Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on the obstacles of life

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (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.

"A life without problems or limitations or challenges—life without 'opposition in all things' (2 Ne 2:11), as Lehi phrased it—would paradoxically but in very fact be less rewarding and less ennobling than one which confronts—even frequently confronts—difficulty and disappointment and sorrow. As beloved Eve said, were it not for the difficulties faced in a fallen world, neither she nor Adam nor any of the rest of us ever would have known 'the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient' (Moses 5:11). 

"So life has its oppositions and its conflicts, and the gospel of Jesus Christ has answers and assurances. In a time of terrible civil warfare, one of the most gifted leaders ever to strive to hold a nation together said what could be said of marriages and families and friendships. Praying for peace, pleading for peace, seeking peace in any way that would not compromise union, Abraham Lincoln said in those dark, dark days of his First Inaugural, 'Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory,' he said, 'will yet swell... when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.' (First Inaugural Address, 4 Mar. 1861) 

"The better angels of our nature. That is much of what the Church and general conference and the gospel of Jesus Christ are about. The appeal today and tomorrow and forever to be better, to be cleaner, to be kinder, to be holier; to seek peace and always be believing." 

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom," General Conference October 1996
Click here to read the full talk

From another of the wonderful, sensitive, encouraging messages Elder Holland often shares. It's interesting to ponder his opening "paradox":

Again, that's a hard principle to remember when we are deep in the midst of one of those "problems or limitations or challenges" that can so easily suck the joy and hope right out of us. How critical it is to remember that "the gospel of Jesus Christ has answers and assurances"! Only with that perspective can we qualify for the divine help that will see us through the challenges.

So we turn to "marriages and families and friendships" when they are available, as a source to find "the better angels of our nature."

What a beautiful reminder. Each of us has room to repent and grow.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
March 15, 2015

President Howard W. Hunter on choices of personal progress

President Hunter (1907-1995) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1959.  He served as Church President from June 5, 1994 to his death on March 3, 1995.

"This is the church of Jesus Christ, not the church of marrieds or singles or any other group or individual. The gospel we preach is the gospel of Jesus Christ, which encompasses all the saving ordinances and covenants necessary to save and exalt every individual who is willing to accept Christ and keep the commandments that he and our Father in Heaven have given.... 

"How foolish we would be to fail to enjoy the rich gifts of God to us! We could well miss opportunities for providing needed blessings to others because we felt personally deprived of some hoped-for blessing and were blinded by our own self-pity. 

"Not only should we be careful not to deprive others of blessings because of our wanderings in the wastelands of self-pity or self-recrimination, but we should be careful not to deprive ourselves of other blessings that could be ours. 

"While waiting for promised blessings, one should not mark time, for to fail to move forward is to some degree a retrogression. Be anxiously engaged in good causes, including your own development. The personal pursuit of hobbies or crafts, the seeking of knowledge and wisdom, particularly of the things of God, and the development and honing of skills are all things that could productively occupy one's time." 

- Howard W. Hunter, "The Church is For All People," Ensign, June 1989, pp. 75-77; click here to read the full talk

Sometimes groups of people have needs and challenges that can be addressed or relieved with others in similar situations. But this is a good reminder; we should always remember that the Gospel and the Atonement have power to bless every individual life, regardless of "classifications" we impose on others or ourselves. Too much "grouping" can be disabling.

President Hunter's warning about "self-pity" and how it can lead us to deprive others and ourselves of blessings is an important message.

I've felt this challenge; at times in my life when I've been disappointed at a delay or a deprivation, I have felt the temptation to "mark time" instead of moving forward and being "anxiously engaged" in helping others and stretching myself. All of us, regardless of position or circumstance, should be seeking to grow, learn, develop, and improve.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
February 4, 2015

President Thomas S. Monson on how to live greatly

President Thomas S. Monson (1927–2018) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley and then became Church president in 2008. He led the Church for almost a decade until his passing in January 2018.

"All of us are prone to excuse our own mediocre performance. We blame our misfortunes, our disfigurements, or our so-called handicaps. Victims of our own rationalization, we say silently to ourselves: 'I'm just too weak,' or 'I'm not cut out for better things.' Others soar beyond our meager accomplishments. Envy and discouragement then take their toll. 

"Can we not appreciate that our very business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves? To break our own records, to outstrip our yesterdays by our todays, to bear our trials more beautifully than we ever dreamed we could, to give as we have never given, to do our work with more force and a finer finish than ever—this is the true idea: to get ahead of ourselves. 

"To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, 'How might we achieve these goals?' I answer, 'By getting a true perspective of who we really are!' We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that truth: 'Created in the image of God.' We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power, even the strength to live the commandments of God, the power to resist the temptations of Satan." 

