1 Nephi 9:6

6  But the Lord ^aknoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all ^bpower unto the fulfilling of all his words.  And thus it is.  Amen.

            -30 years later Nephi still did not know the Lord's reason, but he did it!

            -the Lord, like a conductor of a symphony, orchestrates a marvelous production.  And just like a conductor, he does not make the members play correctly, they have the ability and right to play out of tune, rhythm or gate of the larger orchestra –but if they choose to do so, the music will be ugly, chaotic and will not elevate.

    “the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning”

            -TRUTH!  Not only does God know all things, but he pre-knows it.  He knows it before it happens.  Others have described this prescience as the simultaneous occurance of all things.  There is no element of time to God –he lives outside of time.  While we cannot comprehend this, it does not invalidate it or make such a condition impossible.  There are many things that “are” but are incomprehensible to us.  Many earthly processes or conditions are beyond our understanding and yet we know that they transpire.  If such happen on a telestial level, how is it that we doubt their existence on a much higher –a celestial- level?

            -how does this truth change the way we live?  The way we trust God?  The decisions we make during the difficult times of our life?  If we really believe that He knows all things that are now or will happen to us in the future  -both positive things and what we call “tragedies” or “disasters”- and likewise prepares a way for us to successfully navigate through them, if we really have an abiding faith that this is true then there is no place for fear or despondency.  We are in the hands of God  -hands that we know are all powerful, all loving, all merciful!

   “wherefore he prepareth a way”

            -this is the merciful part.  An omnipotent and all knowing God who is able to know all things is one thing.  That is an amazing power (or can we say, “spiritual gift”) but what to do with that power is another thing entirely.  Mortal men would become manipulative and use that power for their own benefit.  We would do terribly small things like bet on the outcome of the Super Bowl, put ourselves in positions to take advantage because of our foreknowledge.  Alternately, God could simply sit back and let things play out as He has forseen.  He does neither of these.  While still holding agency and free will sovereign, he prepares a way for the elevation and exhaltation of his children.  To know all things is a tremendous gift.  To use that gift in righteousness is a quality of and a qualification to be God.

     “he hath all power"

            -notice how many times “all “ is used in this verse.  To receive a totality requires the strictest and unfaltering obedience to the laws that lead to that endowment.  All could not be his if he was not first obedient to all imposed upon him.

            -Christ and the Father have ALL power, including power to override the agency of man, just as they have power to sin, but hey will never exercise that power.  We would do well to recognize that although we may possess the ability to do certain things it is not as valid  to conclude that we should then take that ability to fulfillment.  Power in its fullest is not a good thing if not counterbalance by “all-loving” or “all-self-disciplined”.

    “he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words.”

            -whatever God declares, he is able to accomplish.  He is in total control of bringing about what he says.  This power comes because He knows all things.  We do not have this amazing power to bring about what we say.  Sometimes we say, I want to do such and such or I promise not to let anything happen to you” but our power to make those things effectual (to bring them about absolutely) is limited.  We may speak things out of an emotional motivation and tremendous desire but we frequently do not deliver on the things we say.  This is largely because we do not know the end from the beginning.  If we had this knowledge we would know what to promise/what to speak because we know of its eventuality.    So the power of God is to know all things and then to speak in accordance with what we know.  In other words to make sure our words are in perfect harmony with the truth of things to come.  So the central question is, how is it that God is able to achieve all knowledge?  What laws predicate the acquisition of all knowledge?