Elder Marvin J. Ashton on enduring challenges and disappointments

Elder Marvin J. Ashton (1915-1994) served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1971 until his death in 1994 at age 78.

"Sometimes the most challenging form of endurance is found in trying to stay with our priorities, commitments, and assignments. How easy it is for some of us to lose our way when the unexpected, and seemingly undeserved, surface in our lives. Greatness is best measured by how well an individual responds to the happenings in life that appear to be totally unfair, unreasonable, and undeserved. Sometimes we are inclined to put up with a situation rather than endure. To endure is to bear up under, to stand firm against, to suffer without yielding, to continue to be, or to exhibit the state or power of lasting.

"Day by day we can make the effort to gain the power to last and to suffer without yielding. Inspiration and motivation are found in many places—from the cases I have cited and from many other examples to be seen on every hand. We can also receive strength from studying the scriptures and praying constantly.

"Friends and loved ones often offer strength and support when our own resolve is weak. In turn, our own strength and capacity will be doubled when we help others endure.

"I pray that God will help us to endure well, with purpose and power. When we so do, the meaningful declaration in 2 Tim. 4:7 will take on a new dimension:

"'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.'

"When heartaches, tragedies, disappointments, injury, unusual attention, fame, or excessive prosperity become part of our lives, our challenges and responsibilities will be to endure them well. God will assist us in our quest to conquer, triumph, and continue if we humbly rededicate ourselves to the meaningful declaration 'We have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things.' (A of F 1:13.)"

- Marvin J. Ashton, "If Thou Endure It Well," General Conference, October 1984
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

What does it mean to "endure"? Elder Ashton points out that it's easy to maintain our course in life when things are going as planned or expected; but when something happens that seems "undeserved" and we face unexpected challenges, a new form of distraction arises. And that is the interesting context Elder Ashton sets for his definition of greatness:

So the challenge is to continue steady and faithful, come what may in our life. Elder Ashton lists some of the difficulties we might encounter:

• heartaches
• tragedies
• disappointments
• injury
• unusual attention
• fame
• excessive prosperity

It's interesting to note the difference between the early items in his list, and the later ones. Challenges are not always the sad, painful, overwhelming things that happen; they can also be the unexpected successes and blessings that try us in different ways. Through all of those unexpected things, the disciple's challenge is to "[fight] the good fight" and endure faithfully. Strength to do that comes from building on our spiritual foundation and drawing from the good people we are blessed to find in our path.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder Neil L. Andersen on the relationship between inner desires and choices

Elder Neil L. Andersen (born August 9, 1951) served as a Seventy beginning in 1993, and was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2009.

"A desire is a conscious, private longing for which each person is responsible. It is a powerful hope, a quiet, soul-felt anticipation originating from that sovereign territory we each possess. We are all influenced by our families [and] our culture, and yet I believe there is a place inside of us that we uniquely and individually control and create. These desires are being constructed or developed, fortified or weakened constantly, whether they are righteous or unrighteous....

“I have come to understand that before choices, come our desires. Our desires influence our choices. Because many of our thoughts are private, protected, and hidden from view, our actions for a time may not always reflect our inner desires. However, eventually, our inner desires are given life and they are seen in our choices and in our actions.”

- Neil L. Andersen, "Educate your Desires," BYU Investment Professionals Conference,September 2011
Click here to read a more complete report of the talk

How important are our desires, the quiet inner thoughts and yearnings of our hearts? Elder Andersen suggests that they are critically important. Though we may not always acknowledge it, they influence our choices and actions. We each have a quiet inner place, known only to us and God, where those desires live and where they grow and develop.

While we may temporarily, "for a time," have choices and actions that externally differ from the true nature and desires of our hearts, eventually the the real inner nature will also be expressed externally. It is so critical to be truly honest in our actions and deeds; and to cultivate the most pure and wholesome inner desires.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder D. Todd Christofferson on knowledge of God's existence

Elder D. Todd Christofferson (b. January 24, 1945) was called to the Seventy in 1993, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2008.

