Power to Become: Spiritual Patterns for Pressing Forward with a Steadfastness in Christ by David A. Bednar has guided me to learn more about my own journey to become more like the Savior. Elder Bednar doesn’t provide answers, rather he provides insights to help you look for and receive your own answers for your own life. The chapters cover topics such as the Atonement, obedience, priesthood power, personal peace, and enduring. The margins are extra wide providing room for you to write impressions or thoughts that come as you are reading. I love that! One of my favorite things to do is read a book after my father-in-law has read it because he writes different thoughts in the margins. I’m hoping someday when my children read through this book (and others) they will see the thought processes I had and learn more about me.
Obedience to God’s commandments is something we can all work on. I love how Elder Bednar teaches about the different levels of obedience. As I read through the description that follows I realized I am at varying levels of obedience with different commandments. Some are easier for me to keep than others.
“A series of comparisons illustrates how obedience operates at different levels.
It is one thing to obey in order to qualify for and receive blessings; it is quite another thing to obey as a preparation to give and serve more effectively.
It is one thing to merely and perhaps mechanically comply with God’s commandments; it is quite another thing to obey and thereby fully submit and subject oneself to the will and timetable of the Lord.
It is a good thing to obey out of a sense of duty; but it is an even greater thing, a more spiritually demanding thing, to obey through love.
It is one thing to reluctantly or grudgingly conform to commandments; it is a different thing to joyfully “obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness” (Alma 57:21; emphasis added) and to cheerfully “observe strictly to keep the commandments of God” (Helaman 13:1; emphasis added).
It is one thing to perform the outward actions of obedience; it is quite a different thing to become inwardly what the commandments are intended to help us become.
It is one thing to obey the institutional, public, and shared commandments associated with the Lord’s kingdom on earth – commandments such as the law of chastity, the law of tithing, and Word of Wisdom; it is an even greater thing to receive and respond to the individual, private, and personally revealed commandments that result from continual and faithful obedience.
Ultimately, we obey willingly because we love the Lord and are striving to obtain the blessings and power to become more like Him.” (David A. Bednar, Power to Become, pgs. 86-87)
I particularly love this line, “It is one thing to perform the outward actions of obedience; it is quite a different thing to become inwardly what the commandments are intended to help us become.” There are so many examples of people in the scriptures who learned this lesson.
As with all of Elder Bednar’s books there are videos available online to further enhance your study.
There are videos for youth, couples, single members, women, etc. He tries to address concerns specific to those groups but they are great videos for everyone to watch, regardless of your situation.
Winner will be chosen from comments made here and on the facebook status for this giveaway. Leave a comment on both for extra chances to win! Giveaway ends on Sunday, March 23, at 7pm PST. Leave a comment telling a story from the scriptures that has helped you learn to be a better person.
Congrats to the winner of the giveaway!
for me, my favorite scripture story of the vision of the tree of life…i am reminded that sometimes we might all be visiting the great & spacious building no matter what our intent…the choice is to not become a permanent resident
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Power to Become from Deseret Book to review. All opinions are my own.
The scripture “Blessed are the peacemakers…” is one that has greatly helped me work at being a better person. Sometimes so much gossip, contention, etc. passes through our lives and I have found it best to try to be a peacemaker in these situations.
One of my favorite people in the scriptures is the woman w/ the issue of blood. She had to endure a trial that made it impossible for her to attend the temple, yet she still kept the commandments (did those INWARD things since she couldn’t perform the OUTWARD things), and was faithful. I love that she was proactive in her healing b/c she had gone to see doctors and tried to get help. I love that she didn’t need to burst into the middle of the crowd and fall on the ground in front of Jesus … she just quietly reached out & touched His robe. There are SO MANY great things to learn from her. Thanks for a great givewaway! ♥
I’ve been thinking about the story of Alma the Younger a lot lately. He was actively trying to destroy the church, yet he was able to change and become a valiant missionary. None of the things I am trying to change about myself to align more with the gospel is in such direct conflict with it, so it gives me hope as I try to weed out those parts of myself that are holding me back. I’ve also thought about it a lot in relation to a sister I visit teach who was become inactive. If Alma the Younger can turn around, surely she can come back into the fold.
I’ve been thinking about persistence (as mentioned on Facebook) & almost any story you think of from scriptures has that lesson within! It helps me to hang on & keep going, able to trust The Lord thAt the outcome will be good if I am doing right,
Recently I’ve been focusing my scripture studies on Coming Unto Christ and what following Him in steadfastness even means. The Spirit is so critical in our journey on the narrow path. If we listen, he will tell us how we are doing on that path.
