On Enduring Well

Week three of my month-long review of selected General Conference talks rests on the ample shoulders of President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, and more specifically his words in Priesthood Session. His talk, entitled "Continue in Patience," in my mind is a seminal discourse that we all need to hear. He opened with what to me is a familiar experiment in social psychology:

"In the 1960s, a professor at Stanford University began a modest experiment testing the willpower of four-year-old children. He placed before them a large marshmallow and then told them they could eat it right away or, if they waited for 15 minutes, they could have two marshmallows.

"He then left the children alone and watched what happened behind a two-way mirror. Some of the children ate the marshmallow immediately; some could wait only a few minutes before giving in to temptation. Only 30 percent were able to wait.

"It was a mildly interesting experiment, and the professor moved on to other areas of research, for, in his own words, 'there are only so many things you can do with kids trying not to eat marshmallows.' But as time went on, he kept track of the children and began to notice an interesting correlation: the children who could not wait struggled later in life and had more behavioral problems, while those who waited tended to be more positive and better motivated, have higher grades and incomes, and have healthier relationships.

"What started as a simple experiment with children and marshmallows became a landmark study suggesting that the ability to wait—to be patient—was a key character trait that might predict later success in life."

Now, aside from advocating for longitudinal research designs, President Uchtdorf showed here a finding in the natural world that can easily be applied to our spiritual lives, being that those who are patient now can obtain greater blessings in the future. We live in a time of instant gratification, in which all things that we desire are at our fingertips. But as such, we have raised a generation that undervalues patience. Nevertheless, says President Uchtdorf, "without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace."

Patience isn't Merely Waiting

President Uchtdorf then gave a story about how as a little boy, now in postwar West Germany, he was made to learn English, a language his tongue just did not seem to grasp. He noticed, however, that with the support of a kind teacher, and with patient persistence, he was able to even learn English. He used this example to show that patience involves work--working toward the desired goal, acting and not being acted upon (see "Standing Water Ahead" April 11, 2010). He said:

"There is an important concept here: patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!

"Impatience, on the other hand, is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all-too-prevalent condition called 'center of the universe' syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role."

The Lord's Way and Time

"The children of Israel waited 40 years in the wilderness before they could enter the promised land. Jacob waited 7 long years for Rachel. The Jews waited 70 years in Babylon before they could return to rebuild the temple. The Nephites waited for a sign of Christ’s birth, even knowing that if the sign did not come, they would perish. Joseph Smith’s trials in Liberty Jail caused even the prophet of God to wonder, 'How long?'

"In each case, Heavenly Father had a purpose in requiring that His children wait."

I think with this quote we reach an all-important principle: Heavenly Father will not take away our burdens when we want Him to do so. It is in the learning that we receive trials, and we will receive them until we learn what He would have us learn. The storms of life will inevitably cloud and dampen our spirits, but it is how we perceive those storms in which true, Godly patience is defined.

Patience Requires Faith

President Uchtdorf later emphasized that that mindset is forged in the faith that our trials are for our own good. It is realizing that God has control of our lives, and that we are to look forward to the blessings that will inevitably flow as we diligently seek the Lord's will, recognizing His hand in our lives. President Uchtdorf said,

"Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can’t see the Lord’s hand in our lives until long after trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity, understanding, and happiness."

How true this is! I personally, am ever grateful for the Lord's blessings that come after a long battle with my desire to be among the "entitlement generation." I recognize that oftentimes it is in the waiting from whence the blessing comes, as our faith is forged through experience and trial. Let us always remember to endure well, seeing that it is by the Lord that our trials are manifest; if we do this, I know we will be blessed, because such was expressed by President Uchtdorf, who I know to be a prophet of God.

Have a great week!