Wednesday evening I was pondering what to do for my scripture study I began by reviewing my various notes from different topics and sources. Upon doing so I realized that I still hadn't finished reading all the talks from October's general conference. I began where I left off with Elder Schmutz's talk "God Shall Wipe Away All Tears." In Elder Schmutz's talk he quotes 1 Peter 3:14 "But if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye." Righteous or wicked we all receive trials, the big difference is that if we are righteous we will suffer trials with happiness. The reason why is because of eternal perspective and understanding the purpose of trials. A new perspective is given to all of us as we realize that there is no point of returning to heaven if we haven't learned nor progressed in this life through trials. Often times we are so focused on the final destination that we forget to enjoy the journey to our destination.
This talk tied in perfectly with a topic we went over in class. Just how Lehi and his family did not fully realize what their journey to the promise land entailed nor the purpose of their travails in the wilderness. Nor could they have fathomed spending almost ten years in the wilderness and on the open sea. Once again we can understand why they went through so much when we take an eternal perspective. They had a lot to learn before they could be ready for the promise land and the responsibility that it held. Nephi, for example, grew tremendously during those years as a leader but more importantly as a faithful and obedient servant of God. Ultimately the journey is a key part in preparing us for the moment when we reach our final destination.
This talk tied in perfectly with a topic we went over in class. Just how Lehi and his family did not fully realize what their journey to the promise land entailed nor the purpose of their travails in the wilderness. Nor could they have fathomed spending almost ten years in the wilderness and on the open sea. Once again we can understand why they went through so much when we take an eternal perspective. They had a lot to learn before they could be ready for the promise land and the responsibility that it held. Nephi, for example, grew tremendously during those years as a leader but more importantly as a faithful and obedient servant of God. Ultimately the journey is a key part in preparing us for the moment when we reach our final destination.
Our ultimate destination in this life is to return to God's presence. However it is more than just returning, our purpose is to learn throughout this life and become more like Jesus Christ. Once again an excellent scripture relating to this can be found in 2 Corinthians 4:17 "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Here, afflictions are described as "light" and "but for a moment" this can be applicable to each of us as we don't merely go through trials but grow through trials. When I look at trial with the right eternal perspective it wont only seem lighter but it will also help me focus on what I need to learn. Then, trials will be an exceeding benefit to me and will carry eternal weight of glory as I learn how to be more Christlike. So, as I continue to focus on the purpose of the journey and not just the final destination l will learn and grow during trials. However whats more is I will also feel happiness as I suffer for righteous sake.
No comments:
Post a Comment