Gospel Doctrine, Lesson 6: “Free to Choose

Liberty and Eternal Life”, 2 Nephi 1-2

They cut desire into short lengths

And fed it to the hungry fires of tribulation.

Long after when the fires had died,

Molten gold gleamed in the ashes.

They gathered it in bruised palms

And handed it to their children

And their children’s children forever. Sister Vilate C. Raile, speaking of our pioneer ancestors Quoted in Lawrence Flake’s BYU Address, July 1995

#1 Elder Bruce C. Hafen explained that the Atonement is not simply God‘s method for

righting wrongs and satisfying the demands of justice. The Atonement is rehabilitative, a

miraculous power that can help us change who we are: ―I once wondered if those who re-

fuse to repent but who then satisfy the law of justice by paying for their own sins are then

worthy to enter the celestial kingdom. The answer is no. The entrance requirements for

celestial life are simply higher than merely satisfying the law of justice. For that reason, paying for

our sins will not bear the same fruit as repenting of our sins. Justice is a law of balance and order and

it must be satisfies, either through our payment or his. But is we decline the Savior‘s invitation to let

him carry our sins, and then satisfy justice by ourselves, we will not yet have experienced the com-

plete rehabilitation that can occur through a combination of divine assistance and genuine repen-

tance. Working together, those forces have the power permanently to change our hearts and our lives,

preparing us for celestial life.‖ (CES Student Manual, 210-11, 51)

#2 Brigham Young: ―The Lord knew they would do this, and he had designed that they

should‖ (Discourses of Brigham Young, 103)

Spencer W. Kimball: ―There were no guesses here, no trial and error‖ (Ensign, March

1976, 71-71)

Joseph Smith: ―Adam did not commit sin in eating the fruits, for God had decreed that he

should eat and fall‖ (The Words of Joseph Smith, 63)

#3 President Howard W. Hunter taught, ―Our Father in Heaven wanted our growth to con-

tinue in mortality and to be enhanced by our freedom to choose and learn. He also wanted

us to exercise our faith and our will, especially with a new physical body to master and

control. But we know from both ancient and modern revelation that Satan wished to deny

us our independence and agency in that now-forgotten moment long ago, even as he wishes

to deny them this very hour. Indeed, Satan violently opposed the freedom of choice offered by the

Father, so violently that John in the Revelation described ‗war in heaven‘ (Revelation 12:7) over the mat-

ter. Satan would have coerced us, and he would have robbed us of that most precious of gifts if he

could: our freedom to choose a divine future and the exaltation we all hope to obtain. (CR, Oct. 1989, 21)

―How could we ever understand warmth if we never experienced cold? God is the author or provider of light,

life, truth, joy, and good. The adversary can provide only the opposites because he takes away. He can pro-

vide darkness (the absence of light), death (the absence of life), falsehood (the absence of truth), misery (the

absence of joy), and evil (the absence of good). The devil actually provides nothing; he just sees to it that all

who cooperate with him are devoid of the blessings that God does provide. The unrighteous may not be mis-

erable according to their perspective, but they do not know real happiness. (D. Kelly Ogden and Andrew Skinner,

Verse by Verse the Book of Mormon, 113)

#5 President Boyd K Packer said, ―Life will not be free from challenges, some of them

bitter and hard to bear. We may wish to be spared all the trials of life, but that would be

contrary to the great plan of happiness, ‗for it must needs be, that there is an opposition in

all things (2 Ne. 2:11). This testing is the source of our strength‖ (CR, Apr. 2004, 81)

Other great thoughts:

#4 ―With Christ‘s triumph in heaven in overcoming Lucifer, and later his triumph on earth in over-

coming the effects of Adam‘s fall and the death of all mankind, ‗the children of men‘ continue ‗free

forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not be acted upon.‘…

―To fully understand this gift of agency and its inestimable worth, it is imperative that we un-

derstand that God‘s chief way of acting is by persuasion and patience and long-suffering, not be coer-

cion and stark confrontation. He acts by gentle solicitation and by sweet enticement. He always acts

with unfailing respect for the freedom and independence that we possess. He wants to help us and

pleads for the chance to assist us, but he will not do so in violation of our agency. He loves us too

much to do that, and doing so would run counter to his divine character‖ (Ibid.)

President Henry B. Eyring: ―One of the effects of disobeying God seems to be the creation of just enough

spiritual anesthetic to block any sensation as the ties to God are being cut. Not only [does] the testimony of

the truth slowly erode, but even the memories of what it was like to be in the light [begin] to seem… like a

delusion‖ (―A Life Founded in Light and Truth,‖ BYU 2000-2001 Speeches, 81)

―Thorough the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the plan of salvation is freely available to everyone. This does not

mean that all men and women will receive the same reward. As Alma testifies, ‗Whosoever will come may

come and partake of the waters of life freely.‘ But he added this warning: ‗Whosoever will not come the

same is not compelled to come; but in the last day it shall be restored unto him according to his

deeds.‘ (Alma 42:27) Salvation is free in the sense that it is provided by the grace of God through the Atone-

ment of Christ for all who will receive it. It is not free in the sense that it is given to all regardless of what

they believe or how they choose to live their lives. (CES Student Manual, Book of Mormon, 2009, 50)

“Though He Were a Son, Yet Learned He Obedience

by the Things He Suffered” ELDER ALEXANDER B. MORRISON

FIRST QUORUM OF THE SEVENTY (EMERITUS)

A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Elder Alexander B. Morrison served in the quorums of

the Seventy of The Christ of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1987 to 2000 and is now an

emeritus General Authority. He is a former assistant deputy minister of the government of

Canada and a university professor.

