Grace

I already posted today, but our Relief Society lesson today was so thought provoking that I have to share some of it. It almost begins right where I left off this morning. I would just like to start out by saying my Relief Society President is an amazing person, a great example to me. She thinks deeply about things, and really gets down to the heart of the matter. Today's lesson felt like an institute class with how she sent us to the scriptures to discover truths for ourselves.

Ether 12 in The Book of Mormon is one of my favorite chapters in the scriptures. It's all about faith, a little like Hebrews 11. Verse 27 says:

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

In my adolescent introduction to this scripture, I always thought that last bit, "then will I make weak things become strong unto them" meant that if we humble ourselves enough to ask the Lord for help with our weaknesses, he will help us improve them. That may be true in some cases (which prophet or apostle was it who struggled with writing and then was later renowned for his penmanship?), but I thought about it in a completely different way today. Our weaknesses, if we humble ourselves, can become strengths of understanding. My cousin for instance, because of her illness or "weakness", has the strength of a greater appreciation for abilities that most of us take for granted. She has added insight into life. She is an example of perseverance.

We read that scripture in an investigation of grace. Here are a few others we looked at with the question, "How do we access grace (or the divine enabling and strengthening power)?"

2 Nephi 31

19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Mosiah 18

 16 And after this manner he did baptize every one that went forth to the place of Mormon; and they were in number about two hundred and four souls; yea, and they were ^abaptized in the waters of Mormon, and were filled with the ^bgrace of God.

Moroni 10

 32 Yea, ^acome unto Christ, and be ^bperfected in him, and ^cdeny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and ^dlove God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be ^eperfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

 2 Nephi 25

 23 For we labor diligently to write, to ^apersuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by ^bgrace that we are saved, after all we can ^cdo.

My Relief Society President said that this last one is a consistently misunderstood scripture. We may think of grace as God's power to make up for what we aren't able to do ourselves. But the point is, we can't do anything ourselves. She quoted someone else (I don't remember who), who said "Christ doesn't make up the difference, he makes ALL the difference." Just like every breath of mine is a gift from the Lord, so is my every good work. But I still have my agency. I have to choose to do all I can to come unto Christ, to be like him, for his grace to take full effect.

Last, I want to add about seeing our limitations in life. Having strict limitations, like I said, isn't an easy way to live, but when we are aware of our limitations and humbled by them, we may also have the added blessing of being able to recognize when the Lord is helping us break through them.