Sitting on the Right Hand of Power

Tonight I attended a Lamb of God performance in the tabernacle, an indescribable musical testimony of the Savior.  This music has played an important part in our family for many years, and my wife sang in the choir as they told the story of Christ’s death and Resurrection.  One of the parts that stuck out to me was the exchange between the high priest and Jesus as He was being tried.  When they falsely accused Him, he did not respond, and so the angry high priest exclaimed, “I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.”  Jesus finally spoke, saying, “Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”  After making this declaration they mistreated Him even further, “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?” (Matt. 26:63-64, 67-68).  The Savior’s message to them was that they would one day see Him sitting next to His Father.  Someday those who spit on Him, those who railed against Him, those who hit Him, and those who killed Him will have to stand before Him and see Him in all His glory.  How will they feel in that moment when they realize they persecuted the very Being who created them and gave His life for their salvation?  Likely Alma’s words describe well how they likely will feel in that moment: “We would fain be glad if we could command the rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence” (Alma 12:14).

            If this was true for these wicked persecutors of the Savior, surely it is true for us: we will one day see Christ on the right hand of His Father and stand before Him in His glory.  How will we feel in that moment?  Which of our actions will we want to hide from Him?  And which actions will we have failed to do that we knew He wanted us to perform?  The Savior warned us that doing what He asks is of far greater importance than simply speaking of Him, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).  As I pondered the powerful message of this music tonight, my main thought was of the need to strive more earnestly to do those things He would have us do.  We have to live so that when we do see Him on the right hand of the Father, we will rejoice at having done those things He has asked us to do.  So learning to hear His voice and to know what He would have us do is a tremendously important task for us.  President Nelson is an example for us in this regard, for he fearlessly follows the direction the Lord gives Him.  When asked about inviting the whole First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve to Rome for the temple dedication, he said, "I was just following the instructions I've received. It was very clear to me that I was to invite all my colleagues, and so I was just following my instructions. ... The brethren thank me for the privilege of coming, but I thank the Lord for his letting all of us come."  He knows how to hear the voice of the Lord, and how to follow through exactly.  That should similarly be our lifelong quest, to learn to hear the voice of the Lord and follow it.  Only then can we hope to hear these words of the Lord “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34).