This important doctrinal message was also forcefully impressed upon the heart and soul of the young prophet Joseph Smith after the loss of the 116 manuscript pages of the Book of Mormon. To him the Lord declared: “For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him.” The Lord further instructed Joseph to be faithful and repent of his sins, and then again warned: “Except thou do this, thou shalt be delivered up and become as other men” (see D&C 3:4, 11, italics added).
“We Had Become Weak Like Unto Our Brethren”
By using his own people as an example, Mormon provides us with a significant doctrinal teaching concerning the “strength of the Lord’ that comes by the power of the Holy Ghost through personal righteousness. ”I know, in the strength of the Lord thou canst do all things, “ Lamoni testified (Alma 20:4).
There is a real power, both physical and spiritual, that can come into the life of every man or woman who is filled with the Holy Ghost. That power constitutes the ”strength of the Lord“—a divine, unlimited power. Without that strength and power we are left only with the limited mortal abilities of man. Mormon informs us that his people were without the Spirit.
Having no claim upon the infinite powers and strengths of Got, being cut off from the blessings of the Spirit, they were left to their own natural abilities, which were infinitely inferior to the ”strength of the Lord.“ Thus they were nothing special or unique; they were just like any other natural man.
Ammon clearly understood the difference between the strength of the Lord and mortal man’s weakness. He testified: ”I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things“ (Alma 26:12).”