When Ammon and his search team arrived in the land of Nephi, Limhi was filled with renewed hope. He called his people together and told them that, in spite of their many failed attempts to free themselves, he was confident that they would yet be successful. Then, he promised that God would set them free if they would do three things:
“If ye will…”
| What | How |
|---|---|
| turn to the Lord | with full purpose of heart |
| and put your trust in him | |
| and serve him | with all diligence of mind |
“If ye do this, he will…”
| What | How |
|---|---|
| deliver you out of bondage | according to his own will and pleasure |
(See Mosiah 7:33.)
The “what” column in these tables contains the specific actions we should take, and the specific blessing God will provide. But Limhi’s promise is qualified by the phrases in the “how” column. Consider the following:
- It’s not enough to turn to God half-heartedly. It’s not sufficient to serve Him with minimal mental effort. We know that the first great commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. (See Matthew 22:37-38, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27, Moroni 10:32, Doctrine and Covenants 59:5.) Total commitment opens our heart and mind to receive the blessings God offers us.
- God will deliver us “according to his own will and pleasure.” This has two implications:
- He may not deliver us when or how we expect. We need be willing to trust His timing and His method.
- He wants to deliver us. This is not a reluctant blessing from an indifferent monarch. He is our Father, and He loves us. When we turn to Him with all of our heart and mind, He blesses us because He wants to (“according to His will”), and because it makes Him happy (“according to His pleasure”).
Today, I will remember that God is eager to bless me. I will be grateful for a God who is committed to my welfare and happiness, and I will strive to love and serve Him with my full heart and mind, so that I can be receptive to the blessings He wants to give me.
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