Today I read 2 Nephi 31, which I think is the chapter in the Book of Mormon that I have read more times than any other save only 3 Nephi 11. This of course being because of my mission. The first half of the chapter, is about the Savior's baptism, so of course we would share it anytime someone was going to be baptized. The 2nd half of the chapter is about enduring to the end.
I've often found it ironic that the 1 man that has ever lived on this earth and had true power in His possession was also the most humble man to ever live. Power is such an interesting thing. Very, very few people realize I think that power is given by other people to someone. It is not something one can possess without others around. I say this because power is one of those things that is totally and utterly at the whim of others.
A king has power only because his soldiers choose to follow him and thus he can enforce his will upon others. A priest has power only because his followers don't question him. A mob boss only has power because other criminals choose to carry out his commands. A boss in a corporation has power only because his/her employees do what he/she tells them to do. The reason it is so hard for 1 person to make a difference is because even if that 1 person rebels, the person in power still has all their other followers to back them up. I have honestly wondered sometimes about this phenomenon because I know for a fact that at any given time one of my employees could stand up to me and there's honestly nothing I can really do about it to stop them. However, it is amazing to me how people just stay in their roles and don't question those in power.
Truthfully even the Savior's power is obtained in the same way. He has His power because the very elements obey Him. He asks them for things and actions and they comply. He is able to walk on water because the water chooses to uphold Him. He can heal the sick because the illness in the person in question chooses to listen to Him when he commands it to be gone. However, unlike the mob boss or the king or anyone on this planet, the elements have such faith and trust in their God that they understand He will never ask them to do something that is not for their benefit.
If we could only have the faith the elements display! Everyone I know except for my younger brother, reads the scripture in Matthew 17:20 to be "If ye have faith [the size of a] mustard seed...". But that is NOT what it says. It says, "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed...". I don't think it is a mistake. I think the Savior is trying to teach us that if we had total, complete and unwavering faith, AS DOES a mustard seed, we can move mountains, etc, etc. Most everyone I have ever brought this up to rejects it out of hand right at first. But we are taught that EVERYTHING in this universe has intelligence. We all know the story of the fig tree that Jesus cursed because it fulfilled not the measure of its creation. We've all heard the stories of the animals that have gone rogue and become man hunters and defying their very nature.
Obviously these beasts and plants and other non-sentient beings for lack of a better word, can choose to disobey even our Heavenly Father! That's an incredible thought. So given this knowledge, I really think that our Savior was trying to get his Apostles to understand that the faith needed to move a mountain is the type of faith a grain of mustard seed has. The type of unwavering faith and unshakable love the elements have for our Father. Then we too can move mountains and walk on water if it is our Father's will.
I must admit that I did not intend to take this post in this direction. I was originally going to talk about baptism and being cleansed from sin by the Holy Ghost, but I feel the Lord had another use for my blog today. I hope it has helped someone out there who may read it and find what they are looking for. May the Spirit be your constant companion as He is mine. Until tomorrow.
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