Conference Counsel: Choosing to submit completely to God’s will

Photo supplied, Intellectual Reserve
Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles provides words of inspiration during the afternoon session of general conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
- Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles provides words of inspiration during the afternoon session of general conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
- Ryan Comer
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell the story of a rich man who asked Jesus what he should do in order to inherit eternal life. Jesus brought up various commandments, to which the man said he had kept them. Jesus responded that the man then needed to sell everything he had and give to the poor — that by so doing he would have treasure in heaven — and follow him.
“But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” (Matthew 19:22)
“And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:22)

Ryan Comer, Standard-Examiner
Ryan Comer
“And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.” (Luke 18:23)
Jesus then stated how hard it is for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God, and that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. (Matthew 19:23-24, Mark 10:23-25, Luke 18:24-25)
Apparently, this rich man did not have a testimony of one simple fact: No amount of possessions and riches were more important than eternal life.
That importance was highlighted by Elder Ulisses Soares, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the October 2024 general conference of the church. The address is titled “Aligning Our Will with His,” and in it, Elder Soares discussed the need for sacrificing what we think is best for us for what is best according to God and for inheriting eternal life. It was a similar theme to the one of burying weapons of rebellion delivered by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which was discussed in this column last week.
Beginning his remarks, Elder Soares highlighted a parable that stands in stark contrast to the one of the rich man who didn’t want to give up his possessions.
“On a certain occasion, the savior spoke of a merchant man who was searching for ‘goodly pearls,'” Elder Soares said. “During the merchant man’s search, he found one ‘of great price.’ However, in order to acquire the magnificent pearl, this man had to sell all his possessions, which he promptly and joyfully did. (Matthew 13:45-46)
“Through this short and thoughtful parable, the savior beautifully taught that the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a priceless pearl, truly the most precious treasure that should be desired over all else. The fact that the merchant instantly sold all his possessions to obtain that valuable pearl clearly indicates that we should align our mind and desires with the will of the Lord (Doctrine and Covenants 68:4) and willingly do everything we can during our mortal journey to attain the eternal blessings of God’s kingdom.”
Elaborating, Elder Soares continued:
“To be worthy of this great reward, we certainly need, among other things, to give our best effort to set aside all self-centered pursuits and abandon any entanglement that holds us back from full commitment to the Lord and his higher and holier ways. The apostle Paul refers to these sanctifying pursuits as ‘hav[ing] the mind of Christ.’ (1 Corinthians 2:16, Philippians 4:1) As exemplified by Jesus Christ, this means ‘[doing] always those things that please [the Lord]’ (John 8:29, 1 John 3:22) in our lives, or as some people say nowadays, this is ‘doing what works for the Lord.’
“In a gospel sense, ‘[doing] always those things that please [the Lord]’ relates to submitting our will to his will. The savior thoughtfully taught the importance of this principle while instructing his disciples:
“‘For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
“‘And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
“‘And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.’ (John 6:38-40)
“The savior achieved a perfect and divine level of submission to the Father by allowing his will to be swallowed up in the Father’s will. (Mosiah 15:7) He once said, ‘And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.’ (John 8:29) In teaching the Prophet Joseph Smith about the anguish and agonies of the atonement, the savior said:
“‘For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; …
“‘Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit–and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink–
“‘Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.'” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:16, 18-19)
I remember the first time I heard the passage referenced in Doctrine and Covenants 19. It was when I was in high school during a seminary class. I think it might have been the first time where it really hit me just how much Jesus Christ had done for me. I had a similar feeling when I first heard Isaiah 53:3-5, which reads:
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
What does it do to our desire to give away whatever is necessary for eternal life when we read all that Jesus suffered to align his will with the Father’s, which he did because of his love for all of us?
“During our sojourn in mortality, we often wrestle with what we think we know, what we think is best and what we assume works for us, as opposed to comprehending what Heavenly Father actually knows, what is eternally best and what absolutely works for children within his plan,” Elder Soares continued. “This great wrestle can become very complex, especially considering the prophecies contained in the scriptures for our day: ‘This know also, that in the last days … men shall be lovers of their own selves, … lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.’ (2 Timothy 3:1-2, 4)
“One sign that indicates fulfillment of this prophecy is the current growing trend in the world, adopted by so many, of people becoming consumed with themselves and constantly proclaiming, ‘No matter what, I live my own truth or I do what works for me.’ As Paul the apostle said, they ‘seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.’ (Philippians 2:21) This way of thinking is often justified as being ‘authentic’ by those who indulge in self-centered pursuits, focus on personal preferences or want to justify certain types of behavior that frequently don’t match God’s loving plan and his will for them. If we let our heart and mind embrace this way of thinking, we can create significant stumbling blocks for ourselves in acquiring the most priceless pearl that God has lovingly prepared for his children — eternal life.
