Purpose: Trusting in the Lord
What is my
purpose and how can I fulfill it?
INTRODUCTION
You
have a unique mission to fulfill while you are here on earth. With a clearer
understanding on the Atonement, you can feel more comfortable and better able to
turn your will over to your Heavenly Father.
The
Lord’s plan for His children includes living in a mortal environment where
there is an opposition in all things (see 2 Nephi 2:11). Knowing that
opposition and adversity are a common part of life, we can meet and overcome
these challenges by remaining faithful to the Lord and trusting Him to help us.
As we arise above adversity, our weaknesses are turned into strengths.
Elder
Richard G Scott teaches that “this life is an experience in profound trust –
trust in Jesus Christ, trust in His teachings, and trust in [y]our capacity, as
led by the Holy Spirit, to obey those teachings to enjoy happiness now and to
attain a purposeful, supremely happy eternal existence.
“To trust means to
obey willingly without knowing the end from the beginning. To produce fruit,
your trust in the Lord must be more powerful and enduring than your confidence
in your own personal feelings and experience.” (Richard G Scott, Finding Peace,
Happiness and Joy, p. 91)
Through
all the various changes and challenges that come into your life, knowing you
have a purpose allows you to recognize that you are being prepared for the time
when you can be of service to your fellow man in ways that are as unique as you
are. All the experience, trials and learning that you have received are preparation
that help you fulfill your special mission in life.
POINTS TO PONDER
- Through my trust in the Lord, I
can accept adversity as part of my mortal experience.
- As I exercise faith, I place
trust in the Lord that all my challenges will be for my eternal good and
personal growth.
- Maintaining faith in Jesus Christ
helps me solve problems and overcome adversity.
- As I strive to be worthy of the
direction of the Spirit in my life, I can endure to the end, in happiness
and joy.
SUPPORTING
SCRIPTURES AND QUOTES
Through my trust in the Lord, I can accept
adversity as part of my mortal experience.
“For
it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my
firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass,
neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.” (2
Nephi 2:11)
“Trust
in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
(Proverbs 3:5)
“Trials,
disappointments, sadness, sickness and heartache are a difficult part of life,
but they can lead to spiritual growth, refinement, and progress as you turn to
the Lord.” (True to the Faith, p. 8)
“Much
adversity has its origin in the principle of agency.” (M Russell Ballard,
Answers to Life’s Questions, Ensign,
May 1995, p. 23)
“Mortality presents us with numerous
opportunities to become more Christlike: first, by coping successfully with
those of life’s challenges which are ‘common to mankind’. In addition, there
are also our customized trials such as experiencing illness, aloneness,
persecution, betrayal, irony, poverty, false witness, unreciprocated love, et
cetera.” (Neal A Maxwell, Applying the Atoning Blood of Christ, Ensign, Nov. 1997, p. 22)
“When your life
complies with the will of the Lord and is in harmony with His teachings, the
Holy Ghost is your companion in need. You will be able to be inspired by the
Lord to know what to do. When needed, your efforts will be fortified with
divine power.” (Richard G Scott, Trust in the Lord, Ensign, May 1989, 35)
“This
life is a probationary period. It is a marvelous gift of time during which we
can learn to be like our Heavenly Father by following the teachings of His Son,
Jesus Christ. The path He leads us on is not a cluttered path. It is simple and
straight and lighted by the Spirit.” (William R Bradford, Ensign, May 1992, 29)
As I exercise faith, I place trust in the Lord
that all my challenges will be for my eternal good and personal growth.
“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.” (Alma
“He
that is faithful in tribulation, the reward of the same is greater in the
kingdom of heaven. Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present
time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come
hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after
much tribulation come the blessings.” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:2-4)
“When you trust in the Father and the Son, you
are confident that They love you perfectly – that They want you to be happy and
that They will help you grow spiritually. You keep the commandments. You seek
to know Their will, and you do what They require even when you desire something
else. Your prayers for relief are accompanied by the understanding that
Heavenly Father will not resolve all matters immediately – that He may allow
you to wait so you can continue to learn and grow. Through it all, you find
comfort in the assurance that the Savior understands your trials perfectly…
Because He has experienced your pain, He knows how to help you. If you look to
Him in faith, He will strengthen you to withstand any trial you experience.” (True
to the Faith, p. 10))
“Our
challenges may be physical, spiritual, economic, or emotional, but if we will
treat them as opportunities and stepping-stones in our progress, rather than
barriers and stumbling blocks, our lives and growth will be wonderful. I have
learned that between challenges it is very restful but that any real growth I
have ever enjoyed has always come with a challenge.” (John B Dickson, Nobody
Said that it Would be Easy, Ensign,
Nov 1992, p. 45)
“Our
needed conversions are often achieved more readily by suffering and adversity
than by comfort and tranquility. [See 2 Nephi 2:2, Doctrine and Covenants
121:7-8].” (Dallin H Oaks, The Challenge to Become, Ensign, Nov. 2000, p. 33-34)
“Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would
not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely
needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love” (Richard G
Scott, Trust in the Lord, Ensign, Nov
1995)
“Just when all
seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied
simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience,
they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see
Proverbs 3:11-12). He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth,
understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To
get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of
stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain.” (Richard G Scott,
Trust in the Lord, Ensign, Nov 1995,
p. 16-17)
“It appears plain that it is God’s purpose to
suffer His Saints to be thoroughly tried and tested, so that they may prove
their integrity and know the character of the foundation upon which they
build.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church – Wilford Woodruff, p. 218)
“The Lord is intent on
your personal growth and development. That progress is accelerated when you
willingly allow Him to lead you through every growth experience you encounter,
whether initially it be to your individual liking or not. When you trust in the
Lord, when you are willing to let your heart and your mind be centered in His
will, when you ask to be led by the Spirit to do His will, you are assured of
the greatest happiness along the way and the most fulfilling attainment from
this mortal experience. If you question everything you are asked to do, or dig
in your heels at every unpleasant challenge, you make it harder for the Lord to
bless you. [see 1 Nephi 3:7]. (Richard G Scott, Ensign, May 1996, 24-25)
Maintaining faith in Jesus Christ helps me
solve problems and overcome adversity.
“I
have come to understand how useless it is to dwell on the whys, what ifs, and if onlys
for which there likely will be given no answers in mortality. To receive the
Lord’s comfort, we must exercise faith. The questions ‘Why me?’ ‘Why our
family?’ ‘Why now?’ are usually unanswerable questions. These questions detract
from our spirituality and can destroy our faith. We need to spend our time and
energy building our faith by turning to the Lord and asking for strength to
overcome the pains and trials of this world and to endure to the end for
greater understanding.” (Robert D Hales, Healing Soul and Body, Ensign, Nov 1998, p. 14-15)
“It
really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of
God. Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What
am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in
times of trial? Willing sacrifice of deeply held personal desires in favor of
the will of God is very hard to do. Yet when you pray with real conviction,
‘Please let me know Thy will’ and ‘May Thy will be done,’ you are in the
strongest position to receive the maximum help from your loving Father.”
(Richard G Scott, Trust in the Lord, Ensign,
Nov 1995, p. 17)
“The disciple who accepts a trial as
an invitation to grow and therefore qualify for eternal life can find peace in
the midst of the struggle.” (Henry B Eyring, Adversity, Ensign, May 2009, 25)
“Ask your Heavenly Father to bless you
with faith and courage, and He will help you endure any challenges you may
face. He will help you overcome loneliness, feelings of desperation and
hopelessness, setbacks of a personal, emotional, financial, and even spiritual
nature; or will strengthen you when you are simply feeling overwhelmed by all
of the demands for your time and attention. He will give you the ability to
serve faithfully in every assignment you receive from your local Church
leaders. Your faith and your knowledge of the restoration of the gospel will
give you the strength to be faithful and true to the covenants you have made
with the Lord, and to share your strengths and talents gladly to build up the
Kingdom of God here on the Earth! Brother and sisters, your testimony of Jesus
Christ is the most important anchor that you can have to hold you, steadfast
and immovable, to principles of righteousness, regardless of the challenges and
temptations that may come in the future.” (M. Russell Ballard, ‘Steadfast in
Christ’, Ensign, Dec 1993, 51-52)
As I strive to be worthy of the direction of
the Spirit in my life, I can endure to the end, in happiness and joy.
“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)
“Behold,
we count them happy which endure” (James 5:11)
“But
that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call
on his holy name, and watch an pray continually, that ye may not be tempted
above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming
humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; Having
faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the
love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and
enter into his rest.” (Alma
“The
basic requirements for enduring to the end include knowing who we are –
children of God with a desire to return to His presence after mortality;
understanding the purpose of life – to endure to the end and obtain eternal
life; and living obediently with a desire and a determination to endure all
things, having eternal vision. Eternal vision allows us to overcome opposition
in our temporal state and ultimately achieve the promised rewards and blessings
of eternal life.” (Robert D Hales, Behold We Count Them Happy Which Endure, Ensign, May 1998, 76-77)
“Part
of enduring well consists of being meek enough amid our suffering to learn from
our relevant experiences. Rather than simply passing through these things, they
must pass through us – in ways which sanctify all these experiences for our
good. Likewise, our empathy is enriched everlastingly as we comfort and assist
those in the midst of ‘all these things’ which can give us experience for our
good. [Doctrine and Covenants 122:7]” (The Gospel and the Productive Life,
Student Manual, p. 94)
Enduring to the end is
the doctrine of continuing on the path leading to eternal life after one has
entered into the path through faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the
Holy Ghost. Enduring to the end requires our whole heart … Enduring to the end
means that we have planted our lives firmly on gospel soil, staying in the
mainstream of the Church, humbly serving our fellow men, living Christlike
lives, and keeping our covenants. Those who endure are balanced, consistent,
humble, constantly improving, and without guile. Their testimony is not based
on worldly reasons—it is based on truth, knowledge, experience, and the Spirit.
(Joseph B Wirthlin, Press On, Ensign,
Nov 2004, 101)
“If
you keep the commandments, He nourishes you, strengthens you, and provides you
means for accomplishing all things necessary to faithfully finish your divine
mission here on earth.” (Gene R Cook, Trust in the Lord, Tambuli, Aug 1986, 32)
APPLICATION
· How
does my trust in the Lord help me view adversity as a blessing?
· What
do I personally need to do to develop greater faith in the faith of opposition?
· How
does having the companionship of the Holy Ghost bless me and help me to align
my will to that of the Lord?
· What
blessings await me if I endure faithfully to the end?
· What
blessings have I already received through trials and challenges?
GOALS AND IMPRESSIONS
Use
this space to set goals that will help you ponder and accept trials and
challenges in your life. Consider your willingness to accept Gods will for you
in your life and record any notes or impressions that you may have had as you
pondered the quotes and references above.
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SOURCES
· The
Standard Works
· The
Gospel and the Productive Life, Religion 150, 2004
· Teachings
of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff,
· Conference
Ensigns and Church Magazines
· True
to the Faith – A Gospel Reference, 2004
· Finding
Peace Happiness and Joy by Richard G Scott, Published 2007
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