Why
Suffer?
What
11 And
it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel did take me and abind me
with cords, and they did treat me with much harshness; nevertheless,
the Lord
did suffer it that he might show forth his power,
unto the fulfilling of his word which he had bspoken concerning
the wicked.
Why
Nephi
was being proven and Laman and Lemuel were in a position where it
would take great measures to convince them. They had agency to
choose and also suffer consequences.
Pattern
1
Nephi 7:1611Ne.
7:16 (16–20)
16
And it came to pass that when I, Nephi, had spoken these words unto
my brethren, they were angry with me. And it came to pass that they
did lay their hands upon me, for behold, they were exceedingly wroth,
and they did bind me
with cords, for they sought to take away my life, that they might
leave me in the wilderness to be devoured by wild beasts.
[so
this is not the first time that the brothers bound Nephi- they did it
after they received their wives and wanted to go back to Jerusalem
and Nephi's cords were miraculously loosed and after pleading from
his mother and others, they repented for a time.)
Joseph
Smith suffered and received counsel in D& C 122:5,7
Christ
March 2016
Ensign-by Elder D. Todd Christofferson-
Finding Your Life
The
more I think about it, the more amazed I am at how consistently Jesus
gave His life to the Father, how perfectly He lost His life in the
will of the Father—in life and in death. This is precisely the
opposite of Satan’s attitude and approach, which have been widely
adopted in today’s self-centered world.
In
the premortal council, in volunteering to fill the role of Savior in
the Father’s divine plan, Jesus said, “Father, thy will
be done, and the glory be thine forever”
Conference-
April 2016, Elder Dallin Oaks
Opposition
In All Things
To
illustrate the opposition of temptation, the Book of Mormon describes
three methods the devil will use in the last days. First, he will
“rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to
anger against that which is good” (2 Nephi
28:20).
Second, he will “pacify, and lull [members] away into carnal
security,” saying “Zion prospereth, all is well” (verse
21).
Third, he will tell us “there is no hell; and … I am no devil,
for there is none” (verse
22),
and therefore there is no right and wrong. Because of this
opposition, we are warned not to be “at ease in Zion!” (verse
24).
...
God
rarely infringes on the agency of any of His children by intervening
against some for the relief of others. But He does ease the burdens
of our afflictions and strengthen us to bear them, as He did for
Alma’s people in the land of Helam (see Mosiah
24:13–15).
He does not prevent all disasters, but He does answer our prayers to
turn them aside, as He did with the uniquely powerful cyclone that
threatened to prevent the dedication of the temple in Fiji;6 or
He does blunt their effects, as He did with the terrorist bombing
that took so many lives in the Brussels airport but only injured our
four missionaries.
Through
all mortal opposition, we have God’s assurance that He will
“consecrate [our] afflictions for [our] gain” (2 Nephi
2:2).
We have also been taught to understand our mortal experiences and His
commandments in the context of His great plan of salvation, which
tells us the purpose of life and gives us the assurance of a Savior,
in whose name I testify of the truth of these things. In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
Apply
April
1975 Ensign-Kenneth H. Beesley
What
seems to be a tragedy (and a cause for suffering) may from an eternal
perspective be a blessing and a cause for rejoicing. Sufferings have
the potential of blessing man. They may strengthen us for future
tasks. They can make us sensitive to the pains of others and more
willing to sacrifice for others. (Christ suggests that one must lose
his life to find it.) They may help us appreciate Christ’s
atonement; they may help to purge our imperfections and to purify us.
Suffering
may be a “school” of experience, and present impediments may
ultimately be seen as a part of our life’s foundation.
Elder
Orson F. Whitney wrote: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we
experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the
development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and
humility. All that we suffer … builds up our characters, purifies
our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and
charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it
is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain
the education which will make us more like our Father and Mother in
heaven …” 6
Expect trials and
look at them with an eternal perspective. Also, expect blessings and
look at them with an eternal perspective realizing the plan of
salvation and that we are His sons and daughters. Be grateful and be
brave and strive every day to be more Christlike in everything.
I love the
following scripture which give courage, faith and believing.
D& C 84:88
88 And
whoso areceiveth you,
there I will be also, for I will go bbefore your
face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and
my cSpirit shall
be in your hearts, and minedangels round
about you, to bear you up.
Hymns
183
In Remembrance of His Sufferings
172
In Humility, Our savior
Children
71
to Think About Jesus
D&
C. 59
8 Thou
shalt offer a asacrifice unto
the Lord thy God inbrighteousness,
even that of a broken heart and a ccontrite
spirit.
9 And
that thou mayest more fully keep thyselfaunspotted from
the world, thou shalt go to the house ofbprayer and
offer up thy csacraments upon
my dholy
day;
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