“Be It unto Me According to Thy Word”
Luke 1:38
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Elder L. Whitney Clayton said:
“Mary had been a young woman when the angel Gabriel appeared unto her. At first she had been ‘troubled’ by being called ‘highly favoured’ and ‘blessed . . . among women . . . and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.’ Gabriel reassured her that she had nothing to fear—the news he brought was good. She would ‘conceive in [her] womb . . . the Son of the Highest’ and ‘bring forth a son . . . [who] shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever.’
“Mary wondered aloud, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?’
“The angel explained but only briefly, affirming to her that ‘with God nothing [is] impossible.’
“Mary humbly responded that she would do what God asked, without demanding to know specifics and undoubtedly in spite of having countless questions about the implications for her life. She committed herself without exactly understanding why He was asking that of her or how things would work out. She accepted God’s word unconditionally and in advance, with little knowledge of what lay ahead [see Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon (1997), 18]. With simple trust in God, Mary said, ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word’ [see Luke 1:26–38].
“When we decide to do ‘whatsoever [God] saith unto’ us, we earnestly commit to align our everyday behavior with God’s will. Such simple acts of faith as studying the scriptures daily, fasting regularly, and praying with real intent deepen our well of spiritual capacity to meet the demands of mortality. Over time, simple habits of belief lead to miraculous results. They transform our faith from a seedling into a dynamic power for good in our lives. Then, when challenges come our way, our rootedness in Christ provides steadfastness for our souls. God shores up our weaknesses, increases our joys, and causes ‘all things [to] work together for [our] good’ [Romans 8:28; D&C 90:24].”
(“Whatsoever He Saith unto You, Do It,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 97–98.)