- Thomas S. Monson, "Yellow Canaries with Gray on Their Wings," Ensign, July 1973
Click here to read the full talk

It's so easy to fall into the traps Pres. Monson describes—looking for a scapegoat for our shortcomings, doubting our personal abilities, comparing our performance or achievement to others around us. Each of those is self-defeating in our attempts to progress and reach our potential.

The real, final key to success in life is to truly understand who we are and what our divine potential is.
His reminders about personal progress are worth pondering; a better perspective is not only healthier as we encounter trials, but enables us to achieve far more than those self-limiting perspectives. Understanding our possibilities as sons and daughters of God brings "a profound new sense of strength and power" enabling us to truly reach our potential.

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

January 12, 2015

President Boyd K. Packer on moving forward in faith and strength

President Boyd K. Packer (1924-2015) served as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve (a position that no longer exists) from 1961 to 1970, when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.  He served as president of that Quorum from 1994 until his death in 2015 at age 90.

"Now another generation of youth comes forward. We see a strength in them beyond what we have seen before. Drinking and drugs and moral mischief are not a part of their lives. They band together in study of the gospel, in socials, and in service.

"They are not perfect. Not yet. They are doing the best they can, and they are stronger than the generations that came before.

"As the Lord told Oliver Granger, 'When [they fall they] shall rise again, for [their] sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than [their] increase' (D&C 117:13).

"Some worry endlessly over missions that were missed, or marriages that did not turn out, or babies that did not arrive, or children that seem lost, or dreams unfulfilled, or because age limits what they can do. I do not think it pleases the Lord when we worry because we think we never do enough or that what we do is never good enough.

"Some needlessly carry a heavy burden of guilt which could be removed through confession and repentance.

"The Lord did not say of Oliver, '[If] he falls,' but 'When he falls he shall rise again' (D&C 117:13; emphasis added)."

- Boyd K. Packer, "The Least of These," General Conference October 2004
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

President Packer recognizes a strength in the rising generation of youth that is exceptional, and many of us have witnessed that—youth who are resisting temptation and striving to be faithful and obedient in greater measure than ever. But yet there are great challenges, and mistakes will be made; President Packer reassures us there is a power to help us overcome any misstep:

That's a powerful message; it does not please God when we dwell on the mistakes, missed opportunities, or apparent failures of our past; or if we consider ourselves inadequate or insufficient to serve Him adequately. "I do not think it pleases the Lord." We must put the things of the past behind us and move forward with faith, hope, and confidence in Him.

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

Joseph B. Wirthlin on enduring life's challenges in faith

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.

"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.' (D&C 121:7-8)

"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."

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

Elder Wirthlin's insights on this topic are part of one of the most beloved of the talks he shared with Church members, as the last conference talk he gave less than two months before his passing. Having done some suffering and enduring of his own, he was very qualified to share these insights. He knew that going through the "disappointment, suffering, and sorrow" that life has to offer can help to:

• stretch our understanding
• build our character
• increase our compassion for others

He also knew that because of the love of the Savior, we never have to endure alone; we can always know that He understands the suffering and grief of our challenges.

Boyd K. Packer on dealing with the struggles of life in the Lord's way

President Boyd K. Packer (1924-2015) served as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve (a position that no longer exists) from 1961 to 1970, when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.  He served as president of that Quorum from 1994 until his death on July 3, 2015 at age 90.

"We live in a day when the adversary stresses on every hand the philosophy of instant gratification. We seem to demand instant everything, including instant solutions to our problems.

"We are indoctrinated that somehow we should always be instantly emotionally comfortable. When that is not so, some become anxious—and all too frequently seek relief from counseling, from analysis, and even from medication.

"It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal.

"Teach our members that if they have a good, miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out.

"There is great purpose in our struggle in life....

"Bishop, those who come to you are children of God. Counsel them in the Lord's own way. Teach them to ponder it in their minds, then to pray over their problems.

"Remember that soothing, calming effect of reading the scriptures. Next time you are where they are read, notice how things settle down. Sense the feeling of peace and security that comes."

- Boyd K. Packer, "Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord's Own Way," Ensign, May 1978, pp. 91-93
Click here to read the full talk

It's clear to see the modern-day philosophy of "instant gratification." We like things in a hurry: fast-food, speedy service, quick answers. And, as President Packer discusses, "instant solutions to our problems." But that is not the Lord's way. We are not going to be "always be instantly emotionally comfortable." We are going to struggle at times. We will have disappointment, failure, even anxiety and depression—and those things are normal parts of life!

Of course, at times those emotions or challenges can become overbalanced and there is need for professional help. But in general, President Packer encourages us all to learn to cope with the daily challenges that come, knowing that they are given for a reason and will bless us if we allow them to.

President Packer goes on to identify prayer and scripture reading as two of the things that can help us regain peace and security in the midst of discouragement and discomfort. That is wise advice, and it works!

Jeffrey R. Holland on the obstacles of life

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (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.

