“The Will of the Son Being Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father”

Bryan Richards

The Savior had submitted to the will of the Father long before he ever uttered those famous words in Gesthemane, not my will, but thine, be done (Lu 22:42). The will of the Son was swallowed up in the will of the Father beginning with the Savior’s work in the temple at age 12. He said to Mary, wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? (Lu 2:49). When he taught of prayer, he said, Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). He taught the disciples, For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me (Jn 6:38), and My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work (Jn 4:34). And yet, the work was not finished until He had swallowed that which was most bitter—even the contents of the bitter cup…Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men (DC 19:18-19).

As in all things, our job is to learn to submit our wills to the will of the Father as effectively as did our Exemplar, Jesus Christ.

Neal A. Maxwell

"It was all made possible by the Savior’s splendid submissiveness. He did voluntarily what He was not forced to do; it was something no other child of God could do! ‘There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin’ (Hymns no. 194). ’Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father’ (Mosiah 15:7). The imagery and theology of this verse tell us that Jesus was totally, perfectly, and fully consecrated.
"Being ‘swallowed up’ means being totally enveloped-without question, protest, reservation, or resentment. It is ’all the way,’ not halfway. Choosing such spiritual submission is the highest act of deliberate, individual will: ’And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt’ (Mark 14:36; emphasis added).
“Though Jesus‘ will was thus ’swallowed up,‘ we certainly don’t notice any diminution of Jesus’ individuality after the Atonement, do we? In fact, not only was He resplendent, but after the Resurrection, amid some of His sheep, He declared that His joy was now ‘full’ (3 Nephi 17:20). Consecration enhances individuality. Furthermore, when we are ‘swallowed up’ in His will we will also know what it is like to be ‘swallowed up in the joy of Christ’ (Alma 31:38).” (That Ye May Believe, pp. 2-3)

Neal A. Maxwell

“In considering consecration, it is well to remember … that nothing is held back-whether turf, attitude, or hobbies. One’s will is to be swallowed up in the will of God-just as occurred with Jesus…the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father…Most forms of holding back are rooted in pride or are prompted by the mistaken notion that somehow we are diminished by submission to God. Actually, the greater the submission, the greater the expansion!” (Henry B. Eyring, On Becoming a Disciple Scholar, pp. 61-2)

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