From Richard G. Scott’s book 21 Principles: Divine Truths that Help You Live by the Spirit
Principle 6: When facing adversity, we can be led to ask many questions. Some of them serve a useful purpose; others do not. It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Accepting God’s will, even when it is not fully understood, brings great peace and, over time, understanding.
It is so hard when sincere prayer about something we desire very much is not answered the way we want. It is especially difficult when the Lord answers no to that which is worthy and would give us great joy and happiness. Whether it be overcoming loneliness, recovery of a wayward child, coping with a handicap, or seeking continuing life for a dear one who is slipping away, it seems so reasonable and so consistent with our happiness to have a favorable answer. It is hard to understand why our exercise of deep and sincere faith from an obedient life does not bring the desired result.
At such times, to ask, “Why does this have to happen to me?” “Why do I have to suffer this now?” “What have I done to cause this?” will lead you into blind alleys. Rather ask, “What am I to do?” “What am I to learn from this experience?” “What am I to change?” “Whom am I to help?” “How am I to remember my blessings in times of trials?”
Willing sacrifice of deeply held personal desires in favor of the will of God is very hard to do. Yet when you pray with real conviction, “Please let me know Thy will” and “May thy will be done,” you are in the strongest position to receive the maximum help from your loving Father.
This life is an experience in profound trust—trust in Jesus Christ, trust in His teachings, trust in our capacity as led by the Holy Spirit to obey those teachings for happiness now and for a purposeful, supremely happy eternal existence. To trust is to obey willingly without knowing the end from the beginning (see Proverbs 3:5-7) To produce fruit, your trust in the Lord must be more powerful and enduring than your confidence in your own personal feelings and experience.
To exercise faith is to trust that the Lord knows what He is doing with you and that He can accomplish it for your eternal good even though you cannot understand how He can possibly do it. We are like infants in our understanding of eternal matters and their impact on us here in mortality. Yet at times we act as if we knew it all. When you pass through trials for His purposes, as you trust Him and exercise faith in Him, He will help you. ~Elder Richard G. Scott (deceased) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; quoted from 21 Principles That Help You Live by the Spirit (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2013, 33-34) (continued. . . .)
#adversity #opposition #godswill #prayer