"A life without problems or limitations or challenges—life without 'opposition in all things' (2 Ne 2:11), as Lehi phrased it—would paradoxically but in very fact be less rewarding and less ennobling than one which confronts—even frequently confronts—difficulty and disappointment and sorrow. As beloved Eve said, were it not for the difficulties faced in a fallen world, neither she nor Adam nor any of the rest of us ever would have known 'the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient' (Moses 5:11). 

"So life has its oppositions and its conflicts, and the gospel of Jesus Christ has answers and assurances. In a time of terrible civil warfare, one of the most gifted leaders ever to strive to hold a nation together said what could be said of marriages and families and friendships. Praying for peace, pleading for peace, seeking peace in any way that would not compromise union, Abraham Lincoln said in those dark, dark days of his First Inaugural, 'Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory,' he said, 'will yet swell... when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.' (First Inaugural Address, 4 Mar. 1861) 

"The better angels of our nature. That is much of what the Church and general conference and the gospel of Jesus Christ are about. The appeal today and tomorrow and forever to be better, to be cleaner, to be kinder, to be holier; to seek peace and always be believing." 

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom," Ensign, Nov. 1996, pp. 82-84
Click here to read the full talk

From another of the wonderful, sensitive, encouraging messages Elder Holland often shares. It's interesting to ponder his opening "paradox":

Again, that's a hard principle to remember when we are deep in the midst of one of those "problems or limitations or challenges" that can so easily suck the joy and hope right out of us. How critical it is to remember that "the gospel of Jesus Christ has answers and assurances"!

So we turn to "marriages and families and friendships" when they are available, as a source to find "the better angels of our nature."

What a beautiful reminder.

Howard W. Hunter on choices of personal progress

President Hunter (1907-1995) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1959.  He served as Church President from June 5, 1994 to his death on March 3, 1995.

"This is the church of Jesus Christ, not the church of marrieds or singles or any other group or individual. The gospel we preach is the gospel of Jesus Christ, which encompasses all the saving ordinances and covenants necessary to save and exalt every individual who is willing to accept Christ and keep the commandments that he and our Father in Heaven have given....
"How foolish we would be to fail to enjoy the rich gifts of God to us! We could well miss opportunities for providing needed blessings to others because we felt personally deprived of some hoped-for blessing and were blinded by our own self-pity.
"Not only should we be careful not to deprive others of blessings because of our wanderings in the wastelands of self-pity or self-recrimination, but we should be careful not to deprive ourselves of other blessings that could be ours.
"While waiting for promised blessings, one should not mark time, for to fail to move forward is to some degree a retrogression. Be anxiously engaged in good causes, including your own development. The personal pursuit of hobbies or crafts, the seeking of knowledge and wisdom, particularly of the things of God, and the development and honing of skills are all things that could productively occupy one's time."
- Howard W. Hunter, "The Church is For All People," Ensign, June 1989, pp. 75-77; click here to read the full talk

Sometimes groups of people have needs and challenges that can be addressed or relieved with others in similar situations. But this is a good reminder; we should always remember that the Gospel and the Atonement have power to bless every individual life, regardless of "classifications" we impose on others or ourselves. Too much "grouping" can be disabling.

President Hunter's warning about "self-pity" and how it can lead us to deprive others and ourselves of blessings is an important message. I've felt this challenge; at times in my life when I've been disappointed at a delay or a deprivation, I have felt the temptation to "mark time" instead of moving forward and being "anxiously engaged" in helping others and stretching myself. All of us, regardless of position or circumstance, should be seeking to grow, learn, develop, and improve.

Thomas S. Monson on how to live greatly

President Monson (1927- ) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963.  He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley until becoming Church president in 2008.

"All of us are prone to excuse our own mediocre performance. We blame our misfortunes, our disfigurements, or our so-called handicaps. Victims of our own rationalization, we say silently to ourselves: 'I'm just too weak,' or 'I'm not cut out for better things.' Others soar beyond our meager accomplishments. Envy and discouragement then take their toll.
"Can we not appreciate that our very business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves? To break our own records, to outstrip our yesterdays by our todays, to bear our trials more beautifully than we ever dreamed we could, to give as we have never given, to do our work with more force and a finer finish than ever--this is the true idea: to get ahead of ourselves.
"To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, 'How might we achieve these goals?' I answer, 'By getting a true perspective of who we really are!' We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that truth: 'Created in the image of God.' We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power, even the strength to live the commandments of God, the power to resist the temptations of Satan."
- Thomas S. Monson, "Yellow Canaries with Gray on Their Wings," Ensign, July 1973
Click here to read the full talk

It's so easy to fall into the traps Pres. Monson describes—looking for a scapegoat for our shortcomings, doubting our personal abilities, comparing our performance or achievement to others around us. His reminders about personal progress are worth pondering; a better perspective is not only healthier as we encounter trials, but enables us to achieve far more than those self-limiting perspectives..