Living the Gospel

[Traveler]

What do you think. Is living the Gospel of Jesus Christ easy or is it hard?

The Traveler

[pam]

It should be extremely easy. I think we tend to make it harder than it needs to be. I think we let too much of the world into our lives whether intentionally or not.

But it's hard to give a yes or no answer. We all have struggles. What some might find easy to follow in the gospel others might not.

Should we work on our weaknesses so we can say it's easy? Absolutely.

[beefche]

What do you think. Is living the Gospel of Jesus Christ easy or is it hard?

The Traveler

Yes.

[Guest tomk]

I would say...His yoke is easy. His burden is light.

Notice, He does not say "I remove the yoke and the burden from you". Instead He expresses His desire to be yoked with us. His Presence and Influence has that effect upon us. We are still in the same situation as before, just strengthened sufficient to bear it.

Why doesn't He remove the burden?

Is removing the burden loving, or is it robbing us of needed experiences?

We must remember that the end result of this is that we become like God. We have children of our own that we send to an earth like this one. How will we be able to teach them and allow them to grow if we have never experienced any difficulty? To help those future children, we must be willing to pass through these experiences and become willing to learn from them what is there for us to learn.

My two cents. Suffering is a paradox. It is miserable during, but having been exercised thereby, are forged into Gods. The path to God runs through Gethsemane. Is that not the lesson Christ taught us?

[applepansy]

Definitely easy. However, sometimes the consequences of doing what is right are hard.

[JessicaHarper]

What do you think. Is living the Gospel of Jesus Christ easy or is it hard?

The Traveler

Was it easy for Jesus? John the Baptist? Paul?

[spamlds]

Living the gospel is hard for those who want to keep one foot in the world and the other in the Lord's kingdom. Serving two masters is hard work. Let go of one and choose the other and suddenly, it becomes easy.

In my interactions with apostates via the Society for the Prevention of Anti-Mormon (The Society for the Prevention of Anti-Mormonism) when it was still an active forum, I noticed that those who left the Church seemed to experience a sense of "freedom" and "exhilaration" when they let go of the "iron rod." Part of that comes from the "relief" of not having to fake it anymore. Most of them had been going through the motions for years.

They don't appreciate that one experiences the same elation when one truly disconnects from the world and lets it fall away from our grasp. It's because they never could bring themselves to do so. The praise of men, being regarded as a scholar, or any number of other reasons prevented them from doing so. The strain they felt comes from their trying to follow the Lord and drag him to the world at the same time.

Life is what's hard and that's true for everybody. Living the gospel becomes easy when we put the Lord at the center.

[Jodilean]

Ten years ago I became inactive because I thought living the Gospel was too hard--it required too much of me. I had a long list of "commandments" and I had such a hard time keeping all of them, I gave up.

I thought I was free. I thought I was happier. Then last January, my non-member husband expressed an interest in the church. He took the discussions, and I sat along with him. I decided to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover. I had read it before, but this time it was different. I had never felt that way before. I became truly converted--my heart, my soul, all of me. Now I know that I am happy. Not living the gospel actually made me pretty miserable.

After counseling with my Bishop, the freedom and PEACE I felt was like nothing I had ever felt before. I only wish everyone could experience this....because I do notice now that so many seem as if there heart is not into the gospel. They are just going through the motions. For instance, I read another forum last night where lots and lots of women did nothing but complain about garments. 10 years ago, I would have used that as an excuse to join in the bad mouthing. Now, I look at it as an opportunity to be thankful for my testimony, and to pray for those who do not have a testimony.

Thanks for letting me share,

Jody

[Dravin]

Yes.

And in that vein the parts that are one or the other varies according to the person and where that person is in life. Paul's thorns may not be mine.

[Avrham]

I find living the gospel has open my eye's as to it being hard or easy well I assume it would be realitive to each person's experiance/perception of their life

[Guest mormonmusic]

I find it hard, unfortunately. My tendency toward creativity, aversion to strong procedural rules, my desire to get results from my efforts, and my tendency to get worn out from repetitious activities (like Church meetings that are always in the same format, and sometimes, boring), make it hard.

My life has been easier in some respects because the gospel has a good impact on my kids behavior, and has kept my wife and I faithful to each other, so there is value in that. Plus, my volunteer efforts allow me to associate with good people in the Church, many of whom care about relationships with others -- makes my volunteer work easier in some ways.

But my whole life it's taken a lot of effort to stay active given the fact that I joined a Church that has a 'way of doing business' that is different from the way I see life. I realize now that I joined when I was young and didn't really know myself that well and didn't recognize what a poor fit the culture is with my own preferences for the groups I identify with.

As a close friend once said "if it wasn't true, I wouldn't go". Hopefully you'll focus on the true part in that statement. That's why I'm active as of today, in spite of the challenges.

Edited September 21, 2010 by mormonmusic

[Traveler]

May I ask this question is a different way?

Are there things about the Gosple of Jesus Christ that you have come to dearly love that you find rather hard? Or things that you sort of dislike that you find really easy?

