Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin on dealing with adversity

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917-2008) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1986, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1986 until his passing in 2008 at age 91.  This excerpt is from one of his most memorable talks.

"Every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don't sing and bells don't ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result.

"There may be some who think that General Authorities rarely experience pain, suffering, or distress. If only that were true. While every man and woman on this stand today has experienced an abundant measure of joy, each also has drunk deeply from the cup of disappointment, sorrow, and loss. The Lord in His wisdom does not shield anyone from grief or sadness.

"For me, the Lord has opened the windows of heaven and showered blessings upon my family beyond my ability to express. Yet like everyone else, I have had times in my life when it seemed that the heaviness of my heart might be greater than I could bear. During those times I think back to those tender days of my youth when great sorrows came at the losing end of a football game.

"How little I knew then of what awaited me in later years. But whenever my steps led through seasons of sadness and sorrow, my mother's words often came back to me: 'Come what may, and love it.'

"How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can't—at least not in the moment. I don't think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don't think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. 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."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Come What May, and Love It," Ensign, Nov. 2008, pp. 26-28
Click here to read the full talk

I always appreciate wise, personal counsel more than abstract encouragement. Elder Wirthlin speaks from the heart of his own times when "the heaviness of my heart might be greater than I could bear." Like so many others, he passed through times of challenge in his life; and so did the other Church leaders whom we often think are immune to the normal problems of life.

And then he addresses how we confront those "shadows" amid the journeys of our lives, the times when "the birds don't sing and bells don't ring." Having had my share of those as well, I'm grateful for this reminder about approaching adversity wisely, and "learning from difficult times" in order to become "stronger, wiser, and happier."

The talk is a modern classic; the phrase "come what may, and love it" is such a memorable one. We will be happiest when we learn to appreciate any situation and make the best of it.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
June 11, 2015