"There is another kind of faith, rare indeed. This is the kind of faith that causes things to happen. It is the kind of faith that is worthy and prepared and unyielding, and it calls forth things that otherwise would not be. It is the kind of faith that moves people. It is the kind of faith that sometimes moves things. ...It comes by gradual growth. It is a marvelous, even a transcendent, power, a power as real and invisible as electricity. Directed and channeled, it has great effect". (President Boyd K Packer, "What is Faith?" in Faith [1983], 42-43)
Is it possible that we as sons and daughters of God have the power to command the elements of the earth, including our bodies and those of others?
There are many scriptures that teach us:
1. we are formed from the dust of the earth and
2. about the ability God has to command the elements
Helaman 12:7-17:
7 O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are les than the dust of the earth.
8 For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God.
9 Yea, behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake.
10 And by the power of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley.
11 Yea, by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake;
12 Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center.
13 Yea, and if he say unto the earth—Move—it is moved.
14 Yea, if he say unto the earth—Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours—it is done;
15 And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun.
16 And behold, also, if he say unto the waters of the great deep— Be thou dried up—it is done.
17 Behold, if he say unto this mountain—Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up—behold it is done.
We know that our spirits come from God and we are literal children of our Heavenly Father and as a child of God we are heirs of God and joint heirs in Christ (Romans 8:17) and in D&C 76:58 "we are gods, even the sons (and daughters) of God", therefore we can understand that it is OUR BODIES that are formed from the dust of the earth, not our spirits.
The scripture in Helaman goes on to explain that the dust of the earth obeys God's commands perfectly but we are here to learn obedience and self mastery and unlike the dust we are not inclined to be obedient, therefore we are less than the dust of the earth.
President Joseph Fielding Smith helped us understand that the phrase “the nothingness of the children of men” (Helaman 12:7) is not a reflection of man’s worth:
“Now this prophet did not mean to say that the Lord has greater concern for and loves the dust of the earth more than he does his children. … The point he is making is that the dust of the earth is obedient. It moveth hither and thither at the command of the Lord. All things are in harmony with his laws. Everything in the universe obeys the law given unto it, so far as I know, except man. Everywhere you look you find law and order, the elements obeying the law given to them, true to their calling. But man rebels, and in this thing man is less than the dust of the earth because he rejects the counsels of the Lord” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1929, 55).
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we are given the priesthood of God as a tool to help us overcome our short comings and become as God. We qualify to exercise this spiritual power through partaking of and keeping sacred ordinances and exercising our faith in God.
We learn in Psalm 8:6 "God made man to have dominion over the works of His hands", therefore as we access this Priesthood power we too have the ability to command the elements.
It seems it would take a mighty amount of faith to move a mountain let alone command the elements. In Matthew 17:20 it says we just need the faith of a mustard seed to move a mountain but of course this ability would be not only transformative but highly irregular. Imagine if people were walking around commanding mountains etc to move, It would be rather chaotic to mention the least.
But what if we could command the elements over areas which we have direct stewardship over, for example our bodies?
D&C 104:13
For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures.
D&C 136:27
Thou shalt be diligent in persevering what thou hast, that thou mayest be a wise steward; for it is the free gift of the Lord thy God, and thou art his steward.
What would be the result?
D&C 87:22
And he that is a faithful and wise steward shall inherit all things. Amen.
As we practice to become as God we can as Paul found (2 Peter1:16) add to our faith; virtue, knowledge, temperance and patience... these are all physical attributes we can impose upon our bodies. There are many scriptures asking us to bring our body under "subjection" and "mastery"(1 Cor 9:27) including our very own health code. D&C 89:19 states as we live this health code we will learn wisdom and great treasures of knowledge even hidden treasures.
What if one of these treasures is to learn we CAN command our bodies and just as the elements of the earth obey God, our bodies will obey us according to our faith.
Just as we found earlier in Helaman that we are less than the dust of the earth because the elements obey with exactness, what if our bodies are striving to obey us with exactness but we are sending them confusing messages and ill fated commands.
What if we exercised our faith and power in God and by the power of our voice we began to command our bodies in what we want them to do.
In the bible dictionary we find that faith is a principle of action and power and by it one can command the elements, heal the sick and influence any number of circumstances when occasion warrants. All true faith must be based upon correct knowledge or it cannot produce the desired results- Jesus Christ. Where there is faith there are miracles, visions, dreams, healing and all the gifts of God that he gives to his saints.
When our faith is centred in Jesus Christ we can create miracles in our lives!
Mormon 9:20-21
20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.
21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.
In the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints period 1, vol. 1 we find an experience where Joseph Smith commands through the name of Jesus Christ Sister Johnson's lame arm to be made whole.
There are many of such experiences throughout the history of the church and this example along with others gives me the faith that if they can do it, so can we.
Peter in Acts 10:34 taught that "God is no respecter of persons", therefore it just comes down to a matter of our faith.
As I have listened to my body, I have strived to give it the respect, support and guidance that I felt I could. As a result, I have developed and strengthened my faith in this gift we all have access to.
Over the years, I have commanded my body in many things; to balance/correct hormones and nutritional deficiencies, heal physical ailments and release/purge/clear any emotional or mental health issues or traumas/blockages that I felt inspired to act on.
As I have followed the pattern of our Prophet Joseph Smith, I have found that indeed it works!
But what about using this power to help others?
Here is a story relayed by President Monson in the Ensign May, 2012
During World War II, in the early part of 1944, an experience involving the priesthood took place [and] was related by a correspondent—not a member of the Church—who worked for a newspaper in Hawaii. … He and other correspondents were in the second wave behind the marines at Kwajalein Atoll. As they advanced, they noticed a young marine floating facedown in the water, obviously badly wounded. The shallow water around him was red with his blood. And then they noticed another marine moving toward his wounded comrade. The second marine was also wounded, with his left arm hanging helplessly by his side. He lifted up the head of the one who was floating in the water in order to keep him from drowning. In a panicky voice he called for help. The correspondents looked again at the boy he was supporting and called back, “Son, there is nothing anyone can do for this boy.”
“Then,” wrote the correspondent, “I saw something that I had never seen before.” This boy, badly wounded himself, made his way to the shore with the seemingly lifeless body of his fellow marine. He “put the head of his companion on his knee. … What a picture that was—these two mortally wounded boys—both … clean, wonderful-looking young men, even in their distressing situation. And the one boy bowed his head over the other and said, ‘I command you, in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the priesthood, to remain alive until I can get medical help.’” The correspondent concluded his article: “The three of us [the two marines and I] are here in the hospital. The doctors don’t know [how they made it alive], but I know.”
President Thomas S. Monson, “Willing and Worthy to Serve".
I do believe as we prepare for and endeavour to build Zion in the coming years that not only will we have opportunities to use this power, it behooves us to participate and practise whenever the opportunity arises so we can develop the faith needed to act on this principle.
I know if we have the faith we can enact miracles such as command the elements and heal the sick - not just our own bodies, but those of others in need.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen
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