"Misunderstanding God’s justice and mercy is one thing; denying God’s existence or supremacy is another, but either will result in our achieving less—sometimes far less—than our full, divine potential. A God who makes no demands is the functional equivalent of a God who does not exist. A world without God, the living God who establishes moral laws to govern and perfect His children, is also a world without ultimate truth or justice. It is a world where moral relativism reigns supreme."

- D. Todd Christofferson, "Free Forever, to Act for Themselves," General Conference, October 2014
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

This was a classic talk by Elder Christofferson on the nature and importance of agency in God's eternal plan for us. In this section, he is commenting on the trend in the world today of denying God's existence or involvement in man's affairs; there is danger in failing to acknowledge "God's existence or supremacy." Furthermore, we must recognize that God gives instructions and commandments for a reason:

Not only do we need the idea of God's existence in our world to function well, we need a correct understanding of His role and involvement in our lives. He is eager to give instructions and guidance to help us live happily and successfully!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder Quentin L. Cook on not comparing ourselves with others

Elder Quentin L. Cook (b. September 8, 1940) was called as a Seventy in 1996, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2007.

"A third area of distraction that can destroy joy is comparing our talents and blessings with others. The growth in our own talents is the best measure of personal progress. In recent years the concept of 'personal best' has become widely accepted. This has great merit. Remember we usually judge others at their best and ourselves at our worst. In the parable of the talents, the servants who received five talents and two talents were praised by the Lord for increasing their talents and told to 'enter thou into the joy of thy lord.' The servant who was rebuked was the servant who buried the talent given him. (See Matt. 25:14–30.) Comparing blessings is almost certain to drive out joy. We cannot be grateful and envious at the same time. If we truly want to have the Spirit of the Lord and experience joy and happiness, we should rejoice in our blessings and be grateful."

- Quentin L. Cook, "Rejoice!," General Conference October 1996
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

It's such a natural tendency to compare ourselves with others. Elder Cook warns us that we can quickly "destroy joy" by doing that; the usual concern is that we end up seeing the best in others (not their struggles or shortcomings) but compare that with the worst in ourselves. Instead of that comparison, we need to learn to observe our own personal progress and the growth and development we are making. We should be achieving our own "personal best" repeatedly in those important areas as we grow and improve.

If we remember to be grateful for what we have, the proper perspective will prevail, since "we cannot be grateful and envious at the same time." We just need to focus on the gifts and talents that are ours, seeking earnestly to magnify and add to them, and God will bless us for those endeavors.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder David A. Bednar on hearing the voice of God through scriptures

Elder David A. Bednar (born June 15, 1952) was serving as the president of BYU–Idaho when he was called and sustained as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in October 2004.

"The scriptures, in essence, are a written 'recording' of the voice of the Lord—a voice we feel in our hearts more than we hear with our ears. And as we study the content and feel the spirit of the written word of God, we learn to hear His voice in the words we read and to understand the means whereby the words are given to us by the Holy Ghost....

"Understanding and applying five basic principles can help our personal scripture study become more edifying and effective.

"Principle 1: Pray for understanding, and invite the help of the Holy Ghost. The things of the Spirit can be learned only by and through the influence of the Spirit....

"Principle 2: Work. Gospel knowledge and understanding come through diligent study of the scriptures and tutoring by the Holy Ghost....

"Principle 3: Be consistent. Given the hectic pace of our lives, good intentions and simply 'hoping' to find the time for meaningful scripture study are not sufficient....

"Principle 4: Ponder. The word ponder means to consider, contemplate, reflect upon, or think about. Pondering the scriptures, then, is reverent reflecting on the truths, experiences, and lessons contained in the standard works. The process of pondering takes time and cannot be forced, hurried, or rushed....

"Principle 5: Write down impressions, thoughts, and feelings."

