I think there's an important difference. We need the experience of mortality because we're flawed and need the opportunity to be "repaired", or perfected. I would call those flaws "weaknesses". On the other hand, if we were not weak, we would most likely expect to be able to overcome our weaknesses on our own, without seeking grace. Of course we can't; we require an external agent to operate on us.
Renaissance NerdAugust 9, 2017
Weakness and weaknesses are so closely related that I think it is a distinction without a difference. Mortal weakness includes vicissitudes (i.e. weaknesses) that could be considered a subset of weakness, but the sum of weaknesses, physical, mental and spiritual, constitute a whole: weakness. The idea that only a particular weakness for something, such as a love of chocolate, is what God is referring to is of course ridiculous.
On the other hand, the idea that God specifically parcels out weaknesses to each of us is not necessarily the right reading either. He doesn't need to micromanage things to that degree, and using it as an excuse...'God gave me my weakness for chocolate so I'd be humble, so it's His fault not mine' is a mere cop-out.
Chuck DeWittAugust 9, 2017
Great article. However the actual words are "if men will come unto me...I make weak things become strong unto them." What are "weak things" ? We all have issues with character traits, with relationships, with health, with life. These are shortcomings...weak things. When we humble ourselves and seek help from Our Savior, we will get help with a weakness or more than one weakness (notice I did not say weaknesses). Bottom line... "weak things" refers to our earthly nature. It is used as a adjective to describe us rather than a pronoun to identify us. Conclusion: it is okay to use weaknesses.
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PopsAugust 13, 2017
I think there's an important difference. We need the experience of mortality because we're flawed and need the opportunity to be "repaired", or perfected. I would call those flaws "weaknesses". On the other hand, if we were not weak, we would most likely expect to be able to overcome our weaknesses on our own, without seeking grace. Of course we can't; we require an external agent to operate on us.
Renaissance NerdAugust 9, 2017
Weakness and weaknesses are so closely related that I think it is a distinction without a difference. Mortal weakness includes vicissitudes (i.e. weaknesses) that could be considered a subset of weakness, but the sum of weaknesses, physical, mental and spiritual, constitute a whole: weakness. The idea that only a particular weakness for something, such as a love of chocolate, is what God is referring to is of course ridiculous. On the other hand, the idea that God specifically parcels out weaknesses to each of us is not necessarily the right reading either. He doesn't need to micromanage things to that degree, and using it as an excuse...'God gave me my weakness for chocolate so I'd be humble, so it's His fault not mine' is a mere cop-out.
Chuck DeWittAugust 9, 2017
Great article. However the actual words are "if men will come unto me...I make weak things become strong unto them." What are "weak things" ? We all have issues with character traits, with relationships, with health, with life. These are shortcomings...weak things. When we humble ourselves and seek help from Our Savior, we will get help with a weakness or more than one weakness (notice I did not say weaknesses). Bottom line... "weak things" refers to our earthly nature. It is used as a adjective to describe us rather than a pronoun to identify us. Conclusion: it is okay to use weaknesses.
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