We are a people of faith, although not always faithful. But hopefully we repent and grow. We believe in prayer and miracles. We see and acknowledge them frequently. You can ask almost any member in any ward to identify a miracle in their life or the life of a loved one and they will speak of miraculous healings through priesthood blessings, they will tell of meeting financial obligations when despite rough times they had paid their tithing or they will offer up stories of loved ones who lost their faith and later returned to the fold after long periods of love and fellowshipping.
In hindsight, God always comes to our aid. We cling to scriptural stories of valiant victories and redeeming rescues. Maybe it’s our human nature and part of our existence but often these victories and rescues seem almost immediate when looking at them in the rear view mirror of life.
My question today is how do we view these trials and temptations, ailments and adversities when we are in the midst of them? How do we keep the faith necessary to get us to that point when the trial is in the rear view mirror? Sometimes we exercise faith to fasting and prayer, sometimes prayer only other times we do nothing more than wish and complain. How do we respond when our life experiences are not yet faith filled stories but are still pain inflicting problems, incessant inconveniences or heart breaking hills yet to climb.
There is a saying “Time heals all wounds”. Time and waiting can indeed be a factor in weathering a trial but faithless waiting for time to drone on can also lead to bitterness and resentment and even less trust in our Father in Heaven.
Psalms tells us “Be still and know that I am God” -That wise counsel suggests that patience is often required. Patience which exercises a belief that in the end God will lead us to what is best. We are a driven people and it is difficult for us to place our struggles and difficulties in God’s hands and recognize His timing. We have heard and probably even recited the story when “Brigham Young was hung up on a sandbar crossing a river on the plains. His companion, troubled, said, “Let’s pray.” Brigham replied, “Pray? I prayed this morning. Let’s get out and push.” Times of action are always around us, but I am talking of times when our actions seem fruitless and futile no matter how well intended. What if there is no end in sight? How do we cope when we fear looking in the rear view mirror may require us to peer back from the eternities?
In October 2020 General Conference Elder Holland said,
“there will be times in our lives when even our best spiritual effort and earnest, pleading prayers do not yield the victories for which we have yearned”
He goes on to say,
“I offer you my apostolic promise that they are heard and they are answered, though perhaps not at the time or in the way we wanted. But they are always answered at the time and in the way an omniscient and eternally compassionate parent should answer them.”
“Be still and know that I am God” may not cure our cancer whether physical, emotional or spiritual; but it can give us peace in times of great anxiety or turmoil. It can be the required respite to refuel ourselves enough to carry on and endure to the end.
In having a discussion about Covid and the difficulties that have been all around us during the past year, -I apologize for paraphrasing the conversation, a wise friend said, “with all the prayers and fasting, if it were God’s plan to remove the disease he would have, he must have other things for us to learn or experience by us continuing to deal with it”.
Please forgive me for injecting a small personal opinion here. I dislike the phrase “when things get back to normal.” If normal was where we needed to be, I doubt the pandemic would still be among us. Let’s continue to look for new ways to act, to minister, to do what we can do without feeling that our only options are the old ways. I am reminded of times President Mecham would suggest getting rid of the unnecessary traditions of the fathers.
Elder Holland again,
“The point is that faith means trusting God in good times and bad, even if that includes some suffering until we see His arm revealed in our behalf. That can be difficult in our modern world when many have come to believe that the highest good in life is to avoid all suffering, that no one should ever anguish over anything. But that belief will never lead us to “the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
“one’s life … cannot be both faith-filled and stress-free.” It simply will not work “to glide naively through life,” saying as we sip another glass of lemonade, “Lord, give me all thy choicest virtues, but be certain not to give me grief, nor sorrow, nor pain, nor opposition. Please do not let anyone dislike me or betray me, and above all, do not ever let me feel forsaken by Thee or those I love. In fact, Lord, be careful to keep me from all the experiences that made Thee divine. And then, when the rough sledding by everyone else is over, please let me come and dwell with Thee, where I can boast about how similar our strengths and our characters are as I float along on my cloud of comfortable Christianity.”
Elder Holland goes on to remind us “Christianity is comforting, but it is often not comfortable”
I spent two years as a missionary in a country where baptisms were few and far between (averaging only about 100 per year for our whole mission). Where teaching appointments were also infrequent. Our time was spent, knocking doors and stopping people on busy streets to see if they, for a moment would like to talk about God. When our efforts led to someone showing interest in our message, seldom would the finding missionaries see that person in the waters of baptism. Those commitments, when they happened, often occurred several companionships later. We complained and commiserated but eventually continued with faith but often only hope that seeds had been planted for future missionaries. In the rear view mirror, I doubt anyone in that country remembers me or my message but the experiences I had there feed me spiritually to this day and are of an eternal nature.
Elder Holland spoke of Liberty jail and the experiences Joseph and the early saints had in such a terrible place. I love the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants. I can’t imagine not having sections 121, 122 and 123. I encourage you all to review those sections when times are rough. In hindsight, these experiences were necessary to provide the sacred scripture we now hold dear.
I close with one more statement from Elder Holland’s talk:
“COVID and cancer, doubt and dismay, financial trouble and family trials. When will these burdens be lifted? The answer is “by and by.” And whether that be a short period or a long one is not always ours to say, but by the grace of God, the blessings will come to those who hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That issue was settled in a very private garden and on a very public hill in Jerusalem long ago.”
I add my testimony to his Jesus is the Christ and lives today. He knows each one of us individually and feels our joys and our sorrows. We can have peace in knowing that he is aware and desires to bless us in the best ways possible.
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