What I learned:  I learned a lot about weakness.  That we can think of weakness as our strength overused (heard this from Jody Moore).  Weakness is a state we are in so that we can learn to connect with other people and rely more on Jesus Christ.  Plus I loved the idea from Simon Sinek that weakness is really just context and that we can learn to stack the deck as we see in what context our attributes work the best.  I think my favorite is that it is strength to admit that you have a weakness and need help.  Below are the sources and references I used for this episode. 

The guest was Dr. Joseph Spencer  *From the Follow Him Transcripts

Dr. Joseph Spencer: 44:11 (time in the podcast)

“But the other way it can be heard of course too is that God's power, God's strength is made perfect in humans embracing their weakness. If human beings are strong enough on their own, if they're somehow good enough to do it all on their own, then where would God's strength show up? We wouldn't need it. We wouldn't ask for it. Only inasmuch as we are weak and we stop running from the fact that we're weak can God's strength be made perfect, show up in the world.” 

Dr. Joseph Spencer:  47:56

Exactly. There's actually a line in Ether 12 that I think we often read poorly if we don't read it with Paul. Ether 12:27, there are actually a lot of things in this verse we read poorly, I think, in everyday ways. The Lord's speaking to Moroni here, and we're seeing very similar language to Paul. "If men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble, and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me. For if they humble themselves before me and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." I think we have a tendency to read that last line as meaning something like I have things that are particular weaknesses to me, and yet I can replace those with strengths. But I wonder if that's the right way to hear it when the wording is, "I will make weak things become strong."

Dr. Joseph Spencer 48:50 

 That's not necessarily replacement. It could be that once we recognize that weakness is in fact a gift, which is how the Lord talks about it there, then those weak things embraced as weak things are strong. At least that's the way Paul talks in the very next verse back in 2 Corinthians 12 in verse 10. "Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distress for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." It's not that the weakness has to be replaced with a strength. It's when I finally stop resisting the fact that I am weak, oh, wretched man that I am, that's the very moment that I'm strong. It may be then weak things becoming strong is not at all replacement. Weak things are strong in their weakness. I'm struck, Ether 12 just going on, verse 28, this is still the Lord speaking. 

Dr. Joseph Spencer 49:30

He promises to show the Gentiles their weakness. That might feel like it's unconnected from what he says next, but I think it's actually directly connected. So he says, "I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope, and charity bringeth unto me the fountain of all righteousness." So, what does showing the Gentiles their weakness have to do with showing them that faith, hope, and charity brings to Christ? I think the answer has to be that faith, hope, and charity are perfect examples of something that is profoundly weak and profoundly strong. If I have faith, it means I don't know. I can't prove. I can't just knock everyone over with it. It's weak. It's a position of weakness, and yet, faith is what moves mountains. Faith is the strongest force we can have in Christ.