Learning God’s will in a particular situation is the same as learning what is best in that situation. God’s will is not arbitrary. His will is the best that can be done.3 You cannot find out what he wants in a particular situation without learning more about what is best. As you learn what is best, you learn what his will is.
God knows what is best because he knows what outcomes are available and the cost and benefit of each. In order to better ascertain his will, you will have to learn these things, too.
God’s power can’t be separated from God’s knowledge of things as they are and could be. He knows all possible outcomes and the path to realize them. The universe operates according to certain inviolable relationships of cause and effect.270 Every outcome has a cause, regardless of whether or not we yet know or understand it. God’s power derives from his knowledge of and adherence to these relationships.271 God is how he is because of the laws he lives.272 The source of his power is knowing the relationship of cause and effect in all things to a greater extent than we do. God knows273 and understands274 all things. He sees what we are ignorant of, and he understands relationships we do not know.
A principle reason for creation is to provide each of us with the opportunity to obtain a greater measure of God’s power through the acquisition of a greater portion of God’s knowledge. To the extent that you lack the knowledge of God, you lack God’s power. In order to encounter greater manifestations of God’s power in your life, you must not only reconcile yourself to your present awareness of reality, but increase it. It is impossible to learn more about God’s character without learning more about his creation, or more about his creation without learning more about his character.275
The more you learn about reality, and more effectively you use your knowledge to bring to pass better outcomes than would otherwise occur, the more of God’s power you will experience. Those who possess a little of God’s awareness will, when reconciled to it, experience a little of God’s power. To have all power, you need to know all things.276
Footnotes
- 1. 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. (Mormon 9:21) ↩
- 2. Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will. (Helaman 10:4-5) ↩
- 3. He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world.... (2 Nephi 26:24) ↩