Good afternoon brothers and sisters. We have gathered today in this conference to listen to the talks and testimonies of our fellow brothers and sisters and our leaders. It is wonderful to meet with you here today.
Our theme for this conference will bring us to realize the important role of our weaknesses and trials in perfecting ourselves and in becoming like our Savior Jesus Christ.
In the 27th to 29th verses of 12th chapter of the Book of Ether, Moroni, having known his weakness humbly turned to God in a mighty prayer. And the Lord God comforted him by saying, “ And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weaknesses, I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness. And Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith.”
Brothers and sisters, why did God, our Heavenly Father, give us weaknesses? How do we overcome it? Why do we have these trials? What are some of the purposes of trials? Why is there adversity even from those who are righteous? How would our life be different if we had no trials or hardships? What have we learned about ourselves and about God from the things that we have suffered?
If we reflect on our current trials how can our attitude about our trials change the way we endure or overcome them? How might we improve the way we face our trials?
Our Father in Heaven sent us to this earth to be tried and tested. We agreed to accept trials and weaknesses and the challenges that comes along with them. Our Father in Heaven knows we can be strengthened by them.
How we react to trials and weaknesses can either help our progression as sons and daughters of God or bring us down with it. There are two spirits following us always, one telling us to continue to do good, and the other one telling us that when we make mistakes we are unworthy.
Sometimes we feel depressed and loss trust in ourselves. But let me assure you, that the Lord will help us during these times if we are willing to help ourselves.
Latter-day Saints know that there is a God. We also know that Satan lives, that he is a powerful spirit. Lucifer and his followers knows our habits, weaknesses, and weak spots and take advantage of them to lead us to spiritual destruction.
Life is not always easy to live, but there are always blessings that comes along with it. In this life we will face struggles, many of these will cause us to suffer and to experience pain. Some of us will suffer personal struggles, while others will suffer as they watch their loved ones in pain.
To gain strength in our struggles, we must realize that we have a personal Savior whom we can trust and turn to in our times of need. We must also learn and live the principles that the Lord has given us in order to have the strength we needed during our struggles.
This earth is the place to prove ourselves worthy and to prepare to return to the presence of God, our Heavenly Father. In the 25th verse of the 3rd chapter of the Boof of Abraham, the Lord explained, “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them”
.
The Lord also explained the purpose of why we must be tested during this earthly experience: In the 31st verse of the 136th section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord said, “My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them”.
Part of the plan is “that there is an opposition in all things”. We are given the free agency to choose between good and evil. Some of our struggles involve making decisions, while others are a result of the decisions we have made.
Some of our struggles result from choices of others that affect our lives. We cannot always control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond to it.
Many struggles come as problems and pressures that sometimes cause pain. Others come as temptations, trials, and tribulations. But always remember that there can be blessings in the burdens we bear. As a result of these struggles our character becomes more Christlike as we are tried and tested.
The Savior gave comfort and counsel to the Prophet Joseph Smith while he was suffering in Liberty Jail when he said: “All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good He continued: “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”.
We respond to struggles in different ways. Some of us feel that we are losing the fight to our burdens. Some of us blame others of our problems, while actually we fail to follow the counsel of the Lord and the leaders. Oftentimes, it is natural for us to seek the easy way and to become discouraged when facing our struggles.
If we follow the principles we are taught in our church, we will gain strength during our struggles and will be blessed as we bear our burdens in our lives. If we want to gain the strength that we need, we must follow the counsel of the Lord.
The Savior knows each one of us personally He knows our needs. In the 7th verse of the 38th section of the Book of Doctine and Covenants, he counseled, “I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me”.
The Lord knows all things past, present, and future. Jacob taught, “For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it”. He knows the things that we in need of even before we ask of it.
He knows the temptations we face. Even the Lord himself was tempted, but the scriptures say, “He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them
Yet, in spite of our weakness, He loves us so much and offers us great hope: “I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them”.
The Lord is always there to help us through our struggles. We have His assurance and His promise that He will be there to assist us in the days of our difficulty: In 63rd to 64th verses of the 88th section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants he promised, “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
“Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you
Jacob teaches us to, “Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions”.
