Sunday's Talk

I have pasted below the talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting last Sunday. It's long, so take a deep breath and enjoy! Megan also talked; check out her words of wisdom HERE.

CRITICALITIES OF LIFE

In preparation for this talk I decided I would discuss several questions with respect to adversity. They are:

1. What is Adversity?
2. Who does Adversity Affect?
3. Why do we have adversity?
4. How do we overcome adversity?
5. How do we prevent or cope with adversity?

I will answer these questions in that order.

What is Adversity?

Adversity is a lot like Tupperware. For example, it is something that everyone has and it comes in many colors, shapes and sizes and each piece seems to have a different purpose. Some forms of adversity that we encounter in our lives include trials, disappointments, sadness, sickness and heartache. Helping others to overcome adversity can be a very rewarding experience in our lives. Unfortunately, true to the analogy, we don’t typically think a lot about our neighbors’ Tupperware. [pause for laughter]

The adverse conditions that we face in life are directed by our Heavenly Father. In His all-knowing way He allows adversity to enter our lives so that through the principles of free agency, adversity becomes a teaching tool to prepare us to return to Him. Each individual receives trials specific to their needs. As we learn to manage our own trials in life, Heavenly Father can use us as an instrument to serve others in effort to alleviate their pains and suffering.

Last week in Elder’s quorum we had a really good discussion about trials. I don’t know if it was planned that way, but our lesson gave me a lot of good material for this talk. The lesson came from the teachings of Joseph Smith, the prophet of the Restoration and the first president of our church in this dispensation. Joseph Smith’s life was full of adversity.

Wilford Woodruff, the fourth President of the Church, said: “The Lord told Joseph that He would prove him, whether he would abide in His covenant or not, even unto death. He did prove him; and although [Joseph] had the whole world to contend against and the treachery of false friends to withstand, although his whole life was a scene of trouble and anxiety and care, yet, in all his afflictions, his imprisonments, the mobbings and ill treatment he passed through, he was ever true to his God.”2

Who does Adversity Affect?

Again quoting from the Joseph Smith manual, the prophet Joseph taught:

“The destinies of all people are in the hands of a just God, and He will do no injustice to any one; and this one thing is sure, that they who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution [see 2 Timothy 3:12]; and before their robes are made white in the blood of the Lamb, it is to be expected, according to John the Revelator, they will pass through great tribulation [see Revelation 7:13–14].”4

“Men have to suffer that they may come upon Mount Zion and be exalted above the heavens.”5 [End quote]

Each of us will experience some form of adversity in our lives. Some may be experiencing none, one or multiple trials at any given time. Some trials may be short-lived, others constant and long-suffering. Through our individual attitudes and faith, we may differ in how we manage and allow our adversities to affect us.

This is an essential part of Heavenly Father’s plan of redemption. Heavenly Father has sent us to earth where we are required to exercise the gift of free agency. Maintaining our ability to choose and then choosing to positively react to adversity are important steps in returning to our Heavenly Father.

Why do we Have Adversity?

As an American missionary in a third world country, I was often asked by embittered people not of our faith why a loving God would allow such widespread suffering around the world. Due to the closed-minded attitude of the inquisitors, they never accepted my straightforward answer. My response was typically along the lines of this quote obtained from lds.org:

Trials may come as a consequence of a person's own pride and disobedience. These trials can be avoided through righteous living. Other trials are simply a natural part of life and may come at times when people are living righteously. For example, people may experience trials in times of sickness or uncertainty or at the deaths of loved ones. Adversity may sometimes come because of others' poor choices and hurtful words and actions. Suffering may also come through a loving Heavenly Father as a tutoring experience. [End Quote]

Ultimately, like father Lehi taught his son Jacob in 2 Nephi 2:11, we must have adversity in our lives to teach us the difference between good and bad, and holy and unholy. Knowing and recognizing the difference will then prepare us to return to live with our families and Heavenly Father forever.

Shortly after being chased out of town by the wicked King Noah, Alma the older (the first Alma) said this in Mosiah 23: 21-22:

21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to ^achasten his people; yea, he trieth their ^bpatience and their faith.

22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his ^atrust in him the same shall be ^blifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people.

The Lord tests our patience and faith through adversity. With the help of the Lord, the promise is that we can be “lifted up” to return to live with our Heavenly Father “at the last day.” Each step involved in overcoming adversity will lead to spiritual growth, refinement and progress. In Ether 12 Moroni taught: And if men come unto me I will show unto them their ^aweakness. I ^bgive unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my ^cgrace is sufficient for all men that ^dhumble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make ^eweak things become strong unto them.

Moroni also said:

I would show unto the world that ^afaith is things which are ^bhoped for and ^cnot seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no ^dwitness until after the ^etrial of your faith.

It is through our trials that we can test our faith and then if we’re successful in being patient and hard working, we will gain testimony. The Lord will see that we are sufficiently tried to be purified, sanctified and worthy in preparation to return to Him.

John Taylor, the third President of the Church, said: “I heard the Prophet Joseph say, in speaking to the Twelve on one occasion: ‘You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and (said he) God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God.’ … Joseph Smith never had many months of peace after he received the truth, and finally he was murdered in Carthage jail.”8

How do we Overcome Adversity?