This Keynote address was given, October 3, 2002 at the BYU Families Under Fire Conference

Jesus, the Firstborn in the spirit and Only Begotten Son of the Father in the flesh, came to earth to ―suffer, bleed, and

die for man.‖ To fulfill His eternal destiny—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man—Jesus was re-

quired to undergo the experiences of mortality. Born in a manger, raised in obscurity as the putative son of a carpen-

ter, He preached His gospel of love and repentance for three short years, then died on a cross, hung between two com-

mon malefactors on Golgotha‘s gloomy hill. Then, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, He rose triumphant from the

tomb, clothed in a resurrected body of flesh and bones, as the redeeming Savior of all God‘s children. In Jesus‘ glori-

fied resurrected state, all power is given to Him in

heaven and in earth (see Matthew 28:18). He stands in the heavens, on the right hand of the Father, as Lord and Law-

giver, Advocate and Mediator, the ―Shepherd and Bishop of our souls‖ (1 Peter 2:25).

Though Jesus was chosen as Savior and Redeemer at the Grand Council in Heaven before the world was (see Abra-

ham 3), He came to earth as a helpless baby, who ―grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace

of God was upon Him‖ (Luke 2:40). As He grew from boy to man, Jesus increased ―in wisdom and stature, and in fa-

vour with God and man‖ (Luke 2:52). In one sense, as the only Sinless One, ever obedient to His Father, Jesus had no

need for earthly tutoring. Yet ―He received not of the fulness at the first, but continued from grace to grace until he

received a fulness‖ (D&C 93:12–13). Jesus was totally sinless, the only sinless one in all of human history. The grace

He received was not to compensate for His sins, but to empower his personal growth. In sum, therefore, Jesus, sub-

jected to the same learning

processes which apply to all men, was made perfect through the suffering and experiences of mortality. Central to

those experiences was the fact that He died and was resurrected with a glorified body of flesh and bones, like unto that

of His Father. Thus, in His resurrected state— and only then—Jesus could say to the Nephites, ―I would that ye should

be perfect, even as I, or your Father who is in Heaven is perfect‖ (3 Nephi 12:48). Though Jesus‘ earthly experiences

were sufficient to raise Him to exalted eternal perfection, in the fullest sense of the phrase, we fallible mortals, the rest

of God‘s children, must see the road to perfection in much longer terms. Simply put, we cannot become perfect in

mortality, try as we will and must. The Prophet Joseph Smith understood that: ―When you climb up a ladder,‖ he said,

―you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the

gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great

while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them. It is not all to be comprehended in this

world; it will be a great work to learn our salvation and exaltation even beyond the grave. . . . ‖ (King Follett Dis-

course, Nauvoo, 7 April 1844.)

We must tread the same path Jesus trod in mortality if we are to become more like Him, learning obedience by the

things we suffer. The winding trail of life, with its steep hills and deep valleys, blind alleys and occasional broad thor-

oughfares, leads us to many experiences, both good and bad. More often than we would wish, perhaps, we find the

path ahead is strewn with thorns and sharp stones which cut and bruise us. Unexpected turns and unanticipated obsta-

cles may hinder our way, and out in the darkness hidden dangers lurk. Life becomes—as perhaps it is meant to be—a

―lone, stern, scowling valley,‖ in Winston Churchill‘s felicitous phrase. (Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat: The Speeches

of Winston Churchill, edited by David Cannadine (Houghton Miflin Company, Boston, 1989, p. 214).

Some there are who will beckon us to follow what seems at first sight to be an easier way, a softer path, with no obsta-

cles and no adversity. Beware of such enticements. They are the lies of the adversary. They will do you no good. Soft

paths and easy journeys build neither muscles nor courage. Churchill knew the hidden dangers of such supposedly

rose-strewn paths. Speaking in another context, such paths lead, he said, ―to a dark gulf. It is a fine, broad stairway at

the beginning, but after a bit the carpet wears, a little further there are only flagstones and a little further on still, they

break beneath your feet‖ (James C. Humes, The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill [1994], p. 114).

Though in some respects life would be so much easier if we did not have to struggle so hard, the ineluctable, wintry

truth is that adversity is the great teacher and developer of Christ-like attributes of character. The refiner‘s fire of ad-

versity, which often seems so cruel and hard as to be well-nigh unbearable, can make us as clay in the Potter‘s hand,

to be molded to His divine purposes. Its heat can—if we let it—burn away the dross from our lives and leave our faith

as a shining, resplendent jewel. Then, and only then, can we mirror Christ‘s image in our countenance (see Alma

5:19).

Some there are, of course, who do not learn from adversity. In those who lack an eternal perspective, the trials of life

can lead only to bitterness, despair, and lack of belief and faith in God. But those who learn from adversity come away

from their pains and agonies invigorated in heart and spirit, with new hope and added courage. Thus renewed, they

―mount up with wings as eagles‖; they run and are not weary and walk and are not faint (Isaiah 40:31) Some years

ago, President David O. McKay told a great story from our pioneer heritage which illustrated the supernal truth that

from great adversity can come uncommon growth of soul. It concerned the Martin handcart company, caught in the

snows of early winter on the high plains

of Wyoming in 1856. All suffered immensely, and many died, but at last, battered, half-starved, many with frozen

hands and feet, the wretched survivors struggled into the Salt Lake Valley on 30 November 1856.

