10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
11 And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning.
When the Savior appeared to the Nephites and the Lamanites following His death and resurrection, He immediately emphasized His obedience to the Father, who had just introduced Him. He spoke of the Atonement in terms of submitting to His will and He made it clear that He suffered on our behalf in order to glorify the Father.
Why did the Savior emphasize His submission to His Father’s will? Clearly, this is an attribute He wants us to emulate as His disciples. One reason it may be important is because a commitment to obedience increases our self-discipline. Just as the Savior desired not to drink the bitter cup in the Garden of Gethsemane, but told His Father that He was willing to do so anyway, our own commitment to obedience can help us overcome a momentary reluctance to do what we know is right. As the Savior demonstrated, obedience is closely aligned with selflessness, and only by losing ourselves–overcoming our natural state of self-absorption–can we achieve our full potential and receive all of the blessings our Father desires to give us.
Today, I will strive to emulate the intentional submissiveness of the Savior. I will remember that a commitment to obedience will strengthen my self-discipline. I will do my best to submit my will to the will of the Father.