Hope Talk - Part One

A few weeks ago I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament meeting and I got to pick the topic. I loved that I got to do that because frankly I was able to choose something that was very personal to me, as opposed to taking a topic someone else chose and making it personal. I wanted to share my talk, but since it is long I am breaking it up into five short posts over the next few days.

I read a scripture at the end of last year that really stuck with me because honestly it has been a rough couple of years for our family. 2Nephi 2:2 “Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.” I thought a lot about that last line in the scripture: Thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain. Over the past 2 years I have heard many scriptures about trials, enduring, and faith that have not really given me a ton of insight as to why, for example, my mom has incurable cancer. Frankly the scripture about the Lord not trying us more than we can handle kind of made me mad sometimes in the past 2 years. Obviously it is true, but when I am going through a trial it is not so comforting. So when I heard this scripture “Thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.” I was struck with an understanding of the purpose of trials, and the necessity of faith and hope.

When I think about trials I think of a marathon. What is a marathon but a long race and test of endurance? My guess is that 95% of this ward if asked right now to run a marathon today could not do it. My excuse is that it is Sunday and I need a day a rest. However, if a challenge was given to run a marathon at a future date most of us in the 95% who are healthy and able could do it. It takes training, planning, and the appropriate equipment including good shoes, water, proper food intake during training, planning, drive, endurance, and knowledge. The way to train for a marathon is to start with short training sessions of running and build up to the full 26.2 miles. Practice and drive to run a marathon comes from within. The road to run a marathon might be paved with fatigue, injuries, discouragement, time constraints, and frustrations.

Similarly we can train and endure our trials. When we equip ourselves with prayer, scripture study, testimony and faith we can overcome all trials we are given. Just like the obstacles that we would face in training for a marathon we face mortal roadblocks here on our race to eternal life. Our road that leads back to our Heavenly Father is paved with fatigue, injuries or illness, discouragement, time requirements, and frustrations. Our trials are personal, very real, and only we can figure out how to endure. Our faith will be tried and tested. Life is not meant to be easy; life is a marathon; a race of endurance to the end.