less than the dust of the earth

Have you ever wondered what it meant that man is "less than the dust of the earth?" In the Book of Mormon, the prophet Mormon explains very clearly how and why it is that mankind truly is "less than the dust of the earth."

Mormon says that despite God's "great goodness and mercy towards [men], they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide." Mormon continues, "For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God."

So, basically when God commands men to do something, rarely do they obey and follow his instruction, but when God commands the dust of the earth to do something, it immediately obeys his voice. Mormon gives several examples of the mountains, valleys, and seas all obeying God's command, yet men are "quick to do iniquity" and "slow to do good."

This account can teach us a lot about agency. God is all-powerful, so why can't he make us obey him when he commands us to be good? God has given to all mankind agency so that we can choose good from evil. If God were to ever infringe upon our agency, his plan for us would be destroyed because it is based upon our agency and rewarding us according to that which we choose to do during our time on earth.

In conclusion, we have our agency to choose whether to obey God and when we use that agency to disobey his commandments we are "less than the dust of the earth." As we align our will to his and choose to follow Him in obedience, we can rise above the dust of the earth to our true potential as sons and daughters of God.

All quotes were taken from Helaman 12 in the Book of Mormon.