Weak Things

Brigham Young said, “How frequently it is cast at the Elders, when they are abroad preaching, that Joseph Smith, the founder of their Church and religion, was only a poor illiterate boy. That used to be advanced as one of the strongest arguments that could be produced against the doctrine of salvation, by the wise and learned of this world, though it is no argument at all. The Lord should have revealed himself to some of the learned priests or talented men of the age, say they, who could have done some good and borne off the Gospel by their influence and learning, and not to a poor, ignorant, unlettered youth. Not many wise, not many mighty, not many noble, speaking after the manner of men, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty.”  With the Restoration of the gospel the Lord chose to call those who were weak in the world’s eyes to do His work; as He said, “I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thresh the nations by the power of my Spirit” (D&C 35:13).  Though I certainly wouldn’t think of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff and the other powerful prophets of the Restoration as “weak,” they were indeed humble and insignificant from the world’s perspective. 

               In the scriptures we see other examples of prophets that the Lord called who were weak in their own eyes and in the eyes of the people.  For example, when Enoch received his call to preach to the people he lamented to the Lord, “Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?” (Moses 7:31)  Moses similarly felt weak when he was asked by the Lord to give His word to the people: “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Exodus 4:10).  Amos was also one who felt weak and unqualified for his call as a prophet.  He told the people, “I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel” (Amos 7:14-15).  In other words, he had no position of prominence, and yet the Lord called him as a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel.  In the New Testament the Savior called His twelve apostles who were also “weak things” in the eyes of the world in their day, including simple fishermen and a publican, who were not trained in the law like the rabbis.  In the Book of Mormon, Moroni was charged to complete the record, and he seems to have often felt inadequate for what he was called to do: “The Gentiles will mock at these things, because of our weakness in writing; for Lord thou hast made us mighty in word by faith, but thou hast not made us mighty in writing” (Ether 12:23). 

               The Lord has throughout the world’s history called those who by the world’s standards were simple and weak.  To me, though, they were still powerful men who moved mountains and bore testimony of the truth—they simply didn’t have the kind of training the world expected.  he Lord used “the weak things of the world” to do mighty miracles, and no matter what our talents are He can similarly use us we to perform His work (D&C 1:19).