Tadd R. Callister in his book “The Infinite Atonement” wrote:
“The power to convert a weakness to a strength is possible through the grace of Christ, but he Lord has imposed two prerequisites, humility and faith. If these requirements are satisfied, the grace of Christ becomes like a booster rocket that powers and lifts us above our weaknesses. That is what James taught: “God . . . giveth grace unto the humble. . . . Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:6, 10; see also 1 Peter 5:5). Isaiah likewise wrote of this lifting, soaring power: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. . . . They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles” (Isaiah 40:29, 31; emphasis added).
What an appropriate description. Those who humbly and faithfully wait upon the Lord may, like the eagles soar above weaknesses.
Moses felt weighed down by a glaring weakness in his life. He was called as a prophet but none the less agonized, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, . . . but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” It was as if he were saying, “How can I lead this people when I have no fluency of speech, no gift of oratory?” The Lord answered his worries in this classic reply: ” Who hath made man’s mouth?” In other words, the Lord was reminding him that God, who created both man and the worlds without end, certainly could correct the simple problem inherent in one man’s fluency. Then the Lord gave Moses this promise: “Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”
That should have solved the problem, closed the damper of disbelief. But Moses, great as he was, still lacked faith on this occasion, for he replied, ” O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.” Moses could not believe that his speech problems could be solved by the Lord; instead he sought his own solutions—a spokesman. How did the Lord react? “The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses” (Exodus 4:10-14). The consequence: Moses got his spokesman, but a weakness failed to become the strength it might have become.
Contrast Moses’ experience with that of Enoch. The initial facts are almost identical, but here the story diverges, Enoch, too, was called to be a prophet. Enoch, too, had a glaring speech impediment: “Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant?” (Moses 6:31). The Lord’s response to Enoch was similar to his advice to Moses: “Open thy mouth and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance” (Moses 6:32). To this point the scripts are parallel. It was the same play, same act, same scene. Only the names and dates had been changed. It is here, however, that the scripts part company. There is no suggestion in the scriptural record that Enoch doubted the Lord’s promise; rather, he humbled himself in simple obedience and faith. Enoch, in describing this encounter, says, “The Lord spake with me, and gave me commandment [to preach the gospel]; wherefore, for this cause, to keep the commandment, I speak forth these words” (Moses 6:42).
The scriptures then reveal the awesome power of God’s grace: ” as Enoch spake forth the words of God, the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence: (Moses 6:47). The scriptural record continues: “So great was the faith of Enoch that . . . he spake the word of the Lord and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command. . .
~Tadd R. Callister, The Infinite Atonement (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000), 460-463 (pocketbook edition).
