D&C 39:12 And it shall come to pass that power shall arest upon thee
The Lord is talking to James Covill here and a few verses earlier He told him that if he is baptized, receives the Spirit, and preaches the gospel, power shall rest upon him. What kind of power is this? I would say the power to help others become converted to the gospel and the power to overcome any personal obstacles. This power - that doesn't originate in us but comes from the Lord according to our obedience/faithfulness - is a real thing. I've felt the lack of that power when I haven't been committed to the gospel. The rest of verse 12 says: "thou shalt have great faith, and I will be with thee and go before thy face." I think faith is something that involves both us and the Lord. I gain greater faith by acting upon what I hope to be true. Great faith, I think, is a spiritual gift that we can have through obedience. What is great faith? Maybe it's an understanding of the plan of salvation, maybe it's an understanding of and trust in the atonement. These two things would allow a person to overcome great trials through great faith.
Great scripture Jessica. Gives me much to think about.
ReplyDeleteI conker. Understanding the atonement is a big part of having "great faith." I learned what great faith is recently by getting humbled. I got really really humbled this past February. It hurt so bad I felt like I got SLAPPED TO THE GROUND. After Aaron helped me understand the whys I got it. I understood the power I held and the power the Lord holds. Staying humble is a on going problem, but I'll never forget what I was taught about faith only working when I am truly humble.
ReplyDeleteI always thought faith was something I posses. It is not! It is simply an understanding.