Many years later, a teacher conducting a class opined that it was unwise ever to have permitted the Martin handcart

company to leave Florence, Nebraska, en route to the Salt Lake Valley so late in the season as had occurred.

[According to a class member], some sharp criticism of the Church and its leaders was being indulged in for permit-

ting any company of converts to venture across the plains with no more supplies or protection than a handcart caravan

afforded. An old man in the corner . . . sat silent and listened as long as he could stand it; then he arose and said things

that no person who heard him will ever forget. His face was white with emotion, yet he spoke calmly, deliberately, but

with great earnestness and sincerity. In substance [he] said,

―I ask you to stop this criticism. You are discussing a matter you know nothing about. Cold historic facts mean noth-

ing here, for they give no proper interpretation of the questions involved. Mistake to send the Handcart Company out

so late in the season? Yes. But I was in that company and my wife was in it and Sister Nellie Unthank whom you have

cited was there, too. We suffered beyond anything you can imagine and many died of exposure and starvation, but did

you ever hear a survivor of that company utter a word of criticism? Not one of that company ever apostatized or left

the Church, because everyone of us came through with the absolute knowledge that God lives for we because ac-

quainted with him in our extremities.

―I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one

foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, I can go only that

far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.‖ He continues: ―I have gone on to that sand and

when I reached it, the cart began pushing me. I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my

eyes saw no one. I knew then that the angels of God were there. ―Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart? No.

Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become acquainted with God was a privilege to

pay, and I am thankful that I was privileged to come in the Martin Handcart Company.” (Relief Society Magazine,

January 1948, p. 8.)

The scriptures also are replete with references to the effects of adversity on human character, and contain many exam-

ples from the lives of great souls which illustrate the principle that it is not adversity per se, but our reaction to it

which determines our ultimate fate. The story of Job tells of the afflictions that befell a righteous man. One day Job

had everything, it seemed, that a person could ever ask for—land, wealth, possessions, and, above all else, a loving

family. Then the next day all was gone, and Job was left with nothing but tears and sorrow. ―He hath stripped me of

my glory, and taken the crown from my head. He hath destroyed me on every side . . . ,‖ he lamented. (Job 19:9–10.)

Job‘s faith in God, though sorely tried, remained strong: ―Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him . . . He also shall

be my salvation . . . For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. . . . yet

in my flesh shall I

see God.‖ (Job 13:15–16; 19:25–26.)

Job‘s trials and tribulations exemplify the enigma of human suffering. He was a righteous man who had, so far as one

can tell from the story, done nothing to warrant God‘s wrath. Why, then, was he made to suffer? Why indeed does any

innocent person suffer? It is one of the puzzling paradoxes of human existence. I do not believe we know the answer

in any degree of detail. Perhaps we are not meant to at this stage of our eternal existence but rather are to ―live by

faith.‖ Experience, discipline, and instruction are often cited as reasons why people are required to undergo suffering.

One or more of these reasons may indeed partially explain some human suffering. But many have exquisite difficulty

in understanding or even accepting why an innocent child, for example, should have to die slowly and in terrible pain

as so many do daily.

To many believers in God, unable to find in the teachings of their church answers to the paradox of suffering, reli-

gious faith reduces to stoical endurance and despair.

I do not pretend to know in detail the full and complete answers to the enduring enigma of human suffering. In any

attempt to find such answers, it would be well to admit at the outset that ―the Lord seeth not as man seeth‖ (1 Samuel

16:7). Mortal views are at best myopic and incomplete. We do not see the beginning from the end, as God does. As

Elder Neal A. Maxwell has wisely said, ―We cannot do the sums because we do not have all the numbers‖ (All These

Things Shall Give Thee Experience, Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, 1980, p. 37). The underpinnings for under-

standing the causation of suffering include the following:

God Our Father Is Omniscient

Jacob, the faithful younger brother of Nephi, understood that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, ever present: ―O how

great the holiness of our God! For He knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it‖ (2 Nephi 9:20).

In the Lectures on Faith, prepared by the Prophet Joseph Smith and others, and personally approved by the Prophet

himself, we read ―. . . God is the only supreme governor and independent being in whom all fullness and perfection

dwell . . .‖ (Lectures on Faith, 1985, p. 10).

In a letter of 1834 to the Saints who had been scattered from their homes in Missouri, the Presidency of the High

Priesthood (in effect, the First Presidency) gave further insight on the omniscience of God: ―We admit that God is the

great source and fountain from whence proceeds all good; that He is perfect intelligence, and that His wisdom is alone

sufficient to govern and regulate the mighty creations and worlds which shine and blaze with such magnificence and

splendor over our heads, as though touched with His finger and moved by His Almighty word‖ (History of the Church

2:12).

