Our arms and our power come from our righteousness

Elder Neil A Maxwell said that righteousness will be the power of the Lord's people.  "So let us look at ourselves.  For the Church, the scriptures suggest both an accelerated sifting an accelerated spiritual numerical growth - with all this preceding the time when the people of God will be 'armed with righteousness' - not weapons - and when the Lord's glory will be poured out upon them.  The Lord is determined to have a tried, pure, and proven people . . ." (Ensign, May 1988,8).

Elder Maxwell further explained that honoring our covenants is vital to the reception of this promise: "Church members have a special rendezvous to keep, brothers and sisters.  Nephi saw it.  One future day, he said, Jesus' covenant people, 'scattered upon the face of the earth,' will be armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory; (1Nephi 14:14).  This will happen, but only after more members become more saintly and more consecrated in conduct." (Ensign, Nov. 1991, 32) (From the Book of Mormon Institute Student Manual p.30)

I am going to pray each day that I will " look at myself" and be able to see things as they really are (Jacob 4:13), to recognize my weaknesses (12:27, 37) and face them so as to avoid being among the "sifted", that I will pass the tests that try me and become a "pure and proven" person and that I can become "saintly and consecrated" enough to be among those who are "armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory!"  -Strong, Prepared and Able to Serve.