The Strength to Endure
By Elder Richard J. Maynes
Taught by Sister Penney Fuehrer
Penny started her lesson by reading the following: Every
morning when we wake up, we face a new day filled with the challenges of life.
These challenges come in many forms:
Physical, financial, relationship difficulties, emotional trails and even
struggles with faith.
Many of these challenges can be solved
and overcome. Others are more difficult to understand and impossible to
overcome. We might not understand them until we pass on to the next life.
As we temporarily endure the challenges
we can solve we continue to endure the challenges we cannot solve.
The spiritual strength we develop
will help us endure all the challenges we face in life.
A loving Heavenly Father has
designed our earthly existence so we can individually learn the lessons we need
to learn to qualify for eternal life in his presence: 1.Salvation 2.Exaltation
through the principle of repentance. If we honestly and sincerely repent the
Atonement can help us become clean, change our nature, and successfully endure our
challenges.
Endurance is an important principle
found within the doctrine of Jesus Christ. It is important because the quality
of our eternal future is proportional to our ability to endure in righteousness.
I recall when some sisters shared the challenges in their lives and how it touched
me.
Since we all have challenges of some
kind in our lives. I’ve asked some sisters to share their challenges.
Jennifer Lassiter shared her
challenges of being a working mom. She shared her feelings of how she really
wants to be a stay at home and be with her kids, but if she didn’t work she
wouldn’t be able to provide the life she wants her children to have. She shared
that it is a constant battle within herself. What helps her endure is coming to
church and her neighbors that are always willing to listen.
Marilyn Sanford shared the
following challenges including her husband, Dick going inactive. And when with
friends on vacation Dick suffered a stroke. Convincing Dick to have a
priesthood blessing when he wasn’t active. Moving to Utah and the many people
that have been an influence in Dick becoming active again. She is very thankful
for the missionaries, bishops, and home teachers that have been friendly and
kind to Dick.
Amara Doxy share with us how she was
raised by her older sister because of family issues that stemmed back to her
grandmother on her father’s side. Her sister got involved with drugs and
alcohol, but later cleaned up her life and got married. After she was married she
sought help in helping her cope and get through what happened with her family.
The therapist told her she should never see her family again; since, Amara has
no contact with her sister who raised her and was like a mother to her.
Everyday Amara wonders where her sister is what she is doing, is she happy or
not. She endures this challenge by knowing she will see her sister again along with
her father and grandmother.
In closing I want to thank the
sisters for sharing with us today. The Lord inspires us all to develop within ourselves.
As the Apostle Paul said” I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.”
