Life

In the mists of this stage called life we are faced with trials, tribulations, fears, distractions, questions, concerns, disappointments, misunderstandings, anger, pain, hurt, despair, loneliness...
Moments come that bring questions if what we are facing is worth it. If what we are experiencing is truly for our good. We cannot see the end from where we stand. We cannot see that which we have been promised. So we are faced with a choice. Do we continue in faith and believe in that which we want, hope, desire, long to be true?
OR do we not?
Every day we are faced with opportunities to live in faith. To live according to what we KNOW for ourselves to be true. No other person will be able to justify our actions. Calm our fears. Or convince us of what we should do. It becomes our choice to follow what we know we should do and what we know we can do.
There comes a point where we force ourselves to be more.
Love more.
Care more.
Listen more.
Believe more.
Lift more.
Smile more.
Believe longer.
Wait longer.
Be stronger.
Do what we have not done before.
No longer convinced that the way we think about ourselves and the way we treat others is permanent.

Change.

An Apostle of God said...
"... it ought to be a matter of great doctrinal consolation to us that Jesus, in the course of the Atonement, experienced all of the heartache and sorrow, all of the disappointments and injustices that the entire family of man had experienced and would experience from Adam and Eve to the end of the world in order that we would not have to face them so severely or so deeply. However heavy our load might be, it would be a lot heavier if the Savior had not gone that way before us and carried that burden with us and for us.


Very early in the Prophet Joseph’s ministry, the Savior taught him this doctrine. After speaking of sufferings so exquisite to feel and so hard to bear, Jesus said, “I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they [and that means you and I and everyone] might not suffer if they would repent” (D&C 19:16). In our moments of pain and trial, I guess we would shudder to think it could be worse, but the answer to that is clearly that it could be worse and it would be worse. Only through our faith and repentance and obedience to the gospel that provided the sacred Atonement is it kept from being worse.

Furthermore, we note that not only has the Savior suffered, in His case entirely innocently, but so have most of the prophets and other great men and women recorded in the scriptures. Name an Old Testament or Book of Mormon prophet, name a New Testament Apostle, name virtually any of the leaders in any dispensation, including our own, and you name someone who has had trouble.
My point? If you are having a bad day, you’ve got a lot of company—very, very good company. The best company that has ever lived.

Now, don’t misunderstand. We don’t have to look for sorrow. We don’t have to seek to be martyrs. Trouble has a way of finding us even without our looking for it...But remember, first, God has not forgotten you, and second, the Savior has been where you have been, allowing Him to provide for your deliverance and your comfort." - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland 9.7.2008 (The whole talk is worth the time to read it. Or you can watch it.)