Overcoming the Trials of Our Faith

This is a "talk" that I wrote last year for my Teachings of the Living Prophets class that was taught by the University President. I actually wrote this in a General Conference format - just as you would see it appear in the Conference Edition of the Ensign twice a year. (Anyone that wants to see it in its original formatting - with references that unfortunately not copy over properly into the Word Processor, let me know and leave me your email address):

(If there are formatting problems or mistakes, I apologize - I had to import this from a PDF printout because my original copy of this document was corrupted)

BRANDON G, WILCOX
Student

If we are to be true disciples of Jesus Christ, we must overcome the trials that challenge our faith to follow Him.

Several years ago prior to my missionary service I was awaiting a call from the ward chorister to report the songs I would be playing the following Sunday as Ward Organist. After several minutes, the phone rang and the expected number appeared. It was not her, but rather her mother. She was calling to see if my father was home, but he was unfortunately at work. This sister was calling to find another Melchizedek Priesthood holder to assist in a blessing. A member of the ward had been involved in a serious car accident earlier that day. I reminded her that I had recently been ordained an Elder. She requested my assistance, to which I agreed. The catch: I had just had my wisdom teeth removed the day prior and my jaw was swollen shut!

Upon arrival at the hospital, we went into the room where I placed my hands upon the injured sister’s head. As I began to speak, my jaw loosened - such that I could pronounce the anointing. Immediately after finishing my jaw swelled shut again barring me from further speech. This became a powerful testimony of faith to me.

Over the years, I have pondered the experience and have reflected on the many things that I have learned as a result. Of the many things that I have reflected on, I have concluded this experience was at that time a trial of my faith. Further, I have come to ask myself “how does this trial help me to become a disciple of Christ?"

Ether tells us in the Book of Mormon that “[we] receive no witness until after the trial of [our] faith.”’ What witness is it that we are seeking though? In a family experience that tested his wife, Elder Bednar recounts that the witness that received from his spouse’s exercise of faith included “inspiration about a number of issues that were pressing upon our minds...”

While we surely cannot expect answers to all of our questions simply by pulling ourselves in faith-stretching situations on a continuous basis, we can learn about our Father’s love for us and gradually convert our faith to perfect knowledge. Said Jesus to the woman who touched his robes: “Daughter, be of good comfort: they faith hath made thee whole.”

Too often, we are inclined to see only the physical result of this trial of faith, but we need not overlook the knowledge gained by this woman. She became recognizant of the Savior’s power and gained great knowledge and testimony that could later be borne to friends and acquaintances.

Nephi teaches us of a powerful companion to faith in the Book of Mormon: “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing. . . nevertheless, I went forth” Many times in our trials we will find that we do not know the path which we must take in that trial - but if we are living worthy of it, we will have the guidance of the Spirit to help us through.

The key to our growth and progression as disciples of Jesus Christ is action. Nephi was led the Spirit in his quest to gain knowledge and guidance. He did not simply stand around and wait for guidance to strike him in the same fashion that his brethren already had, but rather made the necessary preparations in order to most effectively exercise his faith. President Eyring states this same thing in other words: “know that we are not the helpless victims of our circumstances.”

As we come to exercise our faith more fully, we also come to realize that prayer must be coupled with it. While the answers and directions to our trials may not be any more immediately apparent through prayer, Elder Richard G. Scott states “sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before the answer comes,” but that our faith will increase because of it.

In his latest Conference address, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf illustrates the exercise of faith h his mother in overcoming a particularly taxing trial during his childhood. In this counsel, he reminds us that faith. alone with hope and charity “stabilize our lives regardless of’ the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter”

As we continually exercise faith, that faith begins to grow and become the other two elements hope and charity that will ultimately lead to our progression as disciples of Christ. We must have all three of these elements present within us in order to be effective ministers of the l.ord. In counseling Joseph Smith, the Lord said “And if you have not faith, hope, and charity, you can do nothing.” Stated another way: “And faith, hope. charity, and love, qualify him for the work.”

The Lord’s rebuke to his Apostles upon the water serves as a rebuke to each one of us individually for our lack of faith. to their pleas of ‘aster master, we perish”’ the Lord responds. “Why are you so fearful. how is it that ye have no faith””’ Are we likewise also sailors on that same boat at various times in our lives? Do we not cry out in agony during the trials in our lives for the Master to mete out some measure of salvation or calm the storms of adversity in a show of mercy when in reality we simply need only to exercise a particle of faith?

It would seem that during our “trials of faith” that is the one thing that we need to exercise most Just as a recovering patient needs to rehabilitate and exercise a limb, which has just been injured or operated upon, we need to exercise faith in the Savior when we find ourselves confronted with an “unbearable” situation. If our faith is not strong enough to support ourselves, then how can we be expected to be a representative of Him who has perfect knowledge of all things? Another stern rebuke was given to a potential follower of the Savior in the book of Luke. This follower was essentially disqualified from being a disciple of Christ because he wanted to “[put] his hand to the plow, and [look back].”

We cannot, during our trials. simply wallow around in self-pity and “wish things were the way they used to be.” Neither, can we be as the five unprepared virgins at the feast of the bridegroom President Eyring calls the unwise virgins “faithless servants who delayed their preparation."

Our late beloved prophet. President Gordon H Hinckley struggled himself with faith during his missionary service. In response to his lack of faith and trust in the work, President Hinckley’s father told him to “forget [himself] and go to work.”

Our living prophet today is a great example of this. His show of faith on numerous occasions, especially those where he is rending service to other individuals help to illustrate the need to have a more perfect faith in our own lives [his more perfect faith will not only allow us to overcome our own trials and tribulations, hut will also allow us to assist others in overcoming theirs.

I testify that faith is an essential component to our salvation as well as the salvation of our fellow brothers and sisters around us. If we will more fully exercise faith in our lives, we will find incalculable growth within ourselves and progress towards inheriting all that the Father has for us when we are invited into the marriage feast. This is the Savior’s invitation to us when he exhorts us to “come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.