A Great Benefit

To my son,

                Recently as we read in a scripture picture book, we learned that Jesus has power even to calm the storm. You mentioned that you don’t have power like Jesus, which is true, but I want you to know that you can have great power to do hard things in your life through your faith in Jesus Christ. In the Book of Mormon we find this truth: “God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles; therefore he becometh a great benefit to his fellow beings” (Mosiah 8:18). I know that you too can be a great benefit to your fellow beings as you work miracles through your faith in Jesus Christ. One of your spiritual gifts that you have been given is the ability to be diligent. When you have your mind set on something, you don’t give up or go back, and I love that quality that you have. I hope that as you continue to develop you will remember to use this gift like Nephi did by focusing on accomplishing what the Lord would have you do. When Nephi and his family arrived at the seashore, after eight years of traveling in the desert, Nephi received an incredibly difficult task from the Lord. He recorded, “And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters.” He had never built a ship before, and there was no one he could ask who had done so because their people were alone. 

                To most of us it would have seemed impossible, but Nephi knew that in the strength of the Lord he could do whatever was required. He said this to his brothers who did not believe: “If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done. And now, if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?” (1 Nephi 17:8, 50-51). What incredible faith he had! Though his brothers did not believe him, he knew that the Lord had all power and could help him. And so he went to work with all his might, and as he recounted, “The Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship’ (1 Nephi 18:1). Eventually after much hard work they finished, and the ship was so good that even his brothers were impressed. I want you to know that you too can perform miracles like that with the Lord’s help if you will work with all your heart and trust in Him.

                Towards the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni gave us this powerful promise: “Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth” (Mormon 9:21). If we believe in Jesus Christ, and pray to the Father with all our heart, and do not doubt, we will be able to accomplish all things that we need to do in this life. I invite you to pray each day that the Lord will help you do hard things, and as you trust in Him you will feel His help—even His power—to do even that which seems impossible at first and become indeed a great benefit to your fellow beings.  

Love,

Dad