Note there are no qualifiers in the scriptures or the words of the living prophets concerning the omniscience of God,

whose ―understanding is infinite‖ (Psalms 147:5), and who ―knoweth all things which are to come‖ (Words of Mor-

mon 1:7). He who knows the end from the beginning knows all that is in between. We, who can teach Him nothing,

can have faith in his absolute knowledge! Thus, He knows, in infinite detail, the trials which await each of His chil-

dren, as He knows too our ability to withstand them, and grow spiritually from them. God does not need our intellec-

tual experiences. His work and glory come not from learning new

facts—from constantly revising, expanding, and remodeling His knowledge—but from the increase and advancement

of His creations, bringing to flower and fruition the immortality and eternal life of His children. There are no aspects

of reality which stand independent of His foreknowledge and divine will. On this point I regretfully part company

with Rabbi Harold Kushner, who argues that there still remains residual chaos in the world, that the process of replac-

ing chaos with order is still going on in the universe, that events occur outside of the laws of nature, and that God

therefore is unable to influence all human affairs. (See chapter 3, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Avon

Books, New York, 1981). Such thinking, sincere

though it is, I believe to be incompatible with the reality of God‘s omniscience and omnipotence. God‘s eternal pro-

gression, then, does not lie in His attainment of additional knowledge. President Joseph Fielding Smith enunciated that

principle well when he observed that God‘s progression lies ―not by seeking knowledge which he does not have, for

such a thought cannot be maintained in the light of scripture. It is not through ignorance and learning hidden truth that

he progresses, for if there are truths which he does not know, then these things are greater than he, and this cannot

be‖ (Selections from Doctrines of Salvation, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, 2001,

p.6).

We must look elsewhere than in the nature and character of God for the causation of suffering. Perhaps the following

may be useful in our thinking about this conundrum:

Time Is a Human Creation

With God, the past, present and future are part of an ―eternal now.‖ As the Prophet Joseph Smith explained, ―The

great Jehovah contemplated the whole of the events connected with the earth, pertaining to the plan of salvation, be-

fore it rolled into existence, or ever ‗the morning stars sang together‘ for joy . . . He [is] acquainted with the situation

of all nations and with their destiny; He [orders] all things according to the council of His own will; He knows the

situation of both the living and the dead, and has made ample provision for their redemption, according to their several

circumstances, and the laws of the kingdom of God, whether in this world, or in the world to come.‖ (History of the

Church 4:597.) Truly, as the psalmist sang of God: ―For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is

past, and as a watch in the night‖

(Psalms 90:4).

We mortals, on the other hand, are bound in our earthly existence by the confines of time, by the rising and the setting

of the sun, the rhythms of the seasons, birth and death, the ticking of the clock, the inevitability of tomorrow‘s dead-

line. Yet even so, we are always uneasy, never really at home in time. We belong to eternity; we are eternal beings.

Our essence, that which is at our very core, is without beginning of days or end of years. Time is not our natural di-

mension, and eventually its constraints will be lifted from us (D&C 84:100).

Having said that, it is true we at times do sense, as through a glass, darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12) our eternal nature and

eternal destiny. As Lucy Maude Montgomery wrote: ―It has always seemed to me, ever since early childhood, amid all

the commonplaces of life, I was very near to a kingdom of ideal beauty. Between me and it hung only a thin veil. I

could never draw it quite aside, but sometimes a wind fluttered it and I caught a glimpse of the enchanting realm be-

yond— only a glimpse—but those glimpses have always made life worthwhile‖ (Anne of Green Gables, Avenel

Books, New York, 1985, pp. xiii-xiv).

And perhaps the poet Wordsworth had similar intimations:

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:

The Soul that rises with us, our life‘s star,

Hath had elsewhere its setting, and cometh from afar;

Not in entire forgetfulness, and not in utter nakedness,

But trailing clouds of glory do we come,

From God who is our home . . .

(The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, 3rd edition, 1987, p. 597).

But in general, the veil between this life and the next is parted only at death. Thus, we fail to understand that whatever

we have to undergo on earth, no matter how stern our mortal trials, they, too, will pass away, and the time will come

when ―God shall wipe away all tears from [our] eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,

neither shall there be any more pain . . . ‖ (Revelation. 21:4)

What does all this have to do with suffering? Simply this: that which we think is interminable, everlasting, forever, is

in God‘s eyes but a moment—barely the fluttering of an eyelid in an eternal journey. Some day—and it will be soon

for all of us, in God‘s reckoning—the veil between mortality and eternity will be parted, and we will see forever.

Then, if not before, we will realize that our trials and tribulations of today, sore and vexing though they are or may be,

are no more. And we will recognize the truth of what God said to the Prophet Joseph Smith: ―All these things shall

give thee experience, and shall be for thy good‖ (D&C 122:7).

The Father’s Great Plan of Happiness Requires That We Be Tried and Tested

When the formation of the earth was being discussed in the great Council in Heaven, Jesus Christ, who stood among

those in attendance as one that ―was like unto God,‖ proclaimed: ―We will go down, for there is space there, and we

will take of these materials, and we will make an earth, whereon these [i.e., the spirit children of God] may dwell; And

we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command

them‖ (Abraham 3:24–25). Our earthly experience, our ―second estate,‖ thus is a time when we will be tested and

tried.

Mortality is a time for learning, even though that effort may be nearly more than we can bear; confusing; well-nigh

inexplicable; soul-wrenching. C. S. Lewis spoke of how God remodels us, if we will but let Him, sometimes in ways

which hurt and don‘t seem, on the surface, to make sense:

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He

is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed

doing and so you are not surprised. But presently, he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably

and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is

He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of—throwing out a

new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to

be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace.‖ (Mere Christianity, New York: Macmillan, 1960, p.

174.)

