Instruments in His Hands

In his epistle to the Romans, Paul wrote that we should not be “instruments of unrighteousness unto sin” but we should rather be “instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13).  This is the only place in the New Testamant that speaks of being “instruments” to God, but in the Book of Mormon the idea of being an instrument in God’s hands is repeated in multiple places.  Lehi told his Laman and Lemuel that Nephi had been “an instrument in the hands of God” in brininging their family across the ocean (2 Nephi 1:24).  When Alma’s people wanted to make him king after their escape from King Noah, he admitted that he had been “an instrument in [God’s] hands” in bringing them to the knowledge of the truth, but he still refused to rule over them as a king (Mosiah 23:10).  Mormon described the sons of Mosiah as “instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer” (Mosiah 27:36).  The Lord even declared Himself to the sons of Mosiah when they started their mission, “I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls” (Alma 17:11).  Ammon repeated the idea again in his rejoicings with his brothers: “We have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work….  We have been instruments in his hands in doing this great and marvelous work” (Alma 26:3, 15).  In Alma’s own expressions of joy he similarly declared his hope that he would be “an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance” (Alma 29:9).  What’s interesting to me is that this description of being an “instrument” always comes with the qualifier “in the hands of God” in these references in the Book of Mormon.  These faithful Nephite missionaries did not do great works of themselves, but they allowed God to use them to do His purposes.  When a doctor performs a successful surgery, we never credit the operating instruments he used for the success: it was the doctor’s skill and knowledge that brought about the success.  Similarly, Christ is the “author of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9), “the Lord of the harvest” (Alma 26:7), and indeed “the Great Physician” for the human family (President Monson, “Your Personal Influence,” Ensign, May 2004, 23).  He does the work of salvation and we glory in Him.  But we can be instruments in His hands for good as we strive to live the kind of life He has prescribed for us.