The Traveler

[Guest mormonmusic]

Family Home Evening. I love its impact on my children. But its hard because my wife is only a reluctant supporter. I also find coming up with new games tiresome.

Things I dislike that I find easy? I dislike bearing my testimony in Sacrament meeting because I feel that I'm expected to say things like everyone else "I know it's true" etcetera. Yet, I find it easy to blather on in a testimony meeting if put on the spot...as I was at a youth event recently.

[bytor2112]

Depends where you are in the journey.

[Misshalfway]

May I ask this question is a different way?

Are there things about the Gosple of Jesus Christ that you have come to dearly love that you find rather hard? Or things that you sort of dislike that you find really easy?

The Traveler

I like this question better.

Sure on both counts. Life is an interesting proposition. It gives us lots of both "easy" and "hard". As I have traveled on my journey, there have been aspects of the gospel that I would have termed "easy" for many years that have been "hard" or tested recently. I suppose I have learned not to take anything for granted....or maybe not to assume my assumed mastery doesn't need some refinement.

I really think that living the gospel is an ever twisting and changing prospect. Thank goodness that it is!

[Traveler]

For my final response to this subject – I have found that the more I practice a thing the easier it becomes and the more I avoid something that when I finely attempt it the more difficult it becomes.

I believe this applies to almost anything from sports, work or the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Traveler

[Connie]

Thanks Traveler. Great thread! And your last post reminded me of one of my all-time favorite quotes. It probably reminded everyone else of the same one too, but i'll go ahead and post it anyway.

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself has changed, but that our power to do has increased." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

[GADBabaganoosh]

Its only hard if you want to do sinful things. If you abandon those sinful things, and want to do whats right more than you want to do sinful things, it becomes quite easy in and of itself. Although it can be hard while so many around us aren't following it.

[spamlds]

What a wonderful testimony, Jody! You went through the process of being "born again" just like Alma. Everybody has to do it, even lifelong members.

There are so many analogies that come to mind--a great feast or a cool, clear swimming pool on a hot day. You have to feel the need to respond to the invitation to dig in a the feast or to dive in the pool. Many people just nibble or put a toe in the pool to test the water. They never feel the exhilaration of being born again.

Every single bishop would love to hear a testimony like yours on Fast Sunday!

--Greg

Ten years ago I became inactive because I thought living the Gospel was too hard--it required too much of me. I had a long list of "commandments" and I had such a hard time keeping all of them, I gave up.

I thought I was free. I thought I was happier. Then last January, my non-member husband expressed an interest in the church. He took the discussions, and I sat along with him. I decided to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover. I had read it before, but this time it was different. I had never felt that way before. I became truly converted--my heart, my soul, all of me. Now I know that I am happy. Not living the gospel actually made me pretty miserable.

After counseling with my Bishop, the freedom and PEACE I felt was like nothing I had ever felt before. I only wish everyone could experience this....because I do notice now that so many seem as if there heart is not into the gospel. They are just going through the motions. For instance, I read another forum last night where lots and lots of women did nothing but complain about garments. 10 years ago, I would have used that as an excuse to join in the bad mouthing. Now, I look at it as an opportunity to be thankful for my testimony, and to pray for those who do not have a testimony.

Thanks for letting me share,

Jody

[jayanna]

Easy. Living without hope was hard, hard, hard.

[spamlds]

May I ask this question is a different way?

Are there things about the Gosple of Jesus Christ that you have come to dearly love that you find rather hard? Or things that you sort of dislike that you find really easy?

The Traveler

That's a much better question. Everyone has things they like and dislike and find hard to do, simply because they're individuals.

Some people find it hard giving talks, because they're deathly afraid of public speaking. Going on a mission is hard for some folks because they're so close to their family that the homesickness is tough to deal with. Some people don't like doing home teaching less active families because they're not comfortable imposing on someone who they feel doesn't want them there to begin with.

Some members struggle with health issues that make it difficult to go to Church. Others struggle with tithing because they lack faith that the Lord really does know their needs, hears their prayers, and can control the elements for their good.

Other people have to overcome shyness, laziness, pride, or other weaknesses to serve effectively in a calling.

The Lord's Church is like a university that gives each of us a custom-made curriculum to bring us face-to-face with our weaknesses so we can confront and overcome them.

When you think about it, the destiny of exalted beings is to be like our Heavenly Father. We have to overcome those things that are hard for us by doing them until they become easy.

[itsanaddictionx]

I find it to be easy. Modesty wise, that's the easiest for me. I've never been into revealing clothes and the most revealing I'd ever go would be a one-piece bathing suit. :)

But with spiritual and daily struggles, though, it does get a bit harder there. Trying to live like Christ would is a bit hard for me, for I sometimes judge a person before I know them, whereas He would not do that. It gets easier with trial and error, and also knowing my Heavenly Father is always there when I need guidance surely does make the burden easier.

Not that I'm saying living like Christ is a burden. But the challenges of daily life in this world is a growing burden day in, day out.

Do not forget to look to our Heavenly Father and the Gospel for guidance. He will help show you the way, and His words will help lighten your load. :)