At times, in God‘s remodeling of our lives, it is required that we go to the outer limits of our faith, when all we can do

is hang on, trusting that He knows what is best for us, even when we feel bruised and battered by life. We may be sur-

prised, even confused, at what is happening, but He is not. God, the Omniscient One, who comprehends all things

past, present and future, knows full well how we will cope with adversity and tribulation.

Though He knows us perfectly, and loves as completely, His foreknowledge does not impinge on our agency because,

as we approach our trials, we are free to choose one course of action or another. Our decisions are made in our con-

text, not His. We do not know what He knows. God takes our decisions into account so that His tutoring proceeds as it

should, and His purposes—to help us grow spiritually and become more like Him—are not frustrated. Thus ―we know

that all things work together for good to them that love God‖ (Romans 8:28).

President Boyd K. Packer has spoken about the need for us to walk to the very edge of the light given to us, and be-

yond if necessary, confident that God will open the way for us. He said: Shortly after I was called as a General Au-

thority, I went to Elder Harold B. Lee for counsel. He listened very carefully to my problem and suggested that I see

President David O. McKay. President McKay counseled me as to the direction I

should go. I was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible for me to do as he counseled me to do. I returned

to Elder Lee and told him that I saw no way to move in the direction I

was counseled to go. He said, ―The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.‖ I replied that I

would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ―You must learn to walk to the edge

of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you.‖ (―The

Edge of the Light,‖ BYU Today, March 1991, pp. 22–

23.)

The Father‘s great plan of happiness, known also by other terms, including the plan of salvation (Alma 42:5), teaches

us that mankind chose to enter mortality; we came to earth with full understanding that to do so would inevitably re-

quire us to suffer. President Spencer W. Kimball wrote:

We knew before we were born that we were coming to the earth for bodies and experiences and that we would have

joys and sorrows, ease and pain, comforts and hardships, health and sickness, successes and disappointments. We

knew also that after a period of life we would die. We accepted all these eventualities with a glad heart, eager to ac-

cept both the favorable and the unfavorable. We eagerly

accepted the chance to come earthward even though it might be for only a day or a year. Perhaps we were not so much

concerned whether we should die of disease, of accident, or of senility. We were willing to take life as it came and as

we might organize and control it, and this without murmur, complaint, or unreasonable demands. We sometimes think

we would like to know what was ahead, but sober

thought brings us back to accepting life a day at a time and magnifying and glorifying that day. (Tragedy or Destiny,

Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, 1977, pp. 11, 12).

It is apparent that suffering is inherent in mortality. Only in the hereafter, in the glory of God‘s presence, will the full

effect of Christ‘s Atonement be felt. Then, as already noted, ―God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there

shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain . . . ‖ (Revelation 21:4).

Against this brief background, what can we say about the causation of suffering? It is apparent suffering can result

from several causes. They include the following:

1. Suffering may result from our own folly, foolishness, or wickedness. In such instances—and they are legion, given

the propensity of human beings to err – we have only ourselves to blame. If we sow the wind, we will reap the whirl-

wind. It is the law of the harvest in action, as Paul explained to the Galatian Saints (see Gal. 6).

2. We may suffer because of the sins of others. ―Man‘s inhumanity to man,‖ the poet Robert Burns said, ―makes

countless thousands mourn‖ (The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, 3rd Edition, Oxford University Press, 1987, p.

114). Beginning with Cain‘s murder of his brother, the long, lamentable litany of human crime provides eloquent wit-

ness to the suffering borne by the innocent at the hands of the wicked.

3. We may suffer because we are Christians. The Apostle Peter warned: ―But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or

as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other men‘s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not

be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf‖ (1 Peter 4: 15–16). President Joseph F. Smith noted that there

never has been a people united in the services of God as His covenant people who have not been hated and persecuted

by the wicked (Gospel Doctrine, Deseret Book Co., Salt Lake City, 1986, p. 46).

4. We may suffer as an inevitable accompaniment of life itself. We live in a world governed by natural laws, not all of

which operate for our short-term benefit. Thus, we have no immunity against a host of diseases and cannot escape the

accidents and misfortunes which are inherent in our own biology or are related to the physical world which is part of

our lives. If we fall by accident, we may break a bone, or even die. If we

are infected by the influenza virus, we will probably get sick. As we get older, we suffer the natural results of aging.

Disease, accidents, death itself, may be delayed, but ultimately cannot be avoided. Each is associated with suffering. It

is all part of the natural order of things, one of the conditions we agreed to when we came to earth.

5. We may suffer as part of the Lord‘s testing and trying of us. ―For whom the Love loveth he chasteneth, and scour-

geth every son whom he receiveth‖ (Hebrews 12:6). God is willing to permit us to undergo trials and tribulations, be-

cause He knows that our spiritual strength is directly dependent upon the extent to which our souls are stretched. That

is not to say we should therefore seek for suffering and glory in tribulation. Far from it. There is no intrinsic value in

suffering. Latter-day Saints do not believe that

mortification of the flesh—the wearing of a literal or figurative hair shirt—has anything to do, in and of itself, with

soul-growth. Suffering can wound and embitter the soul, as surely as it can strengthen and purify. Some souls become

stronger under suffering, but some break. It all depends on our response. ―I do not believe,‖ said Ann Morrow Lind-

bergh, ―that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To

suffering must be added mourning, understanding,

patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable‖ (Time magazine, February 5, 1973, p. 35).