Again, with a feeling of love, the Lord reassures us that He is near and that He will lead us through the darkest days of our lives. Because of His love for us, He is our defender with Heavenly Father. He ask Heavenly Father to forgive us of our sins.
If our struggle is with sin, we must remember that the Lord is ready to forgive us if we truly repent. Sometimes we forget that He is a loving, caring, and merciful God. Some may feel that there is no hope because they have failed too many times. The Lord has counseled that there is great hope for sinners if they truly repent.
In order for the Lord to help us through our struggles we must do the things He has counseled us to do. This involves turning to Him and applying certain principles of the gospel:
Firstly, Trust in Him. He is the way, and only through Him will we succeed.
Secondly, Follow His counsel. Our strength will come from following the counsel of the Lord. Alma taught, “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good”.
The Lord wants us to search the scriptures for answers to our problems. Nephi wrote, “Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do”. He wants us to follow the counsel of our church leaders. He said, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” Inspired counsel may also come from our loved ones. When we are struggling, we do not always see and think clearly. This is the reason we should listen to counsel.
Thirdly, Ponder His promises. The Lord promise that he will strengthen us during our struggles, for he promised, “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you. And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call upon my name, behold, I will give you the victory. I give unto you a promise, that you shall be delivered this once out of your bondage”.
There is another principle that if we apply this we will have peace of mind. And that is to:
Take responsibility for our choices. To admit the consequences of our actions. The Lord explained that “because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong. Everyone of us will be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment”.
When we place blame for our actions on others we can never gain the strength to change. Some makes excuses of their behavior. With these we deceive ourselves in making proper choices in life. They weaken our character and prolong our suffering.
Another principle is to:
Have faith. Faith gives us power to make necessary changes in our lives. If we do not have sufficient faith, we cannot change. Our weaknesses can never become strong without full faith. It takes faith to get answers to our prayers. Moroni taught, “Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him”. We must never underestimate the power of the Lord.
The Lord God is a God of miracles. He testifies, “I am God; and I am a God of miracles”. Moroni said, “For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them”. The Lord said to us concerning faith, “Remember that without faith you can do nothing”.
Another principle is to:
Develop righteous desires. Our motivation to change comes from the desires of our hearts. Without a desire to repent, there will be no change.
Next principle is to:
Deepen our commitment.. Commitment gives us strength to change. We should follow Nephi’s commitment to succeed: “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them [to] accomplish the thing which he commandeth them”.
Fast and pray. When we fast we should do so with a purpose, with prayer, and with “an eye single to the glory of God”. We can gain strength through scripture study during fasting. We should listen to the promptings of the Spirit as we find for solutions.
We should pray for strength to overcome temptations. We should pray to ask forgiveness and to express our love and gratitude to Heavenly Father. As a result of our sincere repentance, prayers, and fasting, we will receive forgiveness. We will feel the Spirit. Fasting and prayer will help us control our thoughts and feelings.
We will be able to get answers to our prayers and enjoy feelings of peace and comfort. Our guilt will be taken away as we truly repent. We will enjoy the companion-ship of the Spirit. Our faith and hope will increase.
The last and most important is to : Remember priesthood blessings. When we are struggling, we may seek a priesthood blessing. For the blessing to be effective, we must be humble and teachable We must have full faith and complete confidence in the counsel we receive. We must have the courage to follow it. If we do these, we will receive added power to succeed in our struggles. A priesthood blessing would be a great source of comfort to us and can bring feelings of peace, hope, and love. Our trust in ourselves can be restored as a result of the blessing. Our mind and body can become strong. Our spirit can be renewed, and we can feel courage to deal with our problems. We can feel the presence of the Lord and the companionship of the Spirit.
If our struggles are with sin, we should ponder the words of Alma: “And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance; but that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts” .
The words of the Savior is a good counsel on struggles that are not the result of sin: “Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another”.
All of the counsel in the scriptures and from the leaders are words of hope. They reflect the love the Savior has for us and His desire that we succeed. There are no other ways to gain strength in our times of need. If we follow His counsel, we will find infinite strength during our struggles.
Our theme for this conference will bring us to realize the important role of our weaknesses and trials in perfecting ourselves and in becoming like our Savior Jesus Christ.
In the 27th to 29th verses of 12th chapter of the Book of Ether, Moroni, having known his weakness humbly turned to God in a mighty prayer. And the Lord God comforted him by saying, “ And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weaknesses, I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. Behold, I will show unto the Gentiles their weakness, and I will show unto them that faith, hope and charity bringeth unto me—the fountain of all righteousness. And Moroni, having heard these words, was comforted and said: O Lord, thy righteous will be done, for I know that thou workest unto the children of men according to their faith.”Brothers and sisters, why did God, our Heavenly Father, give us weaknesses? How do we overcome it? Why do we have these trials? What are some of the purposes of trials? Why is there adversity even from those who are righteous? How would our life be different if we had no trials or hardships? What have we learned about ourselves and about God from the things that we have suffered?
If we reflect on our current trials how can our attitude about our trials change the way we endure or overcome them? How might we improve the way we face our trials?
Our Father in Heaven sent us to this earth to be tried and tested. We agreed to accept trials and weaknesses and the challenges that comes along with them. Our Father in Heaven knows we can be strengthened by them.
How we react to trials and weaknesses can either help our progression as sons and daughters of God or bring us down with it. There are two spirits following us always, one telling us to continue to do good, and the other one telling us that when we make mistakes we are unworthy.
Sometimes we feel depressed and loss trust in ourselves. But let me assure you, that the Lord will help us during these times if we are willing to help ourselves.
Latter-day Saints know that there is a God. We also know that Satan lives, that he is a powerful spirit. Lucifer and his followers knows our habits, weaknesses, and weak spots and take advantage of them to lead us to spiritual destruction.
Life is not always easy to live, but there are always blessings that comes along with it. In this life we will face struggles, many of these will cause us to suffer and to experience pain. Some of us will suffer personal struggles, while others will suffer as they watch their loved ones in pain.
To gain strength in our struggles, we must realize that we have a personal Savior whom we can trust and turn to in our times of need. We must also learn and live the principles that the Lord has given us in order to have the strength we needed during our struggles.
This earth is the place to prove ourselves worthy and to prepare to return to the presence of God, our Heavenly Father. In the 25th verse of the 3rd chapter of the Boof of Abraham, the Lord explained, “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them”
.
The Lord also explained the purpose of why we must be tested during this earthly experience: In the 31st verse of the 136th section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord said, “My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them”.
Part of the plan is “that there is an opposition in all things”. We are given the free agency to choose between good and evil. Some of our struggles involve making decisions, while others are a result of the decisions we have made.
Some of our struggles result from choices of others that affect our lives. We cannot always control everything that happens to us in this life, but we can control how we respond to it.
Many struggles come as problems and pressures that sometimes cause pain. Others come as temptations, trials, and tribulations. But always remember that there can be blessings in the burdens we bear. As a result of these struggles our character becomes more Christlike as we are tried and tested.
The Savior gave comfort and counsel to the Prophet Joseph Smith while he was suffering in Liberty Jail when he said: “All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good He continued: “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”.
We respond to struggles in different ways. Some of us feel that we are losing the fight to our burdens. Some of us blame others of our problems, while actually we fail to follow the counsel of the Lord and the leaders. Oftentimes, it is natural for us to seek the easy way and to become discouraged when facing our struggles.
If we follow the principles we are taught in our church, we will gain strength during our struggles and will be blessed as we bear our burdens in our lives. If we want to gain the strength that we need, we must follow the counsel of the Lord.
The Savior knows each one of us personally He knows our needs. In the 7th verse of the 38th section of the Book of Doctine and Covenants, he counseled, “I say unto you that mine eyes are upon you. I am in your midst and ye cannot see me”.
The Lord knows all things past, present, and future. Jacob taught, “For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it”. He knows the things that we in need of even before we ask of it.
He knows the temptations we face. Even the Lord himself was tempted, but the scriptures say, “He suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them
Yet, in spite of our weakness, He loves us so much and offers us great hope: “I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them”.
The Lord is always there to help us through our struggles. We have His assurance and His promise that He will be there to assist us in the days of our difficulty: In 63rd to 64th verses of the 88th section of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants he promised, “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
“Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you
Jacob teaches us to, “Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions”.
Again, with a feeling of love, the Lord reassures us that He is near and that He will lead us through the darkest days of our lives. Because of His love for us, He is our defender with Heavenly Father. He ask Heavenly Father to forgive us of our sins.
If our struggle is with sin, we must remember that the Lord is ready to forgive us if we truly repent. Sometimes we forget that He is a loving, caring, and merciful God. Some may feel that there is no hope because they have failed too many times. The Lord has counseled that there is great hope for sinners if they truly repent.
In order for the Lord to help us through our struggles we must do the things He has counseled us to do. This involves turning to Him and applying certain principles of the gospel:
Firstly, Trust in Him. He is the way, and only through Him will we succeed.
Secondly, Follow His counsel. Our strength will come from following the counsel of the Lord. Alma taught, “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good”.
The Lord wants us to search the scriptures for answers to our problems. Nephi wrote, “Feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do”. He wants us to follow the counsel of our church leaders. He said, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same” Inspired counsel may also come from our loved ones. When we are struggling, we do not always see and think clearly. This is the reason we should listen to counsel.
Thirdly, Ponder His promises. The Lord promise that he will strengthen us during our struggles, for he promised, “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you. And inasmuch as ye are humble and faithful and call upon my name, behold, I will give you the victory. I give unto you a promise, that you shall be delivered this once out of your bondage”.
There is another principle that if we apply this we will have peace of mind. And that is to:
Take responsibility for our choices. To admit the consequences of our actions. The Lord explained that “because thou hast seen thy weakness thou shalt be made strong. Everyone of us will be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment”.
When we place blame for our actions on others we can never gain the strength to change. Some makes excuses of their behavior. With these we deceive ourselves in making proper choices in life. They weaken our character and prolong our suffering.
Another principle is to:
Have faith. Faith gives us power to make necessary changes in our lives. If we do not have sufficient faith, we cannot change. Our weaknesses can never become strong without full faith. It takes faith to get answers to our prayers. Moroni taught, “Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him”. We must never underestimate the power of the Lord.
The Lord God is a God of miracles. He testifies, “I am God; and I am a God of miracles”. Moroni said, “For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them”. The Lord said to us concerning faith, “Remember that without faith you can do nothing”.
Another principle is to:
Develop righteous desires. Our motivation to change comes from the desires of our hearts. Without a desire to repent, there will be no change.
Next principle is to:
Deepen our commitment.. Commitment gives us strength to change. We should follow Nephi’s commitment to succeed: “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them [to] accomplish the thing which he commandeth them”.
Fast and pray. When we fast we should do so with a purpose, with prayer, and with “an eye single to the glory of God”. We can gain strength through scripture study during fasting. We should listen to the promptings of the Spirit as we find for solutions.
We should pray for strength to overcome temptations. We should pray to ask forgiveness and to express our love and gratitude to Heavenly Father. As a result of our sincere repentance, prayers, and fasting, we will receive forgiveness. We will feel the Spirit. Fasting and prayer will help us control our thoughts and feelings.
We will be able to get answers to our prayers and enjoy feelings of peace and comfort. Our guilt will be taken away as we truly repent. We will enjoy the companion-ship of the Spirit. Our faith and hope will increase.
The last and most important is to : Remember priesthood blessings. When we are struggling, we may seek a priesthood blessing. For the blessing to be effective, we must be humble and teachable We must have full faith and complete confidence in the counsel we receive. We must have the courage to follow it. If we do these, we will receive added power to succeed in our struggles. A priesthood blessing would be a great source of comfort to us and can bring feelings of peace, hope, and love. Our trust in ourselves can be restored as a result of the blessing. Our mind and body can become strong. Our spirit can be renewed, and we can feel courage to deal with our problems. We can feel the presence of the Lord and the companionship of the Spirit.
If our struggles are with sin, we should ponder the words of Alma: “And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance; but that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering; having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts” .
The words of the Savior is a good counsel on struggles that are not the result of sin: “Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another”.
All of the counsel in the scriptures and from the leaders are words of hope. They reflect the love the Savior has for us and His desire that we succeed. There are no other ways to gain strength in our times of need. If we follow His counsel, we will find infinite strength during our struggles.
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