The Power of Doing God's Will

In a recent talk I heard someone suggest that Mosiah 15:7-8 tells us where Christ got His power to perform the atonement.  Abinadi taught, “Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father. And thus God breaketh the bands of death, having gained the victory over death; giving the Son power to make intercession for the children of men.”  These two verses seem to suggest that the fact that the Son gave His will to the Father allowed Him to break the bands of death and gave “the Son power to make intercession” for us.  Of course this was a key moment in the sacrifice that the Savior made in the garden when He declared to the Father that He would do the Father’s will and not His own: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39).  That complete commitment gave Him power to make intercession for our sins and redeem us from the dead.  In the Bread of Life sermon He stated, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me….  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:38,40).  Here as well He associated doing the will of the Father with His ability to grant everlasting life to those who believe on Him.  He has total power to redeem us because He gave up His will totally to do the will of the Father.  In our dispensation He put it this way: “I, having accomplished and finished the will of him whose I am, even the Father, concerning me—having done this that I might subdue all things unto myself—Retaining all power, even to the destroying of Satan and his works at the end of the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:2-3).  He retained all power to overcome Satan and save us because He did the will of the Father.

                I believe this same principle holds true for us as well: as we seek to do the will of the Father instead of our own He gives us power to perform His work.  We see this in the example of Nephi the son of Helaman in the Book of Mormon who received the sealing power.  The Lord declared, “Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.”  Nephi had sought to do the will of God even at the risk of His own life, and because of that the Lord declared, “And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will” (Helaman 10:4-5).  Nephi received the power to do mighty works, even to the smiting the earth with famine to bring the people to repentance, because of his complete devotion to do the Lord’s will and not his own. This same principle is what helped Alma’s people to escape from their bondage when Amulon had control over them.  Mormon recorded, “Yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage” (Mosiah 24:15-16).  Because they submitted to the will of the Lord, they were strengthened and given power to escape their enemies.  And so surely it will be for us in our lives—as we seek with all our hearts to do the will of the Lord concerning us, He will grant us power to do all things that are expedient.