Though I recognize God is omnipotent, all-powerful, I do not believe He actually gives people schizophrenia, cancer,

or other ailments either, for that matter. I believe that in His omniscience, God knows a trial is coming to us, and de-

clines to remove it, using it as a tutoring tool to help us grow spiritually. He knows every detail of our DNA and hence

of our genetic propensities to resist or acquire disease. So too, He knows fully all the myriad of biological, social, and

environmental factors to which we will be exposed during our lifetimes, and He understands completely the impact

they will have on us. He knows when genetic predisposition will converge with a stressful lifestyle or traumatic event

to produce disorder, perhaps even serious disease or other derangement of bodily function. Not all His children pass

with flying colors the various tests to which they are subjected, but those who do so become stronger spiritually. Fur-

thermore,

while granting that God can do whatever He wishes, I do not believe for a moment He uses the suffering of adversity

which does not arise from sin to punish His children. No mistake about it: sin certainly has inevitable consequences;

justice demands retribution. But God is not the source either of the sin or effects thereof. He takes no pleasure from

the suffering of His children. In the Book of Mormon we are told that wickedness is never happiness (Alma 41:10). It

is all too easy to twist that doctrinal truth a fraction, however, into a belief that unhappiness is always due to wicked-

ness. If we suffer from adversity, from painful, despairing days of anguish and sorrow, we may think our condition is

solely due to sin. But we would probably be wrong. The Prophet Joseph Smith understood that not all suffering is

caused by sin. He said: ―It is a false idea that the Saints will escape all the judgments, whilst the wicked suffer; for all

flesh is

subject to suffer, and ‗the righteous shall hardly escape; (see D&C 63:34) still many of the Saints will escape, for the

just shall live by faith; yet many of the righteous shall fall a prey to disease, to pestilence, etc., by reason of the weak-

ness of the flesh, and yet be saved in the Kingdom of God. So that it is an unhallowed principle to say that such and

such have transgressed because they have been preyed upon by disease or death, for all flesh is subject to death; and

the Savior has said, ‗Judge not, lest ye be judged.‘‖ [see Matthew 7:1] (History of the Church 4:11.) Even though God

is not the author of all human suffering, it is a measure of our devotion to His Beloved Son that from anguish and af-

fliction can come spiritual enlightenment, soul growth, and a developing sense of self and of our relationship to God

and Christ. The fire of adversity which scars some souls, purifies and ennobles others, transforming them into celestial

creatures filled with supernal joy. ―All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided you continue

faithful. By the vision of the Almighty I have seen it,‖ said Joseph Smith, who knew more about struggle, pain, disap-

pointment, and anguish than most. (History of the Church 5:362) Paul‘s letter to the Hebrews, a verse of which pro-

vides the theme for this presentation, teaches us that Jesus learned obedience by the things which he suffered. So it

must be with each of us. Willing, righteous obedience, Elder Delbert L. Stapley pointed out, ―leads to celestial life;

indeed there is no eternal progress without it.‖ (Ensign, November 1977). Obedience must be learned. The task of do-

ing so is the purpose of our mortal life. But the obedience God wishes us to display must be that which is freely given,

not coerced—obedience which is rooted in complete voluntary submission to God‘s will. Each of us, in the turmoil

and terms of adversity, longs for brighter days, reduced suffering, renewed hope. But sometimes we are left to tread

the winepress alone. Sometimes prayers do not get answered in the ways we had hoped for.

Sometimes we are called upon to endure, to hang on, to do our best in the midst of sorrow, suffering, and despair.

What then? To where do we turn for peace? The answer, I believe, lies in a single line of scripture. When Mary, the

virgin mother-to-be of Jesus, was told by the angel that she would bring forth a son named Jesus, ―the Son of the

Highest,‖ she exclaimed: ―be it unto me according to thy word‖ (Luke 1:31–32; 38, emphasis added).

Even though at that stage of her experience Mary almost certainly did not fully understand her glorious destiny, she

was humbly submissive and fully obedient. If we are to survive the trials of life with our faith intact, there is, quite

simply, no other answer: ―Not as I will, but as thou wilt‖ (Matthew 26:39) must be our motto.

To believe that, and more importantly, to live it, requires great faith. Oh that our faith might be as that of the three

young Israelites, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. As they were about to be thrown into a fiery furnace, heated so

hot that ―the flame of the fire‖ slew their jailers, the young men proclaimed their faith: ―If it be so, our God whom we

serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King.‖ Then these

words of calm assurance: ―But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the

golden image which thou hast set up‖ (Daniel 3:17–18, emphasis added). Even when faced with the possibility God

would not choose to rescue them from a horrible death, the three faithful young men were adamant: They would not

worship the heathen gods of

Nebuchadnezzar, come what may. So it must be with us: we may have to endure trials more horrendous than we think

possible. There are times we simply must ―be still, and know that [He is] God‖ (Psalms 46:10). We are reminded that

―my people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the

glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom‖ (D&C 136:31). Patience also is

required of us—a patient endurance, the ―patience of hope‖ (1 Thessalonians. 1:3), even when the burden is galling.

Indeed, God ―trieth [our] patience and [our] faith.

Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day‖ (Mosiah 23:21–22). In

times of great travail, Alma learned that God will ―ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you

cannot feel them upon your backs . . . ‖ (Mosiah 24:14). Thus we are to ―be patient in long-suffering and afflictions . .

