Endow Us With Power

In his message at general conference, President Nelson highlighted the power that the Savior can show to the world and in our lives. He boldly declared, “But, my dear brothers and sisters, so many wonderful things are ahead. In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns ‘with power and great glory,’ He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful.” If that feels like something that perhaps we won’t see in our own lives, he also testified that individually all of us who make covenants with the Savior can access His power: “Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ.” So if we have made covenants with the Savior and are striving to keep those, how do we gain access to this power?

                Several stories come to mind from the Book of Mormon which show perhaps the simplest way that we access the power of Jesus Christ. When Nephi’s brothers bound him in the wilderness on the trip back from Jerusalem to their parents, Nephi sought for power from the Savior: “But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.” He continued, “And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again” (1 Nephi 7:17-18). Fervent prayer from Nephi was the key that helped him gain the power of the Lord to break his bands and get out of an otherwise impossible situation. Alma was in a similarly dangerous situation when he led the Nephites against the Amlicites. In the midst of the battle he found himself fighting Amlici as he sought to save his people. Mormon recorded, “And it came to pass that Alma fought with Amlici with the sword, face to face; and they did contend mightily, one with another. And it came to pass that Alma, being a man of God, being exercised with much faith, cried, saying: O Lord, have mercy and spare my life, that I may be an instrument in thy hands to save and preserve this people.” With that prayer the power of the Lord was his to protect himself and preserve his people: “Now when Alma had said these words he contended again with Amlici; and he was strengthened, insomuch that he slew Amlici with the sword.” The key again was prayer—that was how the Nephites withstood their enemies: “Nevertheless, the Nephites being strengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, therefore the Lord did hear their cries, and did strengthen them, and the Lamanites and the Amlicites did fall before them” (Alma 2:28-31). It was the same for Zeniff when his people faced the Lamanites. He recorded, “Yea, in the strength of the Lord did we go forth to battle against the Lamanites; for I and my people did cry mightily to the Lord that he would deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, for we were awakened to a remembrance of the deliverance of our fathers. And God did hear our cries and did answer our prayers; and we did go forth in his might” (Mosiah 9:17-18). They cried mightily to the Lord, and He gave them His strength and power to stand against their enemies.

And so perhaps the most important thing that we can do to access the power of Jesus Christ is to plead for it in prayer. These stories and many others teach that for those who are striving to keep their covenants with Him, it is through fervent petition to the Lord that His power is granted. And how much we need His power in our lives each day—so we must never stop seeking it so He can indeed “endow us with power.”