Aloha!
You are blessed to attend school at BYU Hawaii. One of the blessings is the opportunity to learn about other cultures. Can I invite you to do something? Are you willing to take a little homework home from this devotional? I would like to invite you to learn the greeting words in at least 20 languages of your fellow students. If you do this, I promise you that you will widen your horizons and meet new friends, you will have opportunities in your life that you would not have had otherwise, and you will have a deeper love and appreciation for all of Heavenly Father's children.
Speaking of foreign countries, several years ago, we took our children to Mexico. We got off to a bad start on this trip. Our rental minivan was not available, so we had to search for another vehicle. By the time we rented a minivan that would hold our four children, it was dark. We very quickly became hopelessly lost in Mexico City. In addition, we had nothing to eat for lunch or dinner and everybody was tired from our long flights. As we drove around, we found ourselves on narrow streets and alleys where all of the buildings had bars on the windows and doors. We could tell we had entered a very dangerous section of town. About this time, our oldest son started to complain. He said, "We should not call these trips family vacations, we should call them family ordeals!" Sister Hoer patiently explained, "Daniel, these trips are a great opportunity to help us to learn more about the culture of the countries we visit." Just then, as we drove down a dark, narrow street, suddenly two men jumped out into the middle of the road blocking our van. One of them held a gun and pointed it at us. I remember Sister Hoer screaming, "He's got a gun! Everybody duck!" I quickly swerved around the gunman, not too fast because I did not want him to think I was trying to run him down. As I drove past, he pointed the gun right at my head, only a couple feet away, but for some reason, he did not shoot. As we drove away, thinking a bullet might come through the back window at any second, we heard our son say, "Well you're right Mom, we sure are learning about the culture!"
You will face a few ordeals in your life! And trust me, your parents are not trying to purposely create them for you -- like our children sometimes believed we did.
The dictionary (Online Free Dictionary) defines the word "ordeal" as: "A difficult or painful experience, especially one that severely tests [our] character or endurance." Today I would like to give you six points concerning ordeals and how to overcome them.
1. First, face ordeals in life with integrity. Since an ordeal is a test of our character, we must be true to our values to overcome the ordeal. Satan would have us believe that compromising our values is the easiest way to overcome these types of challenges. He will tell us, "in this situation it is better to just tell a lie." Or he will tempt us to rationalize, saying, "Nobody will find out - go ahead and do it" . In fact, any ordeal is only made worse as we forget or set aside our values.
I remember seeing a sign in a hotel lobby in Poland which said, "Please leave your values at the front desk." Of course, the sign meant to say "please leave your valuables..." but it made me think of the popular Las Vegas advertising campaign that says, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" which essentially also tells us to leave our values at home.
Integrity is who you are. Strong character comes from consistently making correct choices. If we make decisions based on circumstances, we will end up making mistakes, but if we make decisions based on our values, our integrity, who we are, then we will make correct decisions. Satan cannot destroy your character - only you can do that by not obeying the commandments. An ordeal, first and foremost, will be a test of our character, so face ordeals with integrity.
A great story in the scriptures about young people facing an ordeal is the story of Shadrak, Meshak, and Abendago in the book of Daniel, chapter 3. These three Jewish young men were captured and taken into Babylon as slaves. You know they refused to eat the King's meat and wine.
Eventually, they were made rulers over the Chaldeans, who resented them. Because of this resentment, the Chaldeans cooked up a plot to make everybody bow down to a golden idol when certain music played -- knowing that Shadrak, Meshak and Abendago would not do so. Sure enough, they caught them not bowing down and told the King. The King decided to give them another chance and basically said, look maybe you didn't hear the music, so I will play the music again and if you bow down this time, then all is forgiven. Probably at that time, one of them said to the others - "this is a real family ordeal!"
But how did they respond to this ordeal? They answered the king, "we are not careful to answer thee in this matter," (Daniel 3:16) in other words, they did not have to carefully make up a story - they were guided by their values, they had made their decision ahead of time. This was an easy answer for them! Said they, We will not bow down - "our God is able to deliver us... but if not, then be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou has set up." (verses 17-18)
Of course, the King became angry -- so angry he asked that the furnace be made seven times hotter, so hot that the men who threw Shadrak, Meshak, and Abendago into the fire were killed (Daniel 3:19-22)."Then Nebuchadnezzer, the King," asks the question: Didn't we throw three people into the furnace? (verse 24)I suppose when you are so used to throwing people into a furnace it is easy to lose count. The counselors answered "True, O king." And the King said: "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (verse 25). And then the king bid them to come out of the fire and "nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them" (verse 27).
