All of God’s power and authority comes from similitude to him. Wherever there is a difference in similarity, there must be a difference in power and authority. Servants, friends, and sons of God all possess power and authority from God to the extent that they know and are like him.
The power and authority of a servant comes from the commands of God. They are on the errand of the Lord, having been told what to say1 and what to do.2 The Lord’s command is the Lord’s authority, and the Lord’s command is the authority of his servants. The presence of the power of God demonstrates the presence of his authority.3 Without demonstration of the Lord’s power, presumed servants prove to have no authority, and are mistaken or lying about having received his commands.4
The work of God’s servants is to help others become more like God. They do not tell people what they want to hear.5 What they have to say shows people their hidden sin—flaws they ignore, flaws they minimize, and flaws they don’t yet know about. They warn people of the consequences of their present actions6 and point out to them a better way.7
We are commanded to do many good things of our own volition, and you can only do this to the extent you know and live the character of God.8 The power and authority of those who only possess stated instructions is limited to the fulfillment of those instructions. To the extent that you correctly understand the purpose of God, your power and authority expands to meet its accomplishment.9
Friends of God know him better than his servants, and therefore possess greater power and authority. Sons know God better than his friends, and therefore possess greater power and authority.
Footnotes
- 1. Jesus commanded the Nephite twelve to “declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth.” (3 Nephi 11:41) He told Abraham, “I show these things unto thee before ye go into Egypt, that ye may declare all these words.” (Abraham 3:15) Enoch saw a vision where “the Lord spake with me, and gave me commandment” to speak specific words to specific people. (Moses 6:42) Nephi son of Helaman “declare[d] unto them the word of the Lord which had been spoken unto him.” (Helaman 10:12) King Benjamin’s famous speech was an exposition of “the words which had been delivered unto him by the angel of the Lord” the night before. (Mosiah 4:1) ↩
- 2. ...as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence (John 14:31) ↩
- 3. That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers.... (Isaiah 44:26) ↩
- 4. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:16) ↩
- 5. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah....from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. (Jeremiah 23:14-15) ↩
- 6. [False prophets] say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. (Jeremiah 23:17) ↩
- 7. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. (Jeremiah 23:22) ↩
- 8. For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned. (D&C 58:26-29) ↩
- 9. And I said unto them: If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them. If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done. (1 Nephi 17:50) ↩