Ether 12:27 - What does it mean to you?

[HoosierGuy]

What does this verse mean to you personally?

Ether 12 verse 27 -


27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

[tomk]

Christ is describing His covenant relationship with us!

He has, quite literally and quite deliberately, given us the weaknesses we have!

In other words, we've sort of been set up. Doomed to failure without His help!

Our only hope of healing and rescue is through Him.

Again, it was setup this way on purpose!


Once we enter into that covenant relationship with Him ... weak things become strong. Not overnight, but it happens. Gradually. Bit by bit. Line upon line. Here a little and there a little.

We begin to view our sins and weaknesses differently. Instead of being detrimental, they become the very instrument of our sanctification! The catalyst for it.

It all hinges upon our Faith in Christ. Our willingness to repent, or TURN to Him in our weakness, and give the burden to Him.



Those are my thoughts.


Tom

[piper]

For me, it refers to the weakness of the mortal condition. Separated from the presence of our Father and dwelling on this earth where we are weak in so many ways. Though weak, this is in fact an opportunity to grow. If we humble ourselves and seek Him in faith the atonement of our Savior will make, from all this weakness, strength unimaginable to us now. That's my take on it.

[connerific]

Originally Posted by tomk

Christ is describing His covenant relationship with us!

He has, quite literally and quite deliberately, given us the weaknesses we have!

In other words, we've sort of been set up. Doomed to failure without His help!

Our only hope of healing and rescue is through Him.

Again, it was setup this way on purpose!


Once we enter into that covenant relationship with Him ... weak things become strong. Not overnight, but it happens. Gradually. Bit by bit. Line upon line. Here a little and there a little.

We begin to view our sins and weaknesses differently. Instead of being detrimental, they become the very instrument of our sanctification! The catalyst for it.

It all hinges upon our Faith in Christ. Our willingness to repent, or TURN to Him in our weakness, and give the burden to Him.



Those are my thoughts.


Tom

I don't think he "gave" us our weaknesses. They came as a result of our mortal condition, and we chose them by choosing to come to earth.

Otherwise you are right on.

[tomk]

Originally Posted by connerific

I don't think he "gave" us our weaknesses. They came as a result of our mortal condition, and we chose them by choosing to come to earth.

Otherwise you are right on.

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

"I will show unto them their weakness"
"I give unto men weakness that they may be humble"

The Person saying "I will show" and "I give unto men weakness" is the Lord. He is the One speaking. He is the One showing us our weakness and giving us our weakness.

It is pride that keeps us from being shown our weakness. It is humility that allows the Lord to show us our weakness. He says we are given weakness for a reason. That we may be humble.

In other words -- our weakness presents us with a choice. We can choose to turn to the Lord for help, or we can choose to try and overcome it ourselves. If we choose to turn to the Lord, our weakness becomes our strength ... through His power.

This mortal test was purposefully designed to bring us to our knees. To make us want to cry-out for a Savior. This is merciful. It means that our only hope is Christ. There is no other way or means to heaven, but through Him! This reality requires us to humble ourselves. Many people don't want to admit that they need help with something, that they cannot do it under their own power.


2 Ne. 9: 41
41 O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.



2 Ne. 9: 42
42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

[connerific]

Okay. So maybe it was given in the same way our mortal experience was given? And since we did choose to come to this mortal experience, we also in a sense chose our weaknesses?

[HoosierGuy]

I asked about this verse because my view of it are similar to Tomk's view
of it and wanted to make sure I was not way off base with my view of it. I'm thinking of my weaknesses and sinful temptations/mistakes and how to overcome them. Reading that verse gives me hope, knowing that Father gave me these weaknesses to actually make me a better person by overcoming them with His and His Son's (our Savior's) help. That's the way I view it anyway. If it's the wrong view then I'm sorry.

[HiJolly]

Originally Posted by HoosierGuy

I asked about this verse because my view of it are similar to Tomk's view
of it and wanted to make sure I was not way off base with my view of it. I'm thinking of my weaknesses and sinful temptations/mistakes and how to overcome them. Reading that verse gives me hope, knowing that Father gave me these weaknesses to actually make me a better person by overcoming them with His and His Son's (our Savior's) help. That's the way I view it anyway. If it's the wrong view then I'm sorry.

HoosierGuy, I think you're right on the interpretation. Good job.


HiJolly

[skalenfehl]

I've pondered this very subject in the past and came to the exact same conclusions as Tom. It is both a scary and a comforting prospect on the same coin, but above all, very humbling...just like the scripture says. If it wasn't for this principle and the Atonement I would drop kick myself constantly out of self contempt. What a bittersweet pill to swallow. Yet because of it, I am ever closer to my Father in Heaven. It's almost like I want to pray and say, "This is your fault!" But He knows me better than I know myself and I trust that He has set me up to succeed. I guess it will all become clear to me when I go for my big PPI in the sky. Thank God for the Atonement. Now if I can only be better tomorrow than I was today.

[tomk]

I think we can scarcely imagine the incredible LOVE with which the Plan of Salvation was constructed.

There is no reason for shame or angst to admit we have weakness, or to be shown such weakness by the Lord (which I testify He will do, if we seek Him). It's part of the Plan! If we revile against the thought of Him giving us weakness, then we revile against the Plan itself. We also revile against Him taking those weaknesses and turning them into strengths! An acknowledgement of our weakness, our nothingness without God's grace, is PART of the Plan!!!! Our utter inability to return home to Father WITHOUT a Savior is PART of the Plan!!!!!

1. Mosiah 4: 5, 11
   5 For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God at this time has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state—
   
   • • •
   11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.
   

1. Hel. 12: 7
   7 O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.
   

For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God at this time has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state



The only context in which knowing God's GOODNESS would AWAKEN US to a sense of our NOTHINGNESS WITHOUT GOD, OUR WORTHLESS AND FALLEN STATE WITHOUT GOD, would be if that NOTHINGNESS WITHOUT GOD was a part of God's Plan!!!!!


Once we enter into that covenant relationship, partnering with Christ to turn ALL of our weaknesses into strengths....mortality makes sense. It stops being this cruel sick joke and becomes a challenge. A joyful one, even in the darkest of times. For we have a sense of why we are being asked to pass through the pain and frustration. Because that is how we learn best! For some reason, the lessons we need to learn to become like God involve coming down here, forgetting our former life with Him, and having to walk by faith while we learn to bridle our passions. It must be THE WAY to become like God. Otherwise our mortality would be different.


It's amazing to realize.