Remain Open

I say unto my servant Sidney. I have looked upon thee and thy works. I have heard thy prayers. and prepared thee for a greater work. .. . Behold thou wast sent forth, even as John, to prepare the way before me, and before Elijah which should come, and thou knewest it not. Doctrine & Covenants 35:3-4

Marvelous things happen when we surrender our lives and submit our wills to an omniscient God. The prophets have repeatedly taught us that God can do far more with us than we can do with ourselves, especially if we are left to our own limited resources. As intelligent a man as Sidney Rigdon was, he had no idea that the Lord, through his Holy Spirit, was working upon him and preparing him and those within his congregations for the richer blessings of the fulness of the gospel. Truly, Sidney was an Elias, a forerunner, one who was sent to lay the foundation and prepare the hearts of hundreds of people to receive the ever lasting gospel when it was preached by the early Latter-day Saint missionaries. Like Sidney, many of us do good things, but if we will open ourselves to divine guidance, the Almighty can accomplish even greater things through us. (Robert L. Millet and Lloyd D. Newell. Draw Near Unto Me: Daily Reflections on the Doctrine and Covenants. 92)