“While it is true that each of us travels an individualized discipleship journey on the covenant path, striving to keep our hearts and minds centered on Christ Jesus, (Philippians 4:7, Doctrine and Covenants 43:34) we need to be careful and constantly vigilant to not be tempted to adopt this type of worldly philosophy in our life. Elder Quentin L. Cook said that ‘being sincerely Christlike is an even more important goal than being authentic.'”
God is offering the greatest of all the gifts he can offer — eternal life. (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7) Is it not obvious that such a great gift requires something of us, something really difficult for us to give? For all that Christ gave to make eternal life even a possibility, we should expect to have to make hard choices in giving things up.
Speaking at the Missionary Training Center in Provo on June 20, 2000, Jeffrey R. Holland, now president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the church, said “salvation is not a cheap experience” and “salvation never was easy.”
He added:
“How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for him?”
Elder Soares continued:
“My dear friends, when we choose to let God be the most powerful influence in our life over our self-serving pursuits, we can make progress in our discipleship and increase our capacity to unite our mind and heart with the savior. On the other hand, when we don’t allow God’s way to prevail in our life, we are left to ourselves, and without the Lord’s inspiring guidance, we can justify almost anything we do or don’t do. We can also make excuses for ourselves by doing things our own way, saying in effect, ‘I am just doing things my way.'”
It’s been eye-opening for me — as I’m sure it has been for other Christians — to see the types of behaviors and attitudes that society has come to not just accept but vigorously defend. All of it stems from the same desire, which is to prioritize individual will over the will of God. Isn’t it instructive how the farther and farther society moves away from God, the more and more behavior that was once considered obviously wrong is embraced? How far does society really want to carry this? I shudder to think. And maybe that’s OK for many, who don’t want to accept a God that has standards that don’t align with their personal desires. I wish eternal life meant more than it apparently does. I wish Christ’s sacrifice for them meant more than it apparently does. I wish they could see just a glimpse of all that is possible and all the rewards they are choosing to give up all so they don’t have to give up what can not possibly bring eternal joy.
Elder Soares’ point about being left to ourselves without the Lord’s inspiring guidance also resonated with me. It reminded me of a couple passages from the Book of Mormon that I recently read.
Helaman 4:13 reads: “And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands.”
Mormon 2:26 tells a similar story: “And it came to pass that when they had fled we did pursue them with our armies, and did meet them again, and did beat them; nevertheless the strength of the Lord was not with us; yea, we were left to ourselves, that the Spirit of the Lord did not abide in us; therefore we had become weak like unto our brethren.”
The Nephites had success in that moment, but relying on their own strength only, they wouldn’t always.
“And the Lamanites did not come again against the Nephites until the three hundred and seventy and fifth year.
“And in this year they did come down against the Nephites with all their powers; and they were not numbered because of the greatness of their number.
“And from this time forth did the Nephites gain no power over the Lamanites, but began to be swept off by them even as a dew before the sun.” (Mormon 4:16-18)
It never had to be like that. And it doesn’t for us. We don’t have to allow Satan to overwhelm us like the Lamanites overwhelmed the Nephites. We can align ourselves with God’s will.
“On one occasion, while the savior was declaring his doctrine, some people, particularly self-righteous Pharisees, rejected his message and boldly declared that they were children of Abraham, implying that their lineage would grant them special privileges in the sight of God,” Elder Soares continued. “That mentality led them to lean unto their own understanding and to disbelieve what the savior was teaching. The Pharisees’ reaction to Jesus was clear evidence that their presumptuous attitude left no place in their hearts for the savior’s words and God’s way. In response, Jesus wisely and courageously declared that if they were true covenant children of Abraham, they would do the works of Abraham, especially considering that the God of Abraham was standing before them and teaching them the truth at that very moment. (Proverbs 3:5, John 8:33-42, Genesis 12:5, Genesis 13:7-9, Genesis 12:1-9, Genesis 15:1-6, Genesis 22:1-19, Genesis 18:1-8)
“Brothers and sisters, as you can see, acting on these mental gymnastics of ‘what works for me’ versus doing ‘what always pleases the Lord’ is not a new trend that is unique to our day. It is an age-old mentality that has crossed the centuries and often blinds the wise-in-their-own-eyes (Proverbs 3:5-7) and confuses and exhausts many of God’s children. This mentality is, in fact, an old trick of the adversary; it is a deceptive path that carefully leads God’s children away from the true and faithful covenant path. (2 Nephi 28:21-23, 26) While personal circumstances such as genetics, geography and physical and mental challenges do influence our journey, in things that truly matter, there is an inner space where we are free to choose whether or not we will decide to follow the pattern the Lord has prepared for our life. Truly, ‘He marked the path and led the way, and ev’ry point [defined].’ (“How Great the Wisdom and the Love,” Hymns, no. 195.)
