To Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, God promised:
Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.
Doctrine and Covenants 121:8
If the promise was conditioned on Joseph enduring well, then there must be a difference between productive and unproductive endurance. When we are experiencing adversity, generally in circumstances beyond our control, what choices can we make that will enable us to receive the full blessings of the experience?
Elder Neal A. Maxwell made the following recommendations:
- “Endurance is more than pacing up and down within the cell of our circumstance; it is not only to accept the things allotted to us, it is to “act for ourselves” by magnifying what is allotted to us.” In other words, adversity may limit our freedom of action, but we can still focus on doing what we can within our reduced allotment of agency. (See Alma 29:3-4.)
- “True enduring represents not merely the passage of time, but the passage of the soul—and not merely from A to B, but sometimes all the way from A to Z.” In other words, be a proactive student during the experience. What are you learning? How are you growing? Commit to extract maximum value from the experience.
- “With enduring comes a willingness, therefore, to ‘press forward’ even when we are bone weary and would much rather pull off to the side of the road.” Don’t allow difficult experiences to make you waver from your long-term goals or from fulfilling the duties of discipleship. No wonder the Lord commended Nephi for his “unwearyingness” (Helaman 10:4).
- “While the scriptural phrase “in process of time” means “eventually,” it also denotes an entire spiritual process. … Of course, the passage of time does not bring an automatic advance. Yet, like the prodigal son, we often need the “process of time” in order to come to our spiritual senses (Luke 15:17).” Trust God’s timetable, and recognize that some growth inherently takes time.
- “The enlarging of the soul requires not only some remodeling, but some excavating. Hypocrisy, guile, and other imbedded traits do not go gladly or easily, but if we ‘endure it well,’ we will not grow testy while being tested.” Be patient while God does His work.
(“Endure It Well,” April 1990 general conference)
When the people of Alma were suffering in servitude, the Lord didn’t answer their prayers for deliverance immediately. Instead, He strengthened them to “bear up their burdens with ease.” In response, “they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord” (Mosiah 24:15). It may be too much to ask for cheerfulness during some of our trials, but we can follow their example by trusting God to strengthen us and lead us through whatever challenges we face.
Today, I will strive to endure well the difficulties in my life. I will strive to be cheerfully and consistently proactive, to learn what I can from difficult circumstances, and above all to trust in God.