Alma the younger, son of the first Alma who was previously quoted, reiterated his father’s teaching in Alma 36:3:

"Whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day"

Adverse conditions can teach us and help us to grow closer to the Lord by putting our trust in Him. In this instance putting our trust in Him means working harder to model our lives after the pattern he has taught us in the church through the modern-day prophets. As always, the scriptures, with extra emphasis to the teachings and life examples of Jesus Christ are an excellent source of inspiration and comfort.

As we exercise our faith through prayer, study and meditation we should ask the following questions:

1. What am I to do?
2. What am I to learn from this experience?
3. What am I to change?
4. Whom am I to help?
5. How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial?

Relying on the Lord to ease our burdens and teach us from on high fulfills Elder Neal A. Maxwell’s teaching that

Rather than simply passing through trials, we must allow trials to pass through us in ways that sanctify us. [End Quote]

If the purpose of having trials is just that as previously mentioned, to sanctify us in preparation to receive celestial glory, then the best way to permanently overcome our trials is to make sure that we don’t ever forget the lessons learned and then they will never comeback. Like the sports cliché says, the best defense is a solid offense. That mentality has worked well with positive results for BYU 7 out of 8 times this year, so obviously it’s not perfect. Therefore, let’s examine what happens when we apply both a solid offense and a solid defense, which leads me to the next question.

How do we Prevent/Cope with Adversity?

As stated, if we exercise faith and fully learn and always remember what the Lord expects us to understand through our adversities, we will not necessitate further trials along those same lines. This is a component of enduring to the end.

Tupperware comes with a lifetime guarantee. Likewise, our Heavenly Father offers us a lifetime guarantee with respect to adversity. In Mark 13:13 Jesus taught:

“He that shall [faithfully] endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”

Elder Robert D. Hales said:

If we are patient in our afflictions, endure them well, and wait upon the Lord to learn the lessons of mortality, the Lord will be with us to strengthen us unto the end of our days

We learn to endure to the end by learning to finish our current responsibilities, and we simply continue doing it all of our lives. We cannot expect to learn endurance in our later years if we have developed the habit of quitting when things get difficult now.

Enduring to the end is necessary, but not necessarily easy. Because we are human, we are not perfect and we are prone to temptations as Satan exploits our weaknesses. Our Heavenly Father has promised us this in Corinthians 10:13:

There hath no temptation ^ataken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be ^btempted above that ye are able; but will with the ^ctemptation also make a way to ^descape, that ye may be able to ^ebear it.

Though some of our adversities may be long-lasting, they serve to be a constant reminder of what Heavenly Father desires that we learn and they will not be in excess of what we are able to bear. We can’t become depressed and lose hope for what is in store. For example, some of us will encounter life-long disabilities. I have seen this in my own father who has slowly lost his eyesight over the last 20 years. I know that while he misses being able to see his family and he will never be able to see his grandchildren while on this earth, that his permanent disability of blindness has instilled an everlasting hope and testimony to be able to rise up in the first morning if the resurrection. Sure his disability is difficult, but out of this thorny trial he has gained the ability to be one of the most patient, honest and righteous men I have ever met.

I have found through my own personal experiences that Heavenly Father not only limits my trials to what I can bear, but He has also prepared me in advance of my trials. [Tell story MAYBE]

We can gain deeper testimonies and avoid temptations that may weaken our testimonies of important gospel principles by following Helaman’s teaching to his sons Nephi and Lehi in Helaman 5:12:

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the ^arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your ^bfoundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty ^cstorm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Megan mentioned that I am a geotechnical engineer, so this is where I get really excited in a nerdy sort of way. To close I would like to metaphorically expound on the importance of building a solid foundation.

As some of you may know, millions of years ago this area was covered by Lake Bonneville. Over millions of years the lake deposited sediments along the valley floor. As the lake receded, canyons were incised and rivers and streams formed out of the mouths of canyons and through the valley.

We now live in what is called a sediment filled basin. The groundwater is relatively shallow and the sediments are several hundred feet deep in some areas of the Salt Lake Valley. The sediments consist primarily of sand, silt and clay. Due to the soft and liquefaction-prone condition of these soils, deep foundations must be used in the construction of critical use structures.

Some examples of critical use structures are hospitals, schools, highway bridges, power plants, and cell phone towers. Critical use structures must be designed to withstand the maximum considered natural disasters so that in the event of emergency safety, medical assistance and transportation routes remain functioning.

In Utah deep foundations used in the construction of critical use structures typically consist of groups of steel piles. Each pile is driven into the ground until a specified resistance or load capacity is achieved. This sometimes requires that each pile be driven in excess of 100 feet.

The analogy is that our lives are critical to our Heavenly Father and he requires us to do our part in return for eternal life with Him. He said: For behold, this is my ^awork and my ^bglory—to bring to pass the ^cimmortality and ^deternal ^elife of man.

Just like the sediment filled basins where we live, if we desire to build our critical foundation on the rock of Christ, we have to punch through the poor soils of adversity and temptation. Driving piles into the ground is not easy and can be a long and slow process. Oft times it may feel like we have reached the more stable layers below, but a test will prove that we are not quite there. He will help us in reaching our goals and staying on target. May we always work to bear our lives on Christ by overcoming and being patient in our trials.

Bear Testimony.