Perfect Love by Uchtdorf

[Sunday21]

Bro Utchdorf gave a talk in the most recent general conference https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/perfect-love-casteth-out-fear?lang=eng

i feel prompted to keep reading this section. I do not believe this section. I wish that I did. In fact I feel that being lds makes my life much harder. I feel prompted to keep reading and I have read it and listened to it many many times. I just don't believe it.

The Lord Will Fight Our Battlesr

Brothers and sisters, we are the Lord’s “little flock.” We are the Saints of the latter days. Inherent in our name is the commitment to look forward to the Savior’s return and prepare ourselves and the world to receive Him. Therefore, let us serve God and love our fellowmen. Let us do this with a natural confidence, with humility, never looking down on any other religion or group of people. Brothers and sisters, we are charged with studying the word of God and heeding the voice of the Spirit, that we may “know the signs of the times, and the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.”13

We are, therefore, not ignorant of the challenges of the world, nor are we unaware of the difficulties of our times. But this does not mean that we should burden ourselves or others with constant fear. Rather than dwelling on the immensity of our challenges, would it not be better to focus on the infinite greatness, goodness, and absolute power of our God, trusting Him and preparing with a joyful heart for the return of Jesus the Christ?

As His covenant people, we need not be paralyzed by fear because bad things might happen. Instead, we can move forward with faith, courage, determination, and trust in God as we approach the challenges and opportunities ahead.14

We do not walk the path of discipleship alone. “The Lord thy God … doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”15

“The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”16

In the face of fear, let us find our courage, muster our faith, and have confidence in the promise that “no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.”17

Do we live in a time of peril and turmoil? Of course we do.

God Himself has said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”18

Can we exercise the faith to believe and to act accordingly? Can we live up to our commitments and sacred covenants? Can we keep the commandments of God even in challenging circumstances? Of course we can!

We can because God has promised, “All things shall work together for your good, if [you] walk uprightly.”19 Therefore, let us set aside our fears and live instead with joy, humility, hope, and a bold confidence that the Lord is with us.

[zil]

I think that this is the key (italics mine):

Quote

D&C 123:17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

A) In part, this promise to fight our battles is a community promise (God will fight the Church's battles, to ensure the Church continues to move forward)

B) The Lord expects us to do all in our power before turning the rest over to him.  When "all in our power" is extremely difficult (which is probably most of the time) we can be so caught up in the struggle that we don't realize we're being helped, or recognize the help for what it is.

C) The Lord's help comes in his time, not ours.  It may seem we're losing the battle, or that help will never come, but it's probable we just need to be patient (or that we're missing the point and not recognizing the important part of the experience).

D) In the world we have tribulation.  Sometimes the Lord withholds his help, possibly even until the end of the world.  So we wait and trust - cuz there's not much else we can do.

That may not help at all, but there are some thoughts on the matter.

[Sunday21]

Dear @zil

Thank you. This response is very helpful! I feel relieved.

[classylady]

Zil's reply was excellent!

Several years ago my husband and I nearly lost our home to foreclosure. My husband had retired from his job before he was qualified to receive his retirement, and we were still a few years away from receiving any Social Security benefits. He had great dreams of doing well in an MLM business, which did not not occur, (we invested money in it, and saw 0 return).  Knowing my husband, I was pretty sure this was going to be the outcome, but I wasn't going to be the one to ruin his dream. He had to figure this out for himself. I remember being so depressed and in such despair. If we lost our house I knew that at our advanced ages we would never be able to recover. Our credit rating was such, I also knew we probably wouldn't even be able to rent. Plus, where was the money for rent?  We didn't have any monthly income. And trying to find jobs in our 60's, we would be making minimum wage, if that.

Anyway, as we were waiting for the bank to tell us to vacate our home (we hadn't made a house payment in over 6  months), I was despairing over our situation. I knew we were responsible for this dilemma we were in. Many of the trials we face are over decisions we personally make in our lives. But, then I was comforted by the fact that even if we became homeless, if I lost everything, there was one thing that I would not be losing, and that was my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as my early ancestors repeatedly lost everything in the early years of the church, they did not lose their faith, and this is what I still had, my faith. This thought gave me courage, and I simply was no longer despairing over our situation.

All of us are faced with many trials in our lives. Some, we have brought on ourselves, others are placed in our path from other people's choices, and other trials we may be born with. But, we can choose our response to our trials. Don't give up. Have faith. Continue on with hope, faith, and charity.  I'm reminded of Alma and Amulek in Alma chapter 14, where they are brought forth to witness the martyrdom of the women and children. Amulek says to Alma "how can we witness this awful scene?  Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.  But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receive the them up unto himself, in glory...".  We often forget that this life is not the end of everything. Our Spirits are eternal and we have eternal blessings awaiting us that we may not realize in this life time.

[Sunday21]

@classylady. Thank you. This is very encouraging. I am so tired from work and church. Our stake is the famously badly run stake. Chaos reigns. My ward never stops asking. The pressure to attend endless activities is intense. No wonder people stop going to church here. They want to have hobbies. See nonmormon friends. See their family. 

I have a feeling that my ward is trying to stem the tide of inactivity with constant socializing. I can see their point. If people get to know each other maybe they will stay strong in the church. But members also start getting used to refusing.  I am getting used to saying No. I am working! Don't you people have jobs?

[SilentOne]

On 7/16/2017 at 5:01 PM, zil said:

The Lord's help comes in his time, not ours.  It may seem we're losing the battle, or that help will never come, but it's probable we just need to be patient

My cousin recently returned from a mission and the thing he said that really stuck with me, and that I thought about posting here but never did, was that God is a fourth-quarter God. Everything will look hopeless, like there's no way we can win this one, and then we get a miracle comeback at the end.

[anatess2]

A lot of times our own personalities get in the way of our faith.  Some people look at a glass and say it is half full with a smile.  Some people look at a glass and say it is half empty in despair.  Some people look at a glass and say it is half full and procrastinate on filling it.  Some people look at a glass and say it is half empty and hops to the faucet to refill it.

I say we look at the glass half full in joy and strive to do everything in our power to fill it even more that our joy may be complete... singing praises to God the whole way.