Learn From Trials, Then Act Upon Your Knowledge

"I love the musical and motion picture Fiddler on the Roof. There a wonderful Jewish father sings “If I Were a Rich Man.” His memorable prayer concludes with this pleading question:

Lord, who made the lion and the lamb,

You decreed I should be what I am;

Would it spoil some vast eternal plan,

If I were a wealthy man?

Yes, Tevye, it might. Let us give thanks for what we are and for the circumstances God has given us for our personal journey through mortality." --Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign May 2003, Give Thanks in All Things

I found this talk from the April General Conference in 2003 to be rather interesting.  I also quite enjoy this movie quite a bit.  But as Elder Oaks said, we must be grateful for the situations we find ourselves in.  Sometimes this can be rather difficult, but as long as we do our best to deal prudently with what we are given we will be able to see the lessons the Lord intends for us to learn from those situations. 

If everything was easy, nothing would be difficult.  We learn from struggle, when we want to gain more muscle or strength we don't sit around and play video games all day.  Instead we get up and go do something.  We lift weights, go for a walk, go jogging, go on a hike with friends, go outside and play tag, go play rugby or frisbee.  All of these options require GOing and DOing something.  If you are in a race and want to make any sort of progress towards the finish line, you must first GO forward.  If we sit back and are not actively looking for ways to do better, than we will indeed not do better.

From this we know that in order to gain spiritual strength, we must exercise our spiritual muscles.  We can GO to church, DO some scripture study, Pray to our Father in Heaven, watch video clips from General Conference.  There are many ways in which we can grow closer to our Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ.  But each of them require that we DO something.  We must choose to learn of them and then follow their teachings.  Once we know what we need to do it is time to GO and DO it.

"And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father:

I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded,

for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments

unto the children of men,

save he shall prepare a way for them

 that they may accomplish the thing

which he commandeth them."

-- 1 Nephi 3:7