All through the week, I listen to one talk over and over. While I attend to chores in the morning, I play the audio once or twice. I enjoy and am so thankful for the way the gentle words of the Lord's chosen servants calm me and direct my days in a kinder, more purposeful manner. I'm thankful Stephani ran with the inspiration to host this General Conference book club. It has to be the most meaningful book club in which I've participated.
"Why is it that the Son of God and His holy prophets and all the faithful Saints have trials and tribulations, even when they are trying to do Heavenly Father’s will? Why is it so hard, especially for them?...Does this mean we will always understand our challenges...we realize that the purpose of our life on earth is to grow, develop, and be strengthened through our own experiences...mortal challenges allow us and our Heavenly Father to see whether we will exercise our agency to follow His Son...afflictions will come in all shapes and sizes...we will still find it challenging to wait upon the Lord, especially when we cannot fully understand His plan and purposes for us...Waiting upon the Lord gives us a priceless opportunity to discover that there are many who wait upon us....o show patience, love, and understanding...to show gratitude and compassion...to be tolerant, merciful, and forgiving...to love them as the Savior has loved each one of us...Every one of us is more beloved to the Lord than we can possibly understand or imagine. Let us therefore be kinder to one another and kinder toward ourselves."
One daughter is making wonderful choices in her life but still finds life hard in many ways. Worry and stress over her trials often rear their ugly heads and crowd out the peace and security that can be had through the Spirit. Then she calms down and remembers the promise that everything will turn out right. We often discuss this idea. We are here on earth to learn things that cannot be learned if our lives flow along perfectly. We don't get a get out of jail free card for being good. It is far from helpful to ask, why me? The question to ask is, why not me? Even though we struggle with problems large and small, we are far better of than many others. Generally, we compare our weaknesses to the strengths of others. Instead we ought not be so judging of others and so hard on ourselves. Focusing on developing patience, love, understanding, gratitude, compassion, tolerance, mercy, forgiveness, service, charity, and a willingness to accept God's will as we endure our trials, we fulfill our true destinies . Whether our spiritual nature is more like Mary, Martha, or the Good Samaritan, we should embrace this character and build upon it. It is then that we will find the courage to "...wait upon Him by pressing forward in faith, that we may say in our prayers, 'Thy will be done,' and return to Him with honor."
