us, after a tumble, to pick ourselves up but without putting others down blamefully.
"…The deserving and blessed meek will not only eventually inherit the earth, they will do so when this planet is really worth inheriting!"
"…If meek, we will place all we have on the altar of the Lord and will not ask for a receipt!" (Meek and Lowly, pp. ix, 55, 57, 58, 95, 207)
Neal A. Maxwell
"Human suffering does not automatically produce sweetness and character unless meekness is present. Meekness is the mulch that must go in the soil of adversity in order for empathy to grow and in order for character to grow. Jesus could not have become the most empathetic person had he not been the most meek person." (The Neal A. Maxwell Quote Book, compiled by Cory H. Maxwell, p. 209)
LeGrand Richards
"The earth in its celestialized form shall become the abode of those who are worthy of celestial glory, whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life:
'…And again, verily I say unto you, the earth abideth the law of a celestial kingdom, for it filleth the measure of its creation, and transgresseth not the law—
Wherefore, it shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding it shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it.' (D&C 88:25-26.)
'But blessed are the poor who are pure in heart, whose hearts are broken, and whose spirits are contrite, for they shall see the kingdom of God coming in power and great glory unto their deliverance; for the fatness of the earth shall be theirs.
For behold, the Lord shall come, and his recompense shall be with him, and he shall reward every man, and the poor shall rejoice;
And their generations shall inherit the earth from generation to generation, forever and ever' (D&C 56:18-20.)
"Therefore, with our friends and our families in our resurrected bodies, through our faithfulness, we may inherit this earth 'from generation to generation, forever and ever.'" (A Marvelous Work And A Wonder, p. 328-9)
Joseph Fielding Smith
"This earth is going to become a celestial body and is going to be a fit abode for celestial beings only; the others will have to go somewhere else, where they belong. This earth will be reserved for those who are entitled to exaltation, and they are the meek, spoken of by our Savior, who shall inherit the earth. When the Lord said the meek shall inherit the earth, He had reference to those who are willing to keep the commandments of the Lord in righteousness and thus receive exaltation." (Conference Report, Apr. 1942, p. 28)