I promise you that the Lord has the power to save you. I promise you that if you are true to your values and live with integrity, you will have power to go through any ordeals in life - no matter if you are thrown into the furnace of rejection by friends or workers, experience loss of a job or loss of health, or even loss of life - if it is the Lord's will, he will bless you to go through, and come out of those furnaces unharmed.
2. Please notice that I said you will have power to go through ordeals. I did not say, "you will not have ordeals." This is the second point - usually the Lord will not remove our challenges, but instead will make our burdens light so we can bear them. We will all face ordeals, but we will be given strength and power to endure them.
We have a great example of this principle from the account of the people of Alma, who were brought into bondage by the Lamanites. The Lamanite king allowed Amulon, a wicked man, to rule over Alma and his people. In Mosiah chapter 24, verse 8 we read, "And now it came to pass that Amulon began to exercise authority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute them, and cause that his children should persecute their children.... and he put tasks upon them and put taskmasters over them." Now so great were the afflictions of the people of Alma that they begin to "cry mightily to God." Now I would guess the people were praying to have their afflictions removed, but let's see how the Lord responds. "And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying:... I will ... ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety, that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions" (verse 14).
"And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord" (verse 15).
Paul told the Corinthians, "... God... will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
The Lord told Joseph Smith that even "if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good" (D&C 122:7).
When you must face an ordeal, realize that the Savior is waiting to help you. The Savior says to each of us, "Take my yoke upon you...for my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt 11:30). A yoke helps us to pull more than we could pull or endure alone. When you are yoked with the Savior, you can pull any burden, overcome any trial or endure any ordeal. He will not remove the burden, but will make you stronger so you can bear it.
3. Patience and humility are key Christ-like attributes to overcoming ordeals. In the story we just recounted, the people of Alma submitted "cheerfully and with patience" to their ordeals. According to Preach My Gospel, "Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated or anxious. It is the ability to do God's will and accept his timing" (pg. 120).
The natural man does not accept ordeals with patience or humility. The natural man becomes angry, frustrated and upset. In fact, we are told the natural man is an enemy to God and that instead we must become "as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love..." (Mosiah 3:19).
We don't usually consider humility a strength, especially when facing an ordeal, but "humility is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of spiritual strength" -- the very trait we need to overcome ordeals (PMG pg. 120). When the Nephites in the days of Helaman were faced with opposition, we are told they "did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility ... unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation" (Helaman 3:35).
Patience and humility will help us overcome the ordeals in our lives and make weak things strong. In Ether chapter 12, verse 27 the Lord said, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weaknesses, I give unto men weaknesses that they may be humble, and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me for if they humble themselves before me and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
Ask humbly for the Lord's help and he will give it to you. As Elder Holland says, the most repeated promise in the scriptures is: "Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you" (D&C 4:7, Matt 21:22, 3 Nephi 27:29, etc.). I promise you that if you counsel with the Lord in all your doings, he will guide your footsteps. As we become stronger in our humility and accept ordeals with patience, we will find meaning and even joy in our ordeals.
4. There are no small insignificant ordeals. As we successfully overcome small challenges, we will be strong enough to face more significant challenges in our lives. It is said after a certain age, if we don't exercise, we lose a half pound of muscle and gain 1.5 pounds of fat each year. We must also exercise spiritually. In that case, ordeals are good things! We should embrace our ordeals because they help to make us stronger and increase our spiritual muscle.
The decisions we make as we face ordeals will have long-reaching, even eternal impact. A small mistake can have a large consequence; therefore we want to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, especially in when we face challenges in our life.
Many years ago, I climbed to the top of Mt. Fuji in Japan. Because I was running late, I decided to go straight down the mountain and not take the trail. I aimed in the direction I thought would lead me back to my staring point. However, as it turned out, I was off by just a few degrees at the top of the mountain. By the time I reached the bottom, I was clear on the other side of the mountain. A small mistake of only a few feet at the top had led to a distance of many miles at the bottom. Likewise, good decisions in small matters can have a great positive impact. In DC section 64 verse 33, the Lord says, "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great."
Clearly, small things do matter - and how we react to the small ordeals and seemingly small decisions in life can bring about great things. If we are true to our values when the decision seems of little consequence, then we will witness great and miraculous results.
