Faith in Jesus Christ is Might

In the final Harry Potter book, the Ministry of Magic under the control of Voldemort had this for a motto: “Magic is Might.” This was a statement of superiority of wizards over normal people and represented the philosophy of Voldemort that the only thing that matters is power. As I read the final words of Moroni today, I thought how as disciples of the Savior we might change this motto to “Faith in Jesus Christ is Might.” Moroni taught, “Wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.” We can have access to true might—the power of God—through faith in Him. He also wrote, “And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me” (Moroni 10:7, 23). We have power through our faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, we can do anything He wants us to do as we exercise faith in Him. The Savior put it this way in mortality: “For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” The next verse helps us see what we need to do to exhibit this kind of faith: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:20-21). Faith is not a half-hearted belief or fleeting expression of something we hope for; rather, it is a feeling deep within us developed through sincere prayer, fasting, and yearning to draw closer to the Savior. And when we develop that kind of faith, we can move any mountain that He wants us to move.

                This reminds me of the words of President Nelson eight years ago when He spoke about how the power of Jesus Christ can be ours through faith. He said, “Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do. Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power. We also increase the Savior’s power in our lives when we make sacred covenants and keep those covenants with precision.” He also added, “Another element in drawing the Savior’s power into our lives is to reach up to Him in faith. Such reaching requires diligent, focused effort…. Many of us have cried out from the depths of our hearts a variation of this woman’s words: ‘If I could spiritually stretch enough to draw the Savior’s power into my life, I would know how to handle my heart-wrenching situation. I would know what to do. And I would have the power to do it.’ When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours.” That is the kind of faith we need in order to obtain the power of Jesus Christ—seeking, yearning, reaching for His help through prayer, fasting, the study of the scriptures, and earnest worship in His name. As we learn to develop “strong faith and a firm mind” through our actions and our focus on the Savior, we will have the power we need to face any trial (Moroni 7:30).

                This theme of power coming through faith is all throughout the Book of Mormon, as introduced in the first chapter of the book. Nephi described this as part of what he was trying to show in writing his account: “But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.” We gain real might not through physical strength and the control of others as Voldemort believed, but through faith in the Lord who can give us the power of deliverance. Nephi showed over and over again in his subsequent account how the Lord gave Him power to overcome intense challenges through faith. I love this encouragement he gave his brothers and which he gives to each of us: “Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him" (1 Nephi 7:12). He will prepare the way to do whatever He needs us to do as we believe in the help He will give us and then go to work with all our might.