. and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls‖ (Alma 17:11). ―. . . Bear with

patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success‖ (Alma 26:27).

But patience can wear thin unless we grow to trust in God and His plans for us, and have faith that sometime—

whether in this world or the next—all will be made right, for ―he careth for [us]‖ (1 Peter 5:7). President Brigham

Young put it wisely: ―When the Latter-day Saints make up their minds to endure, for the Kingdom of God‘s sake,

whatsoever shall come, whether poverty or riches, whether sickness or to be driven by mobs, they will say it is all

right, and will honor the hand of the Lord in it, and in all things, and serve Him to the end of their lives, according to

the best of their ability, God being their helper. If you have not made up your minds for this, the quicker you do so the

better.‖ (Journal of Discourses 1:338.)

But what are God‘s plans for us? They center on and have their foundation firmly anchored in Jesus‘ atonement and

resurrection. He and He alone is our Advocate with the Father. He showed the way. We can teach Him nothing about

suffering. He has spoken of His pain: ―Which suffering [the suffering associated with the Atonement] caused myself,

even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and

spirit— and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook

and finished my preparations unto the children of men‖ (D&C 19:18–19). Christ‘s incomprehensible suffering permits

Him to fully empathize with ours.

Jesus, who suffered more than mortals can comprehend, who knew the crushing burden of the sins of the world, came

to earth not to end all suffering but to end the needless suffering brought on by sin and to teach us that suffering need

not be in vain. Through the infinite grace of His Atonement, He will help us find the ability to endure. Wondrous

promises of eternal joy are ours if we do so. His empathy is perfect, His understanding full and complete! Since Christ

and His Father are one in attributes and perfection, we can plead with the Father, in the name of the Son, about our

trials and pain. He too understands perfectly. Such pleading is not cowardice or even weakness, but can be a reflection

of our total dependence on the God who loves us. Though Christ‘s Atonement brings a universal resurrection to all of

humankind—―for as in

Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive‖ (1 Corinthians 15:22)—the second part of His Atonement, the

gift of eternal life, is reserved for the faithful. To that extent, then, we must ―work out our salvation.‖ As Elder Neal

A. Maxwell has said, from the wisdom of his own suffering: ―Suffering accounts for some of the sweat that goes with

the process of working out our salvation‖ (One More Strain of Praise, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, 1999, p. 7). That

suffering may be long or short. If it teaches us to be submissive and humble, we will have learned one of eternity‘s

greatest lessons. Of one thing we can be sure, the price of discipleship is and ever will be tutorial suffering. There are

no exceptions to that rule, no cheap and easy way to ―take up [our] cross and follow [Him]‖ (Mark 10:21). There may

well be variations in suffering, both as to time and intensity, but there are no exceptions. Suffering is the key which

opens the door that leads to the growth of the soul.

Sufferers from whatever cause know from experience how hard it is to appreciate and cultivate the sunny side of life

when in the midst of a hurricane of darkness and despair. It is hard to keep in mind a glorious tomorrow beyond the

veil where there will be no tears or sorrow, no broken dreams, when one is trying with all her strength to just hang on,

to make it through another dreary day. Yet Jesus, the Great Exemplar, who always points the way for us, declared: ―. .

. Be of good cheer‖ (John 16:33). ―I will lead you along,‖ He assures us. ―The kingdom is yours and the blessings

thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours‖ (D&C 78:18).

No matter if our path be strewn with thorns; no matter how hard and onerous the struggle through clouds of disap-

pointment; no matter though we be bowed with care and pain, He will guide us. He will be our leader if we in humility

will follow Him: ―Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy

prayers‖ (D&C 112:10). To take Him by His outstretched hand requires us to acknowledge that without Him we are as

lost children, weak and incapable of rescuing ourselves, unable to find our way home again. We need not be ashamed,

or even embarrassed to show Him our weakness. After all, He knows us perfectly! Furthermore, ―the Lord God

showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by

his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things‖ (Jacob 4:7).

Additionally, ―I give unto men weaknesses 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‖ (Ether 12:27).

The obedience which flows from voluntary submission to God‘s will becomes part of our lives as we learn his laws

recorded in the scriptures, and heed the counsel of the living prophets and other divinely called Church leaders. God‘s

words to Moses tell us of the blessings which await the obedient: ―The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto

himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his

ways‖ (Deuteronomy 28:9). And through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord declared, ―I, the Lord, am bound when

ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise‖ (D&C 82:10). Obedience can be a hard lesson

to learn. In the course of learning to be submissive to God‘s will, our hearts may be broken, but with that heartbreak

can come a humble acceptance and renewed resolution to endure to the end. Several years ago, Elder H. Burke Peter-

son, then serving as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, told a sweet story which illustrates the point. He said:

At a recent stake conference the stake president called a young father, who had just been ordained an elder, from the

audience to bear his testimony. The father had been active in the Church as a boy, but during his teenage years had

veered somewhat from his childhood pattern. After returning from the military service he married a lovely girl and

presently children blessed their home. Without warning

an undisclosed illness overcame their little four-year-old daughter. Within a very short time she was on the critical list

in the hospital. In desperation and for the first time in many years the father went to his knees in prayer—asking that

her life be spared. As her condition worsened and he sensed that she would not live,

the tone of the father‘s prayers changed—he no longer asked that her life be spared—but rather for a blessing of un-

derstanding—―Let thy will be done,‖ he said. Soon the child was in a coma, indicating her hours on earth were few.