- David A. Bednar, "Because We Have Them before Our Eyes," New Era, April 2006, pp. 2-7
Click here to read the full article

Elder Bednar helps us recognize the value of the scriptural record as a source of instruction from God—in truth, the voice of God speaking to us through the written word. And as we learn to listen to that record, we learn to hear His voice speaking to us:

What a great insight! It echoes the words of the Lord to Joseph Smith:

And I, Jesus Christ, your Lord and your God, have spoken it.
These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man;
For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them;
Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words.
D&C 18:33-36

How carefully we should learn to "listen" as we study the word of God! Elder Bednar proceeds to give suggestions on how to do that more effectively. I included the highlights of his five suggestions, but the entire article is worth reviewing.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf on staying on course in life

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (born November 6, 1940) served as a Seventy from 1994-2004, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve.  He served as second counselor in the First Presidency from 2008 to 2018.

"Our willingness to repent shows our gratitude for God’s gift and for the Savior’s love and sacrifice on our behalf. Commandments and priesthood covenants provide a test of faith, obedience, and love for God and Jesus Christ, but even more importantly, they offer an opportunity to experience love from God and to receive a full measure of joy both in this life and in the life to come.

"These commandments and covenants of God are like navigational instructions from celestial heights and will lead us safely to our eternal destination. It is one of beauty and glory beyond understanding. It is worth the effort. It is worth making decisive corrections now and then staying on course.

"Remember: the heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truth.

"The more we treasure the words of the prophets and apply them, the better we will recognize when we are drifting off course—even if only by a matter of a few degrees."

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "A Matter of a Few Degrees," General Conference, April 2008
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

This talk, delivered shortly after Elder Uchtdorf was called to serve as a member of the First Presidency, was one of his classic "airplane analogies." He talked about how a very slight error in navigation, only two degrees, had once caused a tragic airplane crash; and applied that to our life situations—when we start with a mistake or a wrong choice, even a very small one, over time the impact can be compounded into tragic results.

President Uchtdorf described the commandments of God, and the covenants we make, as tests of our faith in, and love for, God; but the powerful truth he emphasizes is that obedience and faithfulness open the way for us to experience love from God in deep and profound ways.

After testifying of the importance and value of our choices and commitments, he offered this helpful insight:

We all occasionally make those "navigational errors" in our life. But the key is to correct them quickly and get back on course. And the way to do that, according to President Uchtdorf, is to keep our attention fixed on the words of modern-day prophets so that we can recognize when we begin to drift away from the planned course that will lead to joy and safety.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on the power of being of good cheer

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (born December 3, 1940) served as Church Commissioner of Education from 1976-1980, as the president of BYU from 1980-1989, as a Seventy from 1989-1994, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1994.

"We should honor the Savior’s declaration to 'be of good cheer.' (Matthew 14:27; Mark 6:50; John 16:33.) (Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other!) Speak hopefully. Speak encouragingly, including about yourself. Try not to complain and moan incessantly. As someone once said, 'Even in the golden age of civilization someone undoubtedly grumbled that everything looked too yellow.'

"I have often thought that Nephi’s being bound with cords and beaten by rods must have been more tolerable to him than listening to Laman and Lemuel’s constant murmuring. (See 1 Nephi 3:28–31; 18:11–15.) Surely he must have said at least once, 'Hit me one more time. I can still hear you.' Yes, life has its problems, and yes, there are negative things to face, but please accept one of Elder Holland’s maxims for living—no misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it worse....

"So, brothers and sisters, in this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be 'perfect' men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today. With such words, spoken under the influence of the Spirit, tears can be dried, hearts can be healed, lives can be elevated, hope can return, confidence can prevail."

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Tongue of Angels," General Conference April 2007
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

Elder Holland seems to be a determined optimist. He echoes the invitation of the Savior as he encourages us all to "be of good cheer"—and to express that cheerfulness in our language and attitudes as well as actions.

Elder Holland is realistic in acknowledging that there are challenges in life; but he warns that we can make them worse through the way we respond to them:

I love that frankness. Our complaining and "whining" only make dealing with challenges more difficult; if we approach life with realism but also faith and hope, we'll do much better in confronting and overcoming obstacles. And one of the most important things to help us in that endeavor is to make sure our words are "filled with faith and hope and charity."

The profound and powerful impact of positive language means more than we might expect. When we can "speak with the tongue of angels" in speaking to others with hope and love, our ability to bless and support those around us is enhanced and magnified.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)