“Nothing Shall Be Impossible”

 Immediately after the consummate spiritual experience Christ had with Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration, the father of a “lunatick” boy knelt before the Savior begging Him to have “mercy on my son.” Jesus’ disciples “could not cure” the benighted boy, even though they had healed others through their faith in Christ and the priesthood they held. Jesus’ very high expectations for His apostles—and for us—are evidenced by the exasperation He seemingly displayed at their failure, exclaiming, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?” Rebuking the devil who afflicted the boy, “the child was cured from that very hour.” (Matthew 17:17)

To their credit, the disciples did not leave it at that. They wanted to learn how to do and be better and asked their Master for understanding. The Savior, always patient and generous in the face of the infinite distance between His intellect and capacity and theirs, taught them that if they could muster even a particle of faith (see Alma 32:27), they could not only move a mountain, but “nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:19)

Nothing? Nothing, of course, that is consistent with the Lord’s will and purposes.

It may be easier to move a mountain from one place to another, however, than to fundamentally change our very natures. But with God, “nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). As Christ declared, “I am able to make you holy” (D&C 60:7). Is this not what the Lord meant when He said, “in the ordinances” of the “greater priesthood,” especially the ordinances of the temple, “the power of godliness [the power to be godly or like God] is manifest. And without the ordinances of . . . the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh” (D&C 84:20-21). As President Nelson has described so many times (citing this verse), “Ordinances unlock the power of God for your life.” (“Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains,” April 2021) 

“The end or purpose of God’s plan is eternal life—His life, which He knew would (and He designed to) be unattainable without His divine power and help. He ordained that we would receive such help through a personal, even intimate relationship with Him, which is developed as we make and keep sacred covenants received and renewed through the ordinances of the gospel.” (Stephen Fluckiger, Drawing Upon the Spiritual Treasures of the Temple, 32)

Significantly, the FIRST step on this journey of acquiring even a "mustard seed" of faith to move our personal mountains, President Nelson has also repeatedly taught, begins with the admonition to “study”! “Become an engaged learner. Immerse yourself in the scriptures to understand better Christ’s mission and ministry. Know the doctrine of Christ so that you understand its power for your life. Internalize the truth that the Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to you.” (“Faith in Him Will Move Mountains”) In another Conference message, to his admonition to “make time to study [Christ’s] words,” he added, “Really study!” (“Come, Follow Me,” April 2019)

As we do so, we have the Lord’s promise: “As your understanding increases and as you exercise faith in the Lord and His priesthood power [received in the temple], your ability to draw upon this spiritual treasure [God’s power] that the Lord has made available will increase. As you do so, you will find yourselves better able to help create eternal families that are united, sealed in the temple of the Lord, and full of love for our Heavenly Father and for Jesus Christ.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Spiritual Treasures,” October 2019)  –Stephen Fluckiger