“As Christ’s disciples, we desire to walk the path he marked for us during his mortal ministry. We not only desire to do his will and all that will please him but also seek to emulate him. As we strive to be true to every covenant we have entered into and live ‘by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God,’ (Matthew 4:4) we will be protected against falling victim to the sins and errors of the world — errors of philosophy and doctrine that would lead us away from those most precious pearls.”
Many people would like to portray themselves as being victim of their circumstances, as if they have no agency to align their choices with God’s will. But if there is place in our hearts for “the savior’s words and God’s way,” and we desire to increase it, we can indeed live “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
“I have been personally inspired by how such spiritual submissiveness to God has impacted the lives of faithful disciples of Christ as they chose to do those things that work for and are pleasing in the sight of the Lord,” Elder Soares said. “I know a young man who was unsettled about going on a mission but felt inspired to go and serve the Lord when he listened to a senior leader of the church sharing his own personal testimony and sacred experience of serving as a missionary.
“In his own words, this young man, now a returned missionary, said: ‘As I listened to the testimony of an apostle of the savior Jesus Christ, I was able to feel of God’s love for me, and I desired to share that love with others. At that moment I knew that I should serve a mission despite my fears, doubts and concerns. I felt totally confident in the blessings and promises of God for his children. Today, I am a new person; I have a testimony that this gospel is true and that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored on earth.’ This young man chose the Lord’s way and became an example of a true disciple in every aspect.
“A faithful young woman decided not to compromise her standards when she was asked to dress immodestly to fit into the business division of the fashion company where she worked. Understanding that her body is a sacred gift from our Heavenly Father and a place where the spirit can dwell, she was moved to live by a standard higher than the world’s. She not only gained the confidence of those who saw her living by the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ but also preserved her job, which for a moment was in jeopardy. Her willingness to do what was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, rather than what worked for the world, gave her covenant confidence amidst difficult choices.”
If those words “covenant confidence” sound familiar, that’s because that was the topic of Elder Soares’ general conference address in April.
“This confidence is the quiet yet certain assurance of receiving the blessings that God promises for those who keep their covenants and is so needed amid the challenging circumstances of our day,” Elder Soares said in the talk.
With covenant confidence, one can be sure that no matter how difficult the trial, the Lord will be there to give strength, and eternal blessings will come. Making and keeping covenants truly is the key to overcoming the world.
Concluding his talk, Elder Soares said:
“Brothers and sisters, we are constantly confronted by similar decisions in our daily journey. It takes a courageous and a willing heart to pause and pursue an honest and meek introspection to acknowledge the presence of weaknesses of the flesh in our life that may impede our ability to submit ourselves to God and ultimately decide to adopt his way rather than our own. The ultimate test of our discipleship is found in our willingness to give up and lose our old self and submit our heart and our whole soul to God so that his will becomes ours.
“One of the most glorious moments of mortality occurs when we discover the joy that comes when doing always those things that ‘work for and please the Lord’ and ‘what works for us’ become one and the same. To decisively and unquestioningly make the Lord’s will our own requires majestic and heroic discipleship. At that sublime moment, we become consecrated to the Lord, and we totally yield our wills to him. Such spiritual submissiveness, so to speak, is beautiful, powerful and transformational.
“I testify to you that following the Lord’s will in our life will enable us to find the most precious pearl in the world — the kingdom of heaven. I pray that each of us, in our time and turn, will be able to declare, with covenant confidence, to our Heavenly Father and savior Jesus Christ that ‘what works for thee works for me.’ I say these things in the sacred name of the savior Jesus Christ, amen.”
Contact Ryan Comer at rcomer@standard.net. Follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rbcomer8388.