"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."
Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8
The idea of "enduring well" is interesting. Enduring sometimes seems like gritting our teeth and just trying to get through it, but when God adds "well" in there, it seems like there has to be something more to it. It reminds me of Mosiah 24:15 where the people "did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord," even though at the time they were enslaved.
Bad things are going to happen. We know that, right? We can't get through life completely free of pain, or unaffected by other people negatively. We might have our stuff stolen, or lose our jobs, our shelter, and even our loved ones. We might have health issues that make it harder to enjoy our favorite things. Joseph Smith, who the verses above were directed to, definitely had some tough things going on, both for himself and for the people that he felt responsible for. But despite the incredibly hard things that he had to go through, he did a great work, and accomplished so much in his life. And I think that is what God is really asking all of us. Instead of being angry and resentful when bad things happen, maybe we can recognize that it is part of life... part of the test, and not let it stop us from doing good and learning to *be* good.
Today, no matter how tough things are, let's work on enduring well. Let's not let the tough parts of life ruin the good parts. Let's prioritize our faith over our fear. Let's help others to see hope, even when despair is most tempting. Let's look for the good, and find the joy.
And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."
Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8
The idea of "enduring well" is interesting. Enduring sometimes seems like gritting our teeth and just trying to get through it, but when God adds "well" in there, it seems like there has to be something more to it. It reminds me of Mosiah 24:15 where the people "did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord," even though at the time they were enslaved.
Bad things are going to happen. We know that, right? We can't get through life completely free of pain, or unaffected by other people negatively. We might have our stuff stolen, or lose our jobs, our shelter, and even our loved ones. We might have health issues that make it harder to enjoy our favorite things. Joseph Smith, who the verses above were directed to, definitely had some tough things going on, both for himself and for the people that he felt responsible for. But despite the incredibly hard things that he had to go through, he did a great work, and accomplished so much in his life. And I think that is what God is really asking all of us. Instead of being angry and resentful when bad things happen, maybe we can recognize that it is part of life... part of the test, and not let it stop us from doing good and learning to *be* good.
Today, no matter how tough things are, let's work on enduring well. Let's not let the tough parts of life ruin the good parts. Let's prioritize our faith over our fear. Let's help others to see hope, even when despair is most tempting. Let's look for the good, and find the joy.
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