Continuing from a previous post ‘Examining Ourselves,’ Robert L. Millet wrote:
“As the Spirit of God becomes a more regular and consistent visitor, we begin feeling a growing sense of consecration—a desire to turn our lives over to God and allow him to use us at will. President Boyd K. Packer taught us a profound lesson many years ago. “I knew what agency was,” he said, “and knew how important it was to be independent, to be free. I somehow knew there was one thing the Lord would never take from me and that was my free agency. I would not surrender my agency to anyone but Him! I determined that I would give Him the one thing that He would never take—my agency. I decided, by myself, that from that time on I would do things His way.” President Packer continued: “That was a great trial for me, for I thought I was giving away the most precious thing I possessed. I was not wise enough in my youth to know that because I exercised my agency and decided myself, I was not losing it. It was strengthened!”
In a priesthood leadership meeting a number of years ago, President Packer spoke solemnly of the time in his life when he had determined to surrender his agency to God. He recommended to us that we consider doing the same. He then added with unanticipated sternness. “But don’t you monkey with this. This is serious business!” And indeed it is. We really should not offer something if we have no intention of letting it go. We really should not indicate to the Almighty that we intend to give him something when in fact we are prepared to give him only a small portion. (See Acts 5).
In fact what can we offer to God? Our savings accounts? Our properties? Our investments? No, for all of the world’s goods are already his. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). As Elder Neal A. Maxwell pointed out, “The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place upon God’s alter. The many other things we ‘give,’ . . . are actually things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession that is truly ours to give! Consecration thus constitutes the only unconditional surrender which is also a total victory!” 6 ~ from the book “The Holy Spirit by Robert L. Millet (Salt Lake City:Deseret Book, 2019). 233-34
