The following is based
on some thoughts/excerpts of a letter I recently wrote to a friend. I have
removed the personal references, and want to share with you what I said to
them...
My friend was going
through a trial that was quite difficult and prolonged. As I witnessed them
exercise their faith and courage, I was...
...reminded of the
scriptures in Doctrin and Covenants section 121 (a scripture of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).The scripture background is written as
follows:
“Prayer and prophecies written by Joseph Smith
the Prophet while he was a prisoner in the jail at Liberty, Missouri, dated 20
March 1839 (see History of the
Church, 3:289–300). The Prophet and several companions had been
months in prison. Their petitions and appeals directed to the executive
officers and the judiciary had failed to bring them relief.”
At the time this was
written, the persecutions against the church had become very fierce and were
causing a large amount of grief and pain with the members of the church – even at
times, death.
In the scripture, Joseph
shares with us his lamenting to the Lord about his tribulation. He says, “O
God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?”
(verse 1). Then he laments for a few more verses until finally we hear the
Lord’s voice say, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine
afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God
shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all they foes.” (verses 7-8).
Now, I know you may have
heard these verses a million times – especially verses 7-8 (often recited in
church), and I certainly don’t need to give you a speech about enduring your
adversities well. And I won’t - because I think that verse is often used a bit out
of context and without the proper perspective…
You see, if you read Joseph’s
lament from verses 2-6,…
2 How long
shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the
eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be
penetrated with their cries?
3 Yea, O Lord, how long
shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions,
before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward
them?
4 O Lord God Almighty,
maker of heaven,
earth, and seas, and of all things that in them are, and who controllest and
subjectest the devil, and the dark and benighted dominion of Sheol—stretch
forth thy hand; let thine eye pierce; let thy pavilion be
taken up; let thy hiding place
no longer be covered; let thine ear be inclined; let thine heart be
softened, and thy bowels moved with compassion toward us.
5 Let thine anger be
kindled against our enemies; and, in the fury of thine heart, with thy sword avenge us
of our wrongs.
…you’ll see that never
once is he lamenting his own situation. He is lamenting and crying to the Lord
about the plight and problems of his PEOPLE, his family, his friends. He is
crying because he can’t be there to do more, and because the hurt of his people
has become his own. In other words, the Lord’s response to Joseph has nothing
to do with enduring his “own” trials and afflictions. I mean, it is, but
in proper perspective, you realize that his affliction and adversity was that
of bearing the burdens of others! Think about how amazing that is. Still not
sure? Re-read the verses 2-6 and see the words, “they”, “thy people”, “us”, and
“saints”. These words clearly show his concern was about others.
As I consider that
thought, I remember that our very covenant of baptism is really about promising
(as Alma taught us in Mosiah 18 – from the Book of Mormon) to bear the burdens
of others. To mourn with those that mourn. That is what Joseph was doing! He
was struggling under the weight of the burden of others because he so deeply
cared and loved for them! I love that sentiment A LOT more than how that
scripture is traditionally taught. And, I think it is a fairer representation
of the kind of man Joseph Smith was. Even more important, it is a great example
of how our Savior, Jesus Christ is with us.
People, who for the
great love for their friend, their spouse, their children, and their neighbors
- who mourn and cry with those who are suffering - bear in part, that burden
and share in it. To me, that is perhaps the best way to get to know Christ. To
do what he did – which was to mourn for and with us, to cry with and for us, to
share in our pain, in our struggles, in our troubles. And because of it, can
succor us and be our partner, our friend, our advisor, and our savior.
The Lord does not ask us
to endure “our adversity”. He really asks us to endure well the burdens of
others. In the bible (Matthew 11:29-30), Jesus says,…
29 Take my yoke upon
you, and learn of
me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto
your souls.
He isn’t asking us to
bear our own yoke of burdens. He does that for us through his infinite
atonement. He asks us to bear his – which is that of bearing the burdens, the
pains, the suffering of others through love and compassion and empathy. It is
true charity. Through us, he can reach others with His love. We indeed have a
role to play in his atoning sacrifice!
I hope that I can be
more like my Savior, and that my actions and my words and my heart is as
inviting to others around me as the Savior is with me. That somehow I can help
bear and lighten their burdens and through that help others feel of their true worth,
and the Savior’s love for them.
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