A friend recently asked me how my father had influenced my life. I replied that my father is a great example of obedience. He has done his home teaching faithfully every month - and because of this example, I have also committed to be a 100% home teacher. I remember another time when President Spencer W. Kimball asked the members to plant gardens. The next Saturday, my father dug up our nice, pretty lawn and planted a garden. Since we lived in a city, most of our member friends assumed President Kimball must be talking only to people who lived on farms, but my father was obedient and never once considered that his beautiful lawn might be more important than following the prophet.
It wasn't until after my friend walked away, that I realized I had forgot to mention that my father had been named by the U.S. government as one of the top 100 scientists of the 20th century - something most people would consider a much more important achievement, but to me, it is the small things in my father's life that demonstrate character and consistency that have left the greatest impact.
Therefore, stand firm in making good decisions and don't dismiss small matters as insignificant. People are watching and every decision is important. And if you have made some bad decisions, as we all do from time to time, then utilize the Lord's Atonement and the principle of repentance that was so eloquently discussed in the last general conference.
5. One of the best ways we can face ordeals is to look for opportunities to help others and be of service. The Chinese have a saying that when we help our neighbor's boat across the river, behold our own boat will cross the river as well. As we face life's ordeals, our natural inclination is to withdraw, close up and become mired in our problems and difficulties. President Monson has called upon us to rescue the one. As we strive to help others overcome their ordeals, the Lord often helps us overcome our own ordeals. I saw many young men and women answer the call to serve a mission so they could rescue others - and in the process, they rescued themselves. In this cynical world, people will say, what difference does it make trying to help one person?
On another family trip, (which my children probably also considered a family ordeal) we went to India. Before we left, we asked our children if they would like to give away some of their clothes and toys to needy children in India. So they collected toys and clothes and at various places we visited in India, we gave those items away to children in the villages. At one point, we met a rather pessimistic man who said, "I see you are giving a few toys and clothes to the kids in this village. With millions of people starving in India, what hope do you have to make a difference?" "Well" , I replied, "it may not make a difference to the millions" , but pointing to the happy Indian children, I said, "it sure makes a difference to them."
I promise you that you can make a difference. Instead of being concerned about yourself, look around and see who you can help. When others fail to act, you render service and reach out to rescue the one. The Lord will help you help others. Just think - if each of us in the church rescues just one person, an additional 14 million people will be saved!
6. Brothers and Sisters, this brings me to my sixth and final thought today - and that is something in Chinese that we call "youbanfa." When something is difficult or inconvenient; when something is complicated or problematic; when the timing is not good - then the Chinese have an oft repeated phrase: "meiyou banfa" which means "no way" or impossible. We are not so different from the Chinese - many of us think or say "meiyoubanfa" (no way) when we face an ordeal.
However, if we take away the negative particle "mei" and say, "youbanfa" , then it means "there is a way!" You can do it! It is possible!
To illustrate this point, let me briefly tell you about four missionaries that served in the Taiwan Taichung mission. Brother and Sister Zheng and their family of six children live in Taidong on the east coast of Taiwan. When Sister Hoer and I first arrived in Taiwan, one of the older sons, Elder Zheng Shan, was serving in the mission. We remember Elder Zheng Shan very well because once when he stood to bear his testimony in the mission home, suddenly the entire house moved. The walls shook and lights swayed back on forth. We were amazed at the power of his testimony, until we realized we were in an earthquake (one of many that we experienced in Taiwan).
Elder Zheng's sister, Zheng Mi had just started her mission - and she could shake the walls with her vibrant spirit- even when there was no earthquake! Elder Zheng Xuan was the third member of the family to serve in our mission while we were there. Imagine our joy when we learned that Zheng Jing, the youngest sister in the family had been called to the Taiwan Taichung mission. I am not sure if I have ever heard of four children from the same family all serving in the same mission under the same mission president!
Sister Zheng Jing was scheduled to begin her mission in January of last year, however, before she could start, she was discovered to have brain cancer. I thought for sure that she would not be able to serve her mission, but she called me and said, "President, please don't cancel my call -- I will be ready soon."
For five months, Sister Zheng struggled through three complicated and difficult operations, then unexpectedly, she called one day and said she had obtained a doctor' signature to serve her mission. When we welcomed Sister Zheng into the mission, she had no hair. She removed her bandana and proudly showed us her bald head, crisscrossed with stitches. She explained that the sunken appearance of her head was because a piece of her skull had been removed to allow easy access for surgeries and was now being kept in a refrigerator so it could be re-inserted later.
We also learned that she was still on chemotherapy! Once a month, she must travel to the capital city of Taipei and obtain her chemotherapy drugs. I asked the parents if they would like me to make an exception to the rule about missionaