Aligning Our Will with His
Following the Lord’s will in our life will enable us to find the most precious pearl in the world—the kingdom of heaven.
On a certain occasion, the Savior spoke of a merchant man who was searching for “goodly pearls.” During the merchant man’s search, he found one “of great price.” However, in order to acquire the magnificent pearl, this man had to sell all his possessions, which he promptly and joyfully did.
Through this short and thoughtful parable, the Savior beautifully taught that the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a priceless pearl, truly the most precious treasure that should be desired over all else. The fact that the merchant instantly sold all his possessions to obtain that valuable pearl clearly indicates that we should align our mind and desires with the will of the Lord and willingly do everything we can during our mortal journey to attain the eternal blessings of God’s kingdom.
To be worthy of this great reward, we certainly need, among other things, to give our best effort to set aside all self-centered pursuits and abandon any entanglement that holds us back from full commitment to the Lord and His higher and holier ways. The Apostle Paul refers to these sanctifying pursuits as “hav[ing] the mind of Christ.” As exemplified by Jesus Christ, this means “[doing] always those things that please [the Lord]” in our lives, or as some people say nowadays, this is “doing what works for the Lord.”
In a gospel sense, “[doing] always those things that please [the Lord]” relates to submitting our will to His will. The Savior thoughtfully taught the importance of this principle while instructing His disciples:
“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
“And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
The Savior achieved a perfect and divine level of submission to the Father by allowing His will to be swallowed up in the Father’s will. He once said, “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” In teaching the Prophet Joseph Smith about the anguish and agonies of the Atonement, the Savior said:
“For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; …
“Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—
“Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.”
During our sojourn in mortality, we often wrestle with what we think we know, what we think is best, and what we assume works for us, as opposed to comprehending what Heavenly Father actually knows, what is eternally best, and what absolutely works for children within His plan. This great wrestle can become very complex, especially considering the prophecies contained in the scriptures for our day: “This know also, that in the last days … men shall be lovers of their own selves, … lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”
One sign that indicates fulfillment of this prophecy is the current growing trend in the world, adopted by so many, of people becoming consumed with themselves and constantly proclaiming, “No matter what, I live my own truth or I do what works for me.” As Paul the Apostle said, they “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.” This way of thinking is often justified as being “authentic” by those who indulge in self-centered pursuits, focus on personal preferences, or want to justify certain types of behavior that frequently don’t match God’s loving plan and His will for them. If we let our heart and mind embrace this way of thinking, we can create significant stumbling blocks for ourselves in acquiring the most priceless pearl that God has lovingly prepared for His children—eternal life.
While it is true that each of us travels an individualized discipleship journey on the covenant path, striving to keep our hearts and minds centered on Christ Jesus, we need to be careful and constantly vigilant to not be tempted to adopt this type of worldly philosophy in our life. Elder Quentin L. Cook said that “being sincerely Christlike is an even more important goal than being authentic.”
My dear friends, when we choose to let God be the most powerful influence in our life over our self-serving pursuits, we can make progress in our discipleship and increase our capacity to unite our mind and heart with the Savior. On the other hand, when we don’t allow God’s way to prevail in our life, we are left to ourselves, and without the Lord’s inspiring guidance, we can justify almost anything we do or don’t do. We can also make excuses for ourselves by doing things our own way, saying in effect, “I am just doing things my way.”
On one occasion, while the Savior was declaring His doctrine, some people, particularly self-righteous Pharisees, rejected His message and boldly declared that they were children of Abraham, implying that their lineage would grant them special privileges in the sight of God. That mentality led them to lean unto their own understanding and to disbelieve what the Savior was teaching. The Pharisees’ reaction to Jesus was clear evidence that their presumptuous attitude left no place in their hearts for the Savior’s words and God’s way. In response, Jesus wisely and courageously declared that if they were true covenant children of Abraham, they would do the works of Abraham, especially considering that the God of Abraham was standing before them and teaching them the truth at that very moment.
Brothers and sisters, as you can see, acting on these mental gymnastics of “what works for me” versus doing “what always pleases the Lord” is not a new trend that is unique to our day. It is an age-old mentality that has crossed the centuries and often blinds the wise-in-their-own-eyes and confuses and exhausts many of God’s children. This mentality is, in fact, an old trick of the adversary; it is a deceptive path that carefully leads God’s children away from the true and faithful covenant path. While personal circumstances such as genetics, geography, and physical and mental challenges do influence our journey, in things that truly matter, there is an inner space where we are free to choose whether or not we will decide to follow the pattern the Lord has prepared for our life. Truly, “He marked the path and led the way, and ev’ry point [defined].”
As Christ’s disciples, we desire to walk the path He marked for us during His mortal ministry. We not only desire to do His will and all that will please Him but also seek to emulate Him. As we strive to be true to every covenant we have entered into and live “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,” we will be protected against falling victim to the sins and errors of the world—errors of philosophy and doctrine that would lead us away from those most precious pearls.
I have been personally inspired by how such spiritual submissiveness to God has impacted the lives of faithful disciples of Christ as they chose to do those things that work for and are pleasing in the sight of the Lord. I know a young man who was unsettled about going on a mission but felt inspired to go and serve the Lord when he listened to a senior leader of the Church sharing his own personal testimony and sacred experience of serving as a missionary.
In his own words, this young man, now a returned missionary, said: “As I listened to the testimony of an Apostle of the Savior Jesus Christ, I was able to feel of God’s love for me, and I desired to share that love with others. At that moment I knew that I should serve a mission despite my fears, doubts, and concerns. I felt totally confident in the blessings and promises of God for His children. Today, I am a new person; I have a testimony that this gospel is true and that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored on earth.” This young man chose the Lord’s way and became an example of a true disciple in every aspect.
A faithful young woman decided not to compromise her standards when she was asked to dress immodestly to fit into the business division of the fashion company where she worked. Understanding that her body is a sacred gift from our Heavenly Father and a place where the Spirit can dwell, she was moved to live by a standard higher than the world’s. She not only gained the confidence of those who saw her living by the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ but also preserved her job, which for a moment was in jeopardy. Her willingness to do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, rather than what worked for the world, gave her covenant confidence amidst difficult choices.
Brothers and sisters, we are constantly confronted by similar decisions in our daily journey. It takes a courageous and a willing heart to pause and pursue an honest and meek introspection to acknowledge the presence of weaknesses of the flesh in our life that may impede our ability to submit ourselves to God, and ultimately decide to adopt His way rather than our own. The ultimate test of our discipleship is found in our willingness to give up and lose our old self and submit our heart and our whole soul to God so that His will becomes ours.
One of the most glorious moments of mortality occurs when we discover the joy that comes when doing always those things that “work for and please the Lord” and “what works for us” become one and the same! To decisively and unquestioningly make the Lord’s will our own requires majestic and heroic discipleship! At that sublime moment, we become consecrated to the Lord, and we totally yield our wills to Him. Such spiritual submissiveness, so to speak, is beautiful, powerful, and transformational.
I testify to you that following the Lord’s will in our life will enable us to find the most precious pearl in the world—the kingdom of heaven. I pray that each of us, in our time and turn, will be able to declare, with covenant confidence, to our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ that “what works for Thee, works for me.” I say these things in the sacred name of the Savior Jesus Christ, amen.