Real Life Answers

By Geoff W.

As the holiday season winds down at the end of the year, many look forward optimistically to the new year. The new year is approached with hope, aspirations and goals that require action from us.  This time of year and annual exercise always makes me think about the purpose of life. I believe that the purpose of life is not to acquire things or even knowledge, but to become something, ultimately to grow and progress to reach our fullest potential.

Life is an exquisite teacher. It will try and test you beyond what you possibly thought you could ever accomplish or withstand. I believe we existed as individuals before this life and that we will exist after this life.  If we see this life, our mortal existence, as act two in a three-act play, we allow ourselves to take the long view.  Having a long term view, even an eternal perspective, can make acute bumps along the road of life seem less challenging.  We all have major challenges that will push us to our limit, but if we can view these as an opportunity to learn, progress, and become something better, our long view mindset can enable us to positively push through each challenge. Not only can we survive life’s difficult challenges, but we can use them to our benefit to become something better.

This long view perspective runs counter to many cultures today.  Expectations of my generation and younger generations are accustomed to instant gratification, with answers to questions and fulfillment of appetites literally at their fingertips.  Many cultures are transactional in nature, focused on obtaining a certain product or asset immediately. While wonderful technologies have made such benefits widely available, we have not had the benefit of working in an agricultural world where you plant in the spring and harvest much later in the year, and sometimes not at all.

My father’s favorite saying is, “A little effort consistently will make a massive difference ultimately.” This saying connects our daily actions to our eternal potential.  As we become incrementally better people day after day, we will look back after the years at our former selves and be amazed at the progress we have made.

We will all make mistakes and fall short of our ideals, but we can repent and continue to progress, thanks to the atonement of Jesus Christ.  As we look toward the new year, I would encourage us all to take the long view by making choices and taking consistent action to become the person you want to become.

By Guest Blogger Brittany B.

Life is an interesting phenomenon. There are good days and bad days. Some days break our hearts to the point that we wonder if it will ever be possible to feel whole again, other days bring a sense of joy we never knew existed. At one point or another, almost everyone probably ponders what the purpose of life really is.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe that life is part of a great plan of happiness that God, our Father, has designed for his children. The ultimate goal is to be worthy to return to live with our Heavenly Father again and experience a fullness of joy. With that goal in mind, this life then becomes a period of testing where all of us will experience trials and challenges to see if we will make righteous decisions, exercise faith in God, and remain true to sacred commandments and covenants. Yet it seems that for many, the struggles of life draw them away from God rather than closer to him.

An example of this is seen in the beginning of the Book of Mormon. After being commanded to leave Jerusalem and flee into the wilderness, Laman and Lemuel are constantly murmuring against God. We are told that this is in part due to the fact that, “They knew not the dealings of that God who had created them,” (1 Nephi 2:12). What exactly are the dealings of God and how can understanding them help us endure trials and draw closer to him?

My own knowledge of the dealings of God is still in its infancy, but I would like to share some of what I have learned on this subject throughout the past few years. I’d like to start by going back to another scripture from the beginning of the Book of Mormon. Nephi tells us, “Behold, I will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all . . . to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance,” (1 Nephi 2:20). Recall that this is the same Nephi who was told to flee Jerusalem and journey into the wilderness. What are these tender mercies Nephi speaks of and why are they so important? Elder David A. Bednar, a modern-day apostle, explains, “The Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because and through the Lord Jesus Christ,” (The Tender Mercies of the Lord). Elder Bednar goes on to say that,

One of the ways whereby the Savior comes to each of us is through his abundant, and tender mercies . . . When words cannot provide the solace that we need, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, [and] when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, . . . truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance. (The Tender Mercies of the Lord)

God will not permit any of us to be immune from trials in life, but one of the ways the Savior reaches us is through his tender mercies. In my own life when I have faced some of the scenarios Elder Bednar described, as I have tried not only to accurately identify but also to regularly express gratitude for tender mercies, it has helped me remain bonded to my Father in Heaven even amidst overwhelming frustrations and challenges. The trial itself never disappears, but I can experience the deliverance Nephi speaks of when I encircle myself in the arms of his love.

Secondly, I’d like to mention what Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, another modern-day apostle, called the principle of compensation. Elder Wirthlin declared that, “The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude,” (Come What May, and Love It). This principle of compensation has helped me understand that it’s not always about the here and now. In my own life, there has been more than one occasion where I have cried out, “Heavenly Father, why did you let this happen?” In all the times that I have asked that question I have yet to receive an explanation, but understanding this principle of compensation has helped me to view things through the lens of eternity and to keep trusting in God even when it seems like heavenly promises have been broken.

Thirdly, I’d like to discuss the reality of angels. In his talk, “The Ministry of Angels”, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland teaches, “From the beginning down through the dispensations, God has used angels as His emissaries in conveying love and concern for his children. They come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal. But seen or unseen they are always there.” I can likewise testify of the reality of angels. Even if we can’t see them, I believe God wants us to know that angels surround us as another witness that he never forsakes us, that he never gives up on us, and that heavenly help is always near.

