It is the Power of God

As I began to type today my laptop told me the battery was low, and so I plugged it in to a power outlet. Through this invisible electricity, thanks to power plants hundreds of miles away from my home burning fuel, my laptop keeps working and I can continue. Much of what we do depends upon electricity, and yet we rarely think about it until our power goes out. To me this is perhaps not unlike the atonement of Jesus Christ through which we also gain power. It is fitting that much of the electricity that comes into our homes is carried upon wooden power poles that look like crosses on all our streets. We obtain power to our devices and machines and lights because of the electricity that runs through those power lines held up by pieces of wood fastened together perpendicularly. And so too do we gain power through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who was lifted up upon two pieces of wood held together perpendicularly. The apostle Paul wrote, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). We have spiritual power to overcome death, sin, and weakness because of the cross of Jesus Christ through which He overcame all.

               If we stick with this analogy, then the important question is this: how do we “plug in” to the power of Jesus Christ and His great sacrifice? This question reminds me of a talk that President Nelson gave. He recounted, “Recently, Wendy and I were in a meeting where the organist was poised and ready to play the opening hymn. His eyes were on the music, and his fingers were on the keys. He began pressing the keys, but there was no sound. I whispered to Wendy, ‘He has no power.’ I reasoned that something had stopped the flow of electrical power to that organ.” President Nelson then taught that too many of us are similarly not able to access spiritual power through the priesthood because of our choices. He continued, “If we will humbly present ourselves before the Lord and ask Him to teach us, He will show us how to increase our access to His power.” He also suggested in this talk that we should seek to be “partakers of the divine nature.” Peter taught us how to do this: “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:4-8). So as we seek to partake of the divine nature by trying to develop the attributes of Jesus Christ, we will not be barren or unfruitful. In other words, we gain power through Jesus Christ as we strive to become like Him. The Savior put it this way to Moroni: “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness.” As we come humbly before Him, with humility, faith, hope, and charity, He will make us strong through the power of His sacrifice. Moroni continued, “And again, I remember that thou hast said that thou hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world, that thou mightest take it again to prepare a place for the children of men” (Ether 12:27-28, 33). Because He laid down His life on the cross, He has power to prepare salvation and power and help for all of us. Seeking to follow Him and be like Him, trying each day to develop the attributes of the diving nature, we will be connected to a source of power that will never go out.