As he introduces the extraordinary account of the ministry of Jesus Christ in the Americas, Mormon makes the following sobering declaration:
There was not any man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity
3 Nephi 8:1
That sounds like a pretty high bar for a miracle. Yet Jacob reassures us that such cleansing is possible through God’s grace. He reported that he and his people received many revelations and experienced great miracles. “Nevertheless,” he explained, “the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things” (Jacob 4:6-7).
Throughout the Book of Mormon, prophets receive divine assurance of their standing with God before being entrusted with new revelations or assignments. For example, an angel tells Alma, “Thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God,” before sending him back to preach again in Ammonihah (Alma 8:15; see also Mosiah 26:14-20, Helaman 10:4-5). Obviously, this doesn’t mean that those prophets had done everything right or that they would never make another mistake. But it seems to be important for us to set our lives in order and experience God’s sanctifying power in order to be prepared to receive revelation and experience miracles.
In 1830, Joseph Smith and six other church leaders received a revelation. Near the beginning of the revelation, the Lord said:
Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.
Doctrine and Covenants 29:3
I’ve been thinking this week about the phrase, “therefore you receive these things.” The Lord was emphasizing to them that they could not have received this revelation without being cleansed from their sins.
President Henry B. Eyring taught:
If you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost today, you may take it as a sweet evidence that the Atonement is working in your life.
“Our Constant Companion,” General Conference, October 2023
Today, I will be grateful for God’s ongoing grace. As I experience the companionship of the Holy Ghost today, I will remember that God can forgive my sins and qualify me to receive revelation and miracles, even as I continue to grow and progress.
Great thoughts, brother Anderson! Thank you! You reminded me of a time I was being set apart and was told that I was clean and worthy to serve. We all long to hear from the Lord that we are clean before Him, especially when we are very aware of our faults and shortcomings.
I’m grateful for the gift of repentance through the atonement of Jesus Christ and for the Lord’s kindness in encouraging us despite our weakness.
Thanks for sharing that experience! When we start a new assignment or face a significant challenge, it’s nice to know that God is pleased with us, even as we recognize that we still have a lot of learning and improving to do.