My final point involves coming to better understand the magnitude and depth of the love our Heavenly Father has for us. There is an amazing scriptural account in Moses 7 in the Pearl of Great Price that we don’t fully appreciate. After beholding all the inhabitants and nations of the earth, Enoch is stunned to see God weeping. In complete awe, he asks, “How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” (Moses 7:29). God’s incredible response is this: “Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands . . . And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father: but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood; . . . wherefore, should not the heavens weep, seeing these shall suffer?” (Moses 7: 32, 33). After viewing the wickedness and misery of the children of men, Enoch “Stretched forth his arms, and his heart swelled wide as eternity; and his bowels yearned; and all eternity shook . . . but the Lord said unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; . . . And behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced,” (Moses 7: 41, 44, 47).

Consider what this passage of scripture teaches. We learn that God himself weeps over his children, even his most disobedient children. Furthermore, consider how quickly God rushes to comfort Enoch when his son begins to weep. In reference to this scene, Elder Neal A. Maxwell stated, “Not always, but more than we know, when we are confronted in the human circumstance with the difference between what could be and what is, we do not weep alone!” (The Pathway of Discipleship). Finally, consider that comfort comes to Enoch’s soul when he sees the Son of God. Elder Holland said it best when he said, “In His own ministry, Jesus did not come to improve God’s view of man nearly so much as He came to improve man’s view of God and to plead with them to love their Heavenly Father as He has always and will always love them. The plan of God, the power of God, the holiness of God, yes, even the anger and the judgment of God they had occasion to understand. But the love of God, the profound depth of His devotion to His children, they still did not fully know—until Christ came,” (The Grandeur of God).

God knows better than anyone else that in order for us to become like him and experience a fullness of joy, all of us will have to endure trials and heartache in life. But consider the depth of God’s love and everything he does to lessen the pain of mortal experiences—he sends us tender mercies to bless us instantly, he promises us compensation in the long run, and his angels walk with us and probably even carry us when we can’t go any farther.

The love God has for each of us and the individual plan he has for each of us transcends the mortal experiences we have in life. That is hard to believe when we are hurting or when we feel forsaken. But in those harrowing moments that you must inevitably face as part of your own journey through life, please look for the tender mercies of the Lord, find hope in the compensating blessings promised to you, and summon strength from the silent sentinels of heaven that surround you. Remember how much your Heavenly Father loves you individually as his literal son or daughter. If you will allow them, your challenges, reversals, and heartaches can bring you closer to Heavenly Father. And if you will cling to these principles of truth, you will find that they truly begin to mold you, to shape you, to change who you are, and to bind you closer to our Savior Jesus Christ.

I know that God lives and loves us. I know that Jesus Christ is his only begotten son and our Savior. There is always comfort and safety in their outstretched arms.

Several years ago, a friend of mine was riding his bike in Taiwan when he had a life changing experience. He was on a road used by thousands each day, and as he went through a blind curve, he noticed what appeared to be water on the road. He continued on and subsequently went through this ‘water’ when he realized it was not water, but oil. He slipped and fell but was not hurt. He was in a hurry, but thought about the thousands of others who would come upon this oil slick. He thought about another biker falling, followed by a car, and the results could be devastating. He decided to go back around the curve and warn people. In broken Mandarin, my friend yelled and tried to warn everybody. One by one the bikers ignored him, and as they went around the curve they subsequently slipped and fell. Many picked themselves up and continued on. However, a few went back to help my friend. As more people stood together the bikers and cars started to slow down, some even stopping. Who knows how many lives they might have saved that day?!

When you read this parable, I hope you let your mind wander enough for it to teach you how to apply it in your own life. Some of you might have taken a service or leadership approach, others might have seen it a different way. Today, I would like to point out one specific principle that you might not have noticed, but could be life changing.

My lesson today is on the voice of warning. It is very rare for somebody to be fired, fall into temptation, or anything of that nature without first hearing a voice of warning. My friend saw the oil, but misinterpreted it. Once he realized what it was, he became a voice of warning for others who mostly didn’t pay attention to him. It wasn’t until the voice of warning had grown so others could not miss it that people started to listen. I believe that we all need a voice of warning to help us reevaluate our circumstances. I recommend sitting down with a friend once a month to see if your life, work, spirituality, etc. is going well and that you aren’t missing any voices of warning.

I emailed this post to a friend of another faith before I posted it on this blog and his response was very interesting. He told me he wished he would have received this about an hour earlier because he had made some poor decisions in that past hour. However, as he read this post he sat back and thought deeply about his life and was grateful I shared it with him.

Please share this with as many as you can and ask them to reflect on their own lives and the voices of warning which they receive. Share your thoughts with us … what did you learn from this parable? How will you apply it in your life? What voices of warning have you recently had?