THE WILL OF GOD

 

I am certain we are all in awe of the Saviour’s submission to God’s will in the face of unfathomable agony of the Garden. Even though He foresaw more agony yet to come, He was willing to see it to the end.

What is, in reality, God's will? If God's work and His glory, meaning His entire purpose, is to bring to pass ‘the immortality and eternal life’ of His children, then this becomes His will. Whereas immortality means resurrection for all, eternal life means a life with God the Father, forever, because Eternal is His name (D&C 19:10-12). It means to be exalted to the status of gods. In our pre-existence, we chose to accept this will of God. Our lives were planned and shown to us and we gave our consent. My dearest friend reminded me recently that even the Saviour was shown His life to which He consented but even He didn’t anticipate how incredibly hard it was going to be (Mark 14:33). And so it is for us. Now that we are here, we see the reality of it, and some of us are no longer on board with God’s will and choose not to follow through to the end.

When the Saviour said to the Father before the earth was formed, ‘Thy will be done and glory be Thine forever’ (Moses 4:2), He gave up His own will and He affirmed that choice throughout His mortal life. The same is asked of us. Our mortal lives are a continual round of trials and ups and downs and so it also becomes a continual round of acceptance of God’s will. It is a choice we are faced with over and over again. It is seldom a one off choice which sees us through every rough spot in our mortality.

That Christ wanted to atone for us due to His love for us cannot be disputed (John 15:13). However, as He descended into the bottomless pit of human agony in the Garden, it was His love and commitment to the Father that made Him accept the bitter cup (Matthew 26:39). Our telestial telescope does not give us a clear view of eternal life. It is our love for the Father which has the power to enable us to accept His will for our immortality and eternal life. When that love is strong enough then we can say as the Saviour said, “I always do those things which please Him” (John 8:29). That’s acceptance. That’s love. That’s life eternal.

I long for God’s acceptance

Of the paltry offerings of my heart;

Hardly seeing His approval

Through my earthly inept sight.

Yet crafted with the heaven’s pen,

Sealed and sent through heaven’s door,

Ever constant, ever present,

From loving God that I adore.

• CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: He Lifts Me Up by Danny Hahlbohm)