Choices

Have you ever had one of those horrible, awful, bad, just plain ole' stinkin' thinkin' kind of weeks?
If not, you are pretty lucky, and I would love to know your secret. So, as I'm reflecting on what to share from my Pathway religion class, my mind is bogged down with so many worldly cares. Whether you are a praying kind of person, or a good wishes/vibes kind of person; I would appreciate either/or, and even both for my family. Thank you so much.

I love this song by Hilary Weeks entitled "Beautiful Heartbreak".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyX-I-um5Kk

As far as my class goes, I have been studying the war chapters (Alma 43-63) of the Book of Mormon. Twenty chapters is a lot to cover in one week's time, but I did it. I also got more out of it than I ever have before. War is not something that I like, but there are lessons that can be learned from the stories that are shared.

One of things I want to focus on today is a quote that I needed to hear this week from a conference talk entitled, "Where Do I Make My Stand?" by James E. Faust. I've included an excerpt from his talk here:

"Some, because they lack faith or understanding of the eternal plan, become bitter and lose hope. One such was a 19th-century writer who achieved both success and wealth with his dazzling wit and writing style. His wife came from a religious family, and he wanted to have faith in God but wasn’t really sure God existed. Then he was hit by a series of crushing blows. In 1893 a national financial crisis left him deeply in debt. His oldest daughter died while he was on a speaking tour. His wife’s health failed, and she died in 1904. His youngest daughter died in 1909. His own health declined. His writing, which had formerly been so full of sparkle, now reflected his bitterness. He became progressively depressed, cynical, and disillusioned and remained so until his death in 1910. With all his brilliance, he lacked the inner strength to deal with adversity and simply resigned himself to his misfortunes."

"It’s not so much what happens to us but how we deal with what happens to us. That reminds me of a passage from Alma. After a long war “many had become hardened,” while “many were softened because of their afflictions.”  The same circumstances produced opposite responses. The writer who lost so much was not able to draw from the well of faith. Each of us needs to have our own storehouse of faith to help us rise above the troubles that are part of this mortal probation."

Those words touched me deeply this week. James E. Faust is correct. It is "how we deal with what happens to us" that is the really important part.

It reminded me of this story in Alma 53:20-21 where we learn of 2,000 young men that had never been to war, but they were exceeding valiant for courage and also for strength and activity; but that was not all- they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. They were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before Him. Then in Alma 56:47-48 we learn that even though they had never fought, they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

I am blown away by their courage and faith. Being young, and going to war for the first time, they put their full trust in God and their mothers. As they said, "We do not doubt our mothers knew it." And because of that faith in God, not one of them died from the battles they fought in. We learn how their faith preserved them in Alma 57:26-27: 

26. And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe- that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power.

27. Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.

Okay, so now you may be thinking, what does my horrible, awful, bad, just plain ole' stinkin' thinkin' kind of week, the quote, and this passage of scriptures have in common. I'll tell you. That I am not in control, but I can choose how I deal with my trials, and I can choose to be like those brave 2,000 young warriors by having complete trust in God. Not doubting that He will take care of the things that are weighing me down. I have to do my part to not let the trials of life do to me what they did to that 19th-century writer. I need to build up my storehouse of faith, be humble and teachable, all the while putting my trust in God continually.

This song "Beautiful Life" by Mercy River just makes me happy! I hope it makes you happy too!

                                 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cCXqqbF-iE

I would love to hear how you have put your trust in God continually during your own trials in life. Thank you so much for spending some time with me.

If the links don't work, please try clicking watch on YouTube,  or try another browser. I'm including the web addresses here for you to copy and paste.

Hilary Weeks song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyX-I-um5Kk
Mercy River song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cCXqqbF-iE