One of my favorite stories in the scriptures is where Alma the Younger is speaking to his son, Helaman. In Chapter 37:38-47, Alma teaches his son that the Liahona worked according to the faith and diligence that Lehi and his family gave to the writings on it. He then expresses that sometimes they ‘were slothful and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence’…and then those marvelous works ceased and they suffered more because of their lack of obedience and faith. Then he likens the Liahona to the words of Christ and tells us that it is just as easy for us to give heed to the words of Christ as it was for Lehi and his family to observe the words on the Liahona. And that the words of Christ, if we follow them, will bring us to our promised land. My favorite lines are these, “Oh my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way….the way is prepared, and if we will look, we may live forever.”
I guess I love those scriptures so much because our life in the gospel is fairly easy. We are told to read our scriptures and pray, to have family home evening, attend our meetings and the temple. How often we forget because those things are so very easy to do, yet we do not make time to do them, because they are easy and simple. It is in the ‘simple things’ that great things are brought to pass. This scripture reminds me to be attentive daily to the little things….
I have always enjoyed the story of the mother’s of the stripling warriors. I often think of how hard it could have been for them in the beginning, as they came to know Christ. I look at myself and see how hard change can be. I imagine change, at times, was difficult for them and they did make mistakes, yet they raised faithful boys who were full of faith.
I think the nativity and the description of Mary and Joseph traveling a long distance (on a donkey no less!) right before baby Jesus was born first starting meaning something big to me when I was pregnant with my first child and we moved across Canada when I was 8 months pregnant. After having that baby (and every one since then) I am more and more amazed at Mary and Joseph and all they sacrificed and went through.
And I LOVE Elder Bednar’s writings!!!!
One of my favorite scripture stories is in Numbers 11. I love when Moses tells Joshua that he would that all the righteous would be prophets, because it would be easier for him. And it makes me strengthen my testimony and relationship with the Lord so I can hear the revelation for me.
for me, my favorite scripture story of the vision of the tree of life…i am reminded that sometimes we might all be visiting the great & spacious building no matter what our intent…the choice is to not become a permanent resident
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There are a lot of stories about infertility in the Scriptures. It helps to know that a trial I face was written into Scripture and remembered by the Lord. And that He really does care about the trials we each individually face. That’s helped me cultivate that love you talked about. 🙂
One scripture story that has helped me learn to be a better person is found in Acts 3. In this chapter we meet a man who is unable to walk. As a matter of fact he is carried to sit outside the temple ‘daily’. As the chapter goes on Peter and John heal him. But what has impacted me as I now raise a physically handicapped child is the faithfulness of those who carried this man daily. I want to be faithful and loving as I care for the extra burdens that come with disability.
I LOVE Elder Bednar’s books! I’m sure I would love this one too! 🙂
I actually have learned a lot from the story of when the brother of Jared was reprimanded for not “calling on the Lord”. It reminded me not to get too comfortable… or “vacation” near the beach too long without studying my scriptures and calling on Heavenly Father through prayer. 🙂
Love the mothers of the 2000 Stripling Warriors- they inspire me to make sure I’m trying to raise my own stripling warriors.
Dezi A
I see that the story I shared on Facebook has already been shared here….So I will share one of the last ones….Moroni. He was the last alive….hiding out, waiting….and while he was waiting…he did all he could to help US out…people he didn’t know! He wrote some amazing things for us. He wrote out a great talk Mormon had given. (Moroni 7) He gave us so much…and was all alone for all of that time. I admire him not giving up, and showing us, by example, to keep moving forward, serving others.
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I love Samuel the prophet’s mother Hannah. There have been many times I have poured out my soul to my Heavenly Father when life’s circumstances have become almost too much to bear. Hannah’s story is a reminder that the Lord remembered Hannah in her overwhelming sorrow and he will remember me in mine. Some blessings come late, but they will come. “He raiseth up the poor…and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill…” (1 Samuel 2:8)
For me, I really enjoy the story of how Abraham was told that Sariah would bare a child. It took many years and she was quite old to have a child but the promise was true. I’ve been going through health challenges for 7 years and have had great promises for things to be gone. I know that this will happen even though it is not in my time frame. God is the one in charge, not me. I have learned to be more patience with myself and my children since it takes a while to make progress and for things to be fulfilled.
I love the story of the ten virgins. As I read it, it helps me to look at my own life and what I am doing to fill my lamp.
Mine would have to be Mosiah’s account of King Benjamin’s description of the strength and divinity of Jesus Christ in Mosiah 3.
Ammon, to have a true servant heart.