"[Consider] King Benjamin's portrait of a Saint as one being 'willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.' (Mosiah 3:19.)
"Such individuals give to us a continuing sermon in sainthood. The gospel light has 'infused such joy' into their souls, that any cloud of darkness has been dispelled. (Alma 19:6.)
"'By the patience of hope and the labor of love' these are finishing the work the Lord has given them to do. (See 'Come, Let Us Anew,' Hymns, no. 17.)
"Let the winds and the storms beat and pound upon such faithful Saints; they will overcome the world—not vice versa. Let others falter; these will not! Let others pout and doubt; these will not! Let some noisily mock the temple; these will quietly flock to the temple, to do the work of Him whose house it is!
"God bless you faithful brothers and sisters for shining 'as lights in the world' (Philip. 2:15), as beacons to dispel despair. To a world spiritually illiterate, you give great lessons in the grammar of the gospel, including this one: death is a mere comma, not an exclamation point!"
- Neal A. Maxwell, "Shine as Lights in the World," Ensign, May 1983, pp. 9-11
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Our "willingness to submit" is such a great key to the state of our hearts. How deep is our faith in God? How confident are we that He will help direct the course of our lives, ensuring that those things we might perceive as challenges really are working together for our good?
I love Elder Maxwell's description of faithful Saints whose lives are a "sermon in sainthood." Their souls are filled with the joy of gospel light, eclipsing clouds of darkness.
To a world that is "spiritually illiterate" the faithful Saints "give great lessons in the grammar of the gospel." There is much we can learn from watching their examples, and then striving to go and do likewise.
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