Now, fortified with understanding and trust, the young parents asked for one more favor of the Lord. Would he allow

her to awaken once more that they might hold her

closely. The little one‘s eyes opened; her frail arms outstretched to her mother and then to her daddy for a final em-

brace. When the father laid her on the pillow to sleep till another morning, he knew their prayers had been answered—

a kind, understanding Father in heaven had filled their needs as he knew them to be. His will had been done—they had

gained understanding—they were determined now

to live that they might live again with her.‖ (Ensign, January, 1974)

May we ever abide by this wise counsel of the Prophet Joseph Smith: ―Be virtuous and pure; be men of integrity and

truth; keep the commandments of God; and then you will be able more perfectly to understand the difference between

right and wrong—between the things of God and the things of men; and your path will be like that of the just, which

shineth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day‖ (History of the Church 3:31).

May this be our motto and our beacon in the darkness of a wicked world, I pray in Jesus name, amen.

LESSON OUTLINE Last week, you’ll remember, we talked about the journey of Lehi’s family through the deserts of Arabia, and likened their journey to our lives. Well I threw out a question to all of you that I didn’t know the answer to. It was, essentially, why after having gone through the same arduous journey and witnessed the same miracles in their behalf, did Nephi and Laman & Lemuel respond so differently? At the beginning of the journey, Laman & Lemuel were plotting murder, in the middle they were plotting murder, and after they arrived in the promised land, they were still plotting murder! If anything, they had only become angrier and more hardened. I asked this question because I have a 21 year old son who bears many similarities to Lehi’s wayward sons. Including that many times he will seem to be understanding and his heart will seem to be changing, but then we realize that’s just not so. He really hasn’t changed in the past 8 years (ironically) of his struggles. So I threw out that question: what made the difference between the 3 brothers? And do you remember Brother Sulzen’s response? (Nephi exercised faith) Well, I went home and pondered a lot on that. And then as I was preparing this week’s lesson I came across a quote that brought even more understanding. But before we read it , what does it mean to exercise faith? (Bible Dictionary: “Faith is a principle of action and of power, and by it one can command the elements and/or heal the sick… Even more important, by faith one obtains a remission of sins and eventually can stand in the presence of God… Faith… is more than belief, since true faith always moves its possessor to some kind of physical and mental action.) So, if we want increased faith in tithing, what do we do to strengthen it? (obey the law of tithing) It’s self-perpetuating almost— the more obedient we are, the more our faith grows, which makes us want to be more obedient! Now for that quotation:

Quote #1 That’s it, isn’t it?! Laman & Lemule, & my sweet son, didn’t and hasn’t yet, come unto Christ and partaken of the transforming power of the atonement. That’s the only way to change our heart. Today we’re going to discuss chapter 2 of 2 Nephi, where Lehi speaks to his son Jacob. It includes the idea that there must be opposition in all things. So in honor of that, I’d like so introduce some opposition to the serious-ness of the lesson so far. Does opposition always have to be negative? So what could I do in opposition to being serious? (tell a joke) And now, let’s together show off our scripture memorization work by reciting 1 Nephi 13:40.. 2 Nephi 2 restores some very plain an precious truths taken from the bible. Two of my sources state that chapters 2 & 9 of 2 Nephi are the most important chapters in all of scripture!! They definitely contain some deep doctrine. For example, ~In the Garden of Eden, prior to the fall, were Adam & Eve happy? (No, see 2 Ne. 2:23, 2 5) ~Was there a plan B in case Adam & Eve did not partake of the fruit? Does Heavenly Father ever have a plan B? (see 2 Ne 2 :24)

Quote #2 Let’s go back further, so we can really appreciate this. ~Prior to becoming the spirit children of our Heavenly Father, what were we? (intelligences) ~What are intelligences? (light and truth) ~What happened to us next? (creation of spirit bodies) ~Why? (brings our Heavenly Parents joy) ~Were we like Them yet? (no, still being acted upon, unable to act for ourselves) ~What does agency require? (choice, options)

~If I take my son to Cold Stone to choose a treat, but all they have is vanilla ice cream, is he rally exercising agency when he “chooses” vanilla? ~What was Heavenly Father’s next step to providing us with the opportunity to exercise our raith and our will? (creationa0 ~And then? (placed Adam & Eve on earth) ~And then? (Gave them a choice to eat or not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge) ~And here we are, making choices. In every choice, what is it we are ultimately choosing? (whether or not we want to be like our Heavenly Father, having the ability to act and not be acted upon. Just think how clever Satan is, trying to make us thing that by being obedient, our freedom is limited!) ~And so what is it Satan wanted to be able to prevent? (our choosing exaltation)

Quote #3 ~Who defended our ability to choose? (Christ) ~Did he also defend it here on earth? Where? Who did he face? (Satan)

Quote #4 ~ I want to be very clear. When we say we want to become like Christ, and our Father, what does that mean in terms of agency? (free to act and not be acted upon)

Read 2 Ne. 2:26 ~Does this mean Heavenly Father doesn’t have to obey any laws? (No, it means he obeys eternal laws per- fectly, which is what we’re here to learn to do.) ~How did Christ learn obedience?

Read Hebrews 5:8 (p. 1525) Quote #5