Come What May

I read a quote this morning that prompted me to look up the source.  It was this talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, Of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, from the October 2008 General Conference.  It is titled, "Come What May, and Love It".  I'm not posting the whole talk, I took a lot of stories out.  But you can read or watch the entire talk by clicking on the link.

This is actually a talk I remember.  It is a really good talk and one of the classics.  I remember studying it for my Relief Society lesson years ago.

Here are the excerpts that I chose to post:

How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. ...But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.

If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness.

Learn to Laugh

The first thing we can do is learn to laugh. Have you ever seen an angry driver who, when someone else makes a mistake, reacts as though that person has insulted his honor, his family, his dog, and his ancestors all the way back to Adam?...

There is an antidote for times such as these: learn to laugh.

...Getting lost was not an unusual occurrence for us. Once while heading south to Cedar City, Utah, we took a wrong turn and didn’t realize it until two hours later when we saw the “Welcome to Nevada” signs. We didn’t get angry. We laughed, and as a result, anger and resentment rarely resulted. Our laughter created cherished memories for us.

...The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable.

Seek for the Eternal

The second thing we can do is seek for the eternal. You may feel singled out when adversity enters your life. You shake your head and wonder, “Why me?”

But the dial on the wheel of sorrow eventually points to each of us. At one time or another, everyone must experience sorrow. No one is exempt.

...Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others.

Because Jesus Christ suffered greatly, He understands our suffering. He understands our grief. We experience hard things so that we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others.

Remember the sublime words of the Savior to the Prophet Joseph Smith when he suffered with his companions in the smothering darkness of Liberty Jail:

“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.”

With that eternal perspective, Joseph took comfort from these words, and so can we. Sometimes the very moments that seem to overcome us with suffering are those that will ultimately suffer us to overcome.

The Principle of Compensation

The third thing we can do is understand the principle of compensation. 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.

One of the blessings of the gospel is the knowledge that when the curtain of death signals the end of our mortal lives, life will continue on the other side of the veil. There we will be given new opportunities. Not even death can take from us the eternal blessings promised by a loving Heavenly Father.

Trust in the Father and the Son

The fourth thing we can do is put our trust in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.”  The Lord Jesus Christ is our partner, helper, and advocate. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be successful. If we do our part, He will step in.

He who descended below all things will come to our aid. He will comfort and uphold us. He will strengthen us in our weakness and fortify us in our distress. He will make weak things become strong.

...I know why there must be opposition in all things. Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it.

As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial. We can say, as did my mother, “Come what may, and love it.” Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. -- Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Come What May, and Love It", October 2008 General Conference

I bolded the quote that prompted me to go reread this talk.  Life is hard.  Mortality is a mess.  God designed it that way so that we could progress and grow. A loving God allows trials and sorrows for our benefit.  Our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy.  That's why He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to be our helper and advocate and to atone for our sins and shortcomings.  This gift is available to everybody, regardless of how you feel about Him.  There is nothing that any of us have done or can do that will not be covered by His love and atonement.  Repentance is available to all.

 All of us face trials -- it is part of our mortal journey.  Trials and tribulations are part of God's plan of happiness.  They are necessary for us to grow.  They are not punishment.  Agency is also part of God's plan of happiness.  We are free to choose how to live our lives.  We are not free to choose the consequences, however.  When our choices lead to sorrow and unhappiness, we are free to choose repentance which leads to joy and happiness or we are free to choose misery by rejecting repentance and our Savior.

In The Book of Mormon, the prophet Lehi, speaking to his son Jacob, said the following:

27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen. -- 2 Nephi 2: 27-30

We are not always able to choose the trials and sorrows we must face in life.  But we are able to choose how we react to and deal with our trials and sorrows. 

Do we choose the eternal perspective and happiness?  Or do we choose to turn from our Savior and choose misery instead?  That is up to us.

Granted, even when we choose the eternal perspective and lean on our Savior, there will be times of sorrow, loss and severe trial.  But it's a lot easier to get through hard times with an eternal perspective and with our Savior's help.

I love the quote from Elder Wirthlin's talk that if we are faithful, "that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude."

It is my hope and prayer that we will all choose to turn to our Savior and rely on His love, atonement, and saving grace when we face hardship and sorrow.

That's my two cents.