1. We must endure with patience,
2. Christ suffered for ALL, and
3. Faith gives us power.
Each of these things might seem simple enough to remember and yet, I found myself needing to be reminded of them.
We must endure with patience
"For ye have need of patience, that,
after yet have done the will of God,
ye might receive the promise"
(Hebrews 10:36).
One of the main principles of the gospel is to endure to the end. But enduring doesn't just mean to survive the trials and tribulations that will inevitably come throughout this mortal life. It means surviving our trials with faith and patience and courage.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:
"We will have many opportunities to abandon our journey. At times it will seem that the path requires more than we had wished for. But... we must have the courage to follow our Redeemer, even when our cross seems too heavy to bear."
In the Women's Session of that same conference, President Uchtdorf counseled us:
"There will always be things to complain about - things that don't seem to go quite right. You can spend your days feeling sad, alone, misunderstood, or unwanted. But that isn't the journey you had hoped for, and it's not the journey Heavenly Father sent you to take... Look for the happiness your Father in Heaven has prepared for you in every step of your journey."
And so it's important for us to remember that, yes, this life is meant to be one of trials and testing. But we are also supposed to experience joy and happiness in this life as well. After all, we learn in the scriptures that "men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25).
Enduring to the end can seem overwhelming at times. After all, when trials come (and they will come), it is often hard to see how things will all work out. But they WILL work out one way or another. That doesn't mean that things will work out the way that we want them to. It doesn't mean that everything is going to be perfect right now, but we can rest assured that some day everything will be made as it should because "the Lord is full of... equity" (Alma 9:26).
Enduring to the end can seem overwhelming at times. After all, when trials come (and they will come), it is often hard to see how things will all work out. But they WILL work out one way or another. That doesn't mean that things will work out the way that we want them to. It doesn't mean that everything is going to be perfect right now, but we can rest assured that some day everything will be made as it should because "the Lord is full of... equity" (Alma 9:26).
Our Heavenly Father loves us ALL and wants us ALL to not only be tested, but to endure with faith and experience the joy that is possible in this life. He has provided a way for all of us to experience this, which brings me to the next insight I gained...
Christ suffered for ALL
"We are sanctified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all"
(Hebrews 10:10).
Notice the emphasis on "for all" as it is written in the scriptures. It doesn't say that Christ suffered for only the saints or only the sinners, for members of the Church only, for only men, or only for those who actually repent. No. He suffered for all.
There are so many quotes that I could share that fit with this (I'm not sure if you've noticed this about me, but I LOVE quotes from our Church leaders). I will share two of my favorites that I think fit with this principle and add some clarity to it.
"Surely it would guide our actions in a dramatic way if we remembered that every time we transgress, we hurt not only those we love, but we also hurt [Christ], who so dearly loves us. But if we do sin, however serious that sin may be, we can be rescued by that same majestic figure, He who bears the only name given under heaven whereby any man or woman can be saved."
Did you get that? Any man or woman can be saved through Christ because He suffered for each and every one of us. He suffered for our sins whether or not we decide to repent of them. Why wouldn't we take advantage of His beautiful sacrifice?
The first part of Elder Holland's quote is something that has always hit me. When I was younger I remember my dad telling me that any time we sin, we are adding more pain onto the anguish Christ had to feel as He suffered for our sins. This is something that I have always tried to remember as I make choices throughout my life.
I would like to add a quote from President Uchtdorf (he seems to be a favorite of mine today) into the mix:
"It is not repentance per se that saves man. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that saves us. It is not by our sincere and honest change of behavior alone that we are saved, but 'by grace that we are saved, after all we can do' (2 Nephi 25:23). True repentance, however, is the condition required so that God's forgiveness can come into our lives."
Christ already suffered for our sins. He suffered for our sins because He loves us. If we truly love Him, we will repent of all of our sins and take full advantage of His sacrifice and His saving Atonement for us.
Faith gives us power
Chapter 11 of Hebrews talks about many great people from the scriptures and what their faith drove them to do and allowed them to overcome. I want to summarize just a few of these.
Abel - Abel's faith drove him to offer a great sacrifice to the Lord; one that was greater than his brother's sacrifice because Cain lacked faith (Hebrews 11:4).
Enoch - because of Enoch's faith he was translated so he would never taste of death (Hebrews 11:5).
Noah - Noah's faith gave him the courage to warn the people of the flood. He built the ark and was able to save his family from the destruction (Hebrews 11:7).Abraham - when Abraham was commanded to go to a place he had never been, he went, although he didn't know where he was going. He had faith in the Lord and he obeyed (Hebrews 11:8). In addition, Abraham obeyed the Lord in offering up His son, Isaac, not knowing what the purpose was for doing so (Hebrews 11:17).
Sara - through Sara's faith she was able to conceive a child although she was "past age" (Hebrews 11:11).
Because of the great faith that these individuals (and many others) had, they were driven to do many things that they otherwise wouldn't have done and they were able to accomplish the things which the Lord wanted them to. The scriptures go on to tell us...
"These all died in faith, not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them,
and embraced them, and confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth"
(Hebrews 11:13).
This leads me back to my first point of enduring to the end, knowing that the Lord has our best interests in mind. These individuals didn't necessarily see the blessings from their faith in this life. But they believed and trusted in the Lord, knowing that He would one day keep His promises and bless them for their faith.
Elder Holland counsels us to "believe in God and [ourselves]." Sometimes true faith does not come easily, especially when faced with difficult trials. To this, Elder Holland counsels:
"In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited... When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes... Jesus said, 'If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall way unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.' The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue - it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know."
Elder Holland then tells us,
"You have more faith than you think you do."
Faith, the first principle of the gospel, is so important to our success in this mortal life. With faith in Jesus Christ and in our Father in Heaven, we can accomplish ALL that the Father wants us to accomplish.
Conclusion
These three principles all work together to help us become who the Lord wants us to become. Faith and Repentance are two of the first principles of the gospel as stated in the 4th Article of Faith. Enduring to the end, though not mentioned in the 4th Article of Faith, is another one that is necessary for us to return to live with our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ and to remain with our families throughout all eternity.
This is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Could there possibly be anything more beautiful?
Resources
Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Four Titles. April 2013 General Conference Priesthood Session of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/four-titles?lang=eng
Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Point of Safe Return. April 2007 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/04/point-of-safe-return?lang=eng
Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Your Wonderful Journey Home. March 2013 General Women's Meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/liahona/
2013/05/your-wonderful-journey-home?lang=eng
Jeffrey R. Holland. Behold Thy Mother. October 2015 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/behold-thy-mother?lang=eng&_r=1
Jeffrey R. Holland. Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul. April 2010 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2010/04/place-no-more-for-the-enemy-of-my-soul?lang=eng
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