“Whatsoever He Saith Unto You, Do It.”

Jesus’ mother, Mary, had a problem. We don’t know why she felt responsible for the wedding feast in Cana; John simply tells us that she was there. But when they ran out of wine, Mary asked Jesus for help. After speaking with Him briefly, she gave the following instructions to the servants: “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5).

It’s possible that He had explained to her what he was about to do, but it doesn’t sound like it. It sounds like she simply trusted Him to give good instructions and was willing to leave the resolution of this problem in His hands. Elder L. Whitney Clayton pointed out that she “knew of His extraordinary capacity to solve problems, including one as personal as providing wine for a wedding feast. She had unshakable confidence in Him and in His divine power. Her simple, straightforward instruction to the servants had no caveats, no qualifications, no limitations” (“Whatsoever He Saith unto You, Do It,” General Conference, April 2017).

Just before the premortal Jesus showed Himself to the brother of Jared, He asked, “Believest thou the words which I shall speak?” How could the brother of Jared possibly know the answer to that question? A perfectly rational response would have been, “I’ll tell you after I hear the words.” But the brother of Jared said, “Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie” (Ether 3:11-12).

Both Mary and the brother of Jared trusted Jesus so much that they were willing to follow Him without yet knowing what He would say.

Should you follow arbitrary instructions from a random person? Of course not. But you might follow seemingly arbitrary instructions from someone you trust. Faith is trust, and it is based on a relationship. We trust Jesus because we have learned that we can trust Him. We are therefore willing to commit to do whatever He may ask of us in the future, without yet knowing what He will ask.

Jesus told the servants at the feast to fill the waterpots to the brim and give some of the water to the governor of the feast. The water was miraculously changed into wine (John 2:7-10).

Elder Clayton said:

The Lord promises to direct our paths, but for Him to do that, we have to walk, trusting that He knows the way because He is “the way.” We must fill our own waterpots up to the brim. When we trust and follow Him, our lives, like water to wine, are transformed. We become something more and better than we ever otherwise could be. Trust in the Lord, and “whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”

(“Whatsoever He Saith unto You, Do It,” General Conference, April 2017)

Today, I will strive to emulate the faith of Mary and of the brother of Jared. I will willingly follow the guidance I receive from God, not because I fully understand it, but because I trust Him.