Enabling Power

ENABLING Power

“By grace are we (you and I) saved, (because of) all we (Christ and us) can do.”

(2 Nephi 25:23, parenthesis content added)

The Lord’s Grace from the Atonement has a few different but important purposes. The word Grace, in the Bible Dictionary, has two purposes:
1. Overcome Sin
2. Help us do hard things

Examples

• Alma 31:30-33
• Judges 16:28-30
• 1 Kings 3:5-12
• Countless places in the Book of Mormon where the Lord strengthened the righteous Nephites so that they conquered incalculable hosts of Lamanites.

            Christ’s grace enables us to do hard things, beyond our ability, like overcoming temptations, addictions and weaknesses, magnifying our callings, forgiving others, shunning sin (2 Nephi 4:31), opening our mouth to spread the gospel and loving every single person. His grace empowers and enables us so that we can achieve His measure of perfection. Moroni understood this principle when he said we should come unto Christ and be perfected in Him (Moroni 10:32). All we have to do is exchange our willpower for His power.

Elder Bednar has said that the purpose of the Atonement is to make “Bad men Good, and Good men Better,” meaning we must overcome the carnal side of our nature, and become more, even as God is. This can only be done as we repent, then apply His grace to enable us to grow.

But, how is this grace transferred to us? By the Holy Ghost. “The gift of the Holy Ghost . . . quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.” (Pratt, Key to the science of theology and a voice of warning, 61)

“Perhaps there are some who have reconciled themselves to a speckled life, who have found it easier to accept a spiritual status quo than exert the required effort to make the whole of their lives bright. No doubt there are some who believe they possess irrevocable weaknesses and shortcomings—spiritual defects that are incurable, tempers that are insurmountable, ill feelings that are irrepressible, or a lack of faith that is unconquerable. Many such good souls may have plateaued out spiritually. “It is my nature,” they say. But cannot God, creator of all, fashion, shape, add to, modify and help overcome any weakness of any faithful, humble person?” (Elder Callister, Infinite Atonement, 272)

“If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that would make us perfect. If I am an angry man, it is my duty to pray for charity, which suffereth long and is kind. So with all the gifts of the Gospel, they are intended for this purpose.” (in Ashton, Measure of our Hearts, 24-25)

Make a list of some Gifts of the Spirit available to us (see D&C 46, Moroni 10, 1 Corinthians 12) and read Moroni 10:30

What weaknesses do you struggle with, and how could one of these gifts help you reach your potential?