“Come What May, and Love It.”
In the October 2008 General Conference, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin shared a message that has resonated with me ever since. In what would be his final talk prior to his passing, Elder Wirthlin shared the life-long advice his mother had given him as a teen: “COME WHAT MAY, AND LOVE IT.”
This life-long counsel from his mother encourages all of us to know that whatever difficulty, hardship, or trial we face in life will be very temporary from the perspective of eternity.
Here are four ways that we can help ourselves through tough times:
1. Learn to Laugh. Sometimes laughter may not seem appropriate at the moment. But given time and perspective, that ability to look back and laugh, or even a quiet moment with a shrug of the shoulders and shake of your head while you reflect, may just be enough to calm your soul. Laughter gives a person a moment of clarity to step back and see what the situation really is.
2. Seek for the Eternal. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that our faith thrives upon. We should seek to stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others.
My father would counsel me from time to time by saying, “Life is not about where you have been, it’s about where you are going.” Let’s not look back and stay within the misery of tough times. Let’s look forward with faith and an eye to God and the blessings he has for us. Share with Him your feelings. Listen to Him for answers or solutions. Trust in Him to do what is right.
3. Understand the Principle of Compensation. The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.
4. Trust in the Father and the Son. During those times when we just can’t seem to get any lower, we must realize that our Brother, Jesus Christ has been there too. He has felt all the sorrow imaginable. He has felt all pain possible. He has felt abandonment, failure, and loneliness even at the most desperate of times when he needed somebody. Jesus Christ felt these pains so that we can succeed with our own.
Brothers and sisters, please know He who descended below all things will come to our aid. He will comfort and uphold us. He will strengthen us in our weakness and fortify us in our distress. He will make weak things become strong. So, too, will our faith in Jesus Christ.
Please know, the Lord won’t give us more than we can handle. We have been promised that. We have been given every ability to overcome, grow, succeed and ultimately triumph. Nothing is stronger than the Lord. The blessings he has given to each of us, are uniquely made for us. There is so much to live for, and so much to hope for.
To be faithful, we have been taught in D&C, Section 87, Verse 8… To fear not and “Stand ye in Holy Places and be not moved.” If we do, we can do as Elder Wirthlin was taught… to Come What May, and Love It.
-Walker Morgan
Walker Morgan is a member of the Saratoga Ward and serves as a Stake High Councilor for the Albany NY Stake.
