Many religions believe we are being punished for Adam's transgression. We do not.
"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.
"And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.
"But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
"Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
"And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given." - 2 Nephi 2:22-26
Man is fallen. The earth is Telestial - imperfect.
It is this imperfect world that allows us to be imperfect.
Were it not for the imperfection of the world in which we live, we could not know how to hope for a better one. Two verses before the famous "faith" scripture in Ether, we have this little gem.
"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." - Ether 12:4
All of us find themselves in times of "hoping for a better world".
Sermon on the mount - after stating that we should pray for those who curse us, states :
"for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." - Matthew 5:45
Do I mention cancer? Heartbreak? Heart Failure?
By Elder Gong tells the following story.
A Chinese story begins as a man’s son finds a beautiful horse.
“How fortunate,” the neighbors say.
“We’ll see,” says the man.
Then the son falls off the horse and is permanently injured.
“How unfortunate,” the neighbors say.
“We’ll see,” says the man.
A conscripting army comes but doesn’t take the injured son.
“How fortunate,” the neighbors say.
“We’ll see,” says the man.
This fickle world often feels tempest tossed, uncertain, sometimes fortunate, and—too often—unfortunate. Yet, in this world of tribulation, “we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” Indeed, as we walk uprightly and remember our covenants, “all things shall work together for your good.” - Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Apr 2024, "All Things for Our Good"
Do we want to be "tempest tossed", or to wonder "why me?" How do we avoid this?"We become our truest, best selves only as we put off the natural man or woman and become a child before God." - Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Apr 2024, "All Things for Our Good"
How do we put off the natural man?
For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, 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
Yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.
- Create an environment where the world can be quiet. Temple, at home in your personal room, or sitting in your car while waiting.
- Commit to follow the direction you are about to receive.
- Pray for the enticing of the Spirit of God to show how you can serve someone.
- Remain in the quiet environment until you feel that you have something to do.
- Obey immediately.
- Repeat.
As you put this effort in to interact with the Spirit of God and to follow through, you are becoming a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord. You become meek, humble, patient, full of love, and willing to submit to all things the Lord seeth fit to inflict.
You are building a trusting relationship with Christ.
"When we trust God and His love for us, even our greatest heartbreaks can, in the end, work together for our good." - Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Apr 2024, "All Things for Our Good"
This trusting relationship does not obliterate our enemies, or push obstacles out of our way.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, would not cede their covenants to a King, and were to be thrown into a furnace of fire. When the King questioned the power of their God, their response was :
"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
"But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." - Daniel 3:17-18
The second half of that, "But if not", is the crucial component. Whether something happens or not does not cause a break in what our commitment should be.
Remember, we are mortal, living in a mortal world. But when we get lost in that "forest for the trees", pause, to also remember this.
"Even if you cannot always see that silver lining on your clouds, God can, for He is the very source of the light you seek. He does love you, and He knows your fears. He hears your prayers. He is your Heavenly Father, and surely He matches with His own the tears His children shed." - Jeff Holland, Oct 1999, "An High Priest of Good Things to Come"
God knows you, deeply and fully. If he is "endless", pause and realize that his love for you is also endless.
"He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death." - Mosiah 16:9
We must recognize that our timing is never God's timing.
"Some misunderstand the promises of God to mean that obedience to Him yields specific outcomes on a fixed schedule. They might think, “If I diligently serve a full-time mission, God will bless me with a happy marriage and children” or “If I refrain from doing schoolwork on the Sabbath, God will bless me with good grades” or “If I pay tithing, God will bless me with that job I’ve been wanting.” If life doesn’t fall out precisely this way or according to an expected timetable, they may feel betrayed by God. But things are not so mechanical in the divine economy. We ought not to think of God’s plan as a cosmic vending machine where we (1) select a desired blessing, (2) insert the required sum of good works, and (3) the order is promptly delivered.
"God will indeed honor His covenants and promises to each of us. We need not worry about that. The atoning power of Jesus Christ—who descended below all things and then ascended on high and who possesses all power in heaven and in earth—ensures that God can and will fulfill His promises. It is essential that we honor and obey His laws, but not every blessing predicated on obedience to law is shaped, designed, and timed according to our expectations. We do our best but must leave to Him the management of blessings, both temporal and spiritual." - Elder D. Todd Christofferson, April 2022, "Our Relationship with God"
And once you recognize this, you will also recognize that, while we are imperfect and mortal, there is a full regalia of blessings waiting.
"Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come." - Jeffrey Holland - Oct 1999, "An High Priest of Good Things to Come"
Recommend Jan 2009, Thomas Monson's speech to graduating students called "Great Expectations".
Rudyard Kipling, "If" :
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
Elder Holland spoke about one of his own "travails" - he and his young family had car troubles. When he drove past that spot later in life, how he wished he could tell himself :
"Don't you quit. You keep walking, you keep trying, there is help and happiness ahead. Some blessings come soon. Some come late. Some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in Good Things to Come." - Jeff Holland, Oct 1999, "An High Priest of Good Things to Come"
And in the same talk, he continued :
To any who may be struggling to see that light and find that hope, I say: Hold on. Keep trying. God loves you. Things will improve. Christ comes to you in His “more excellent ministry” with a future of “better promises.” He is your “high priest of good things to come.” - Jeffrey Holland - Oct 1999, "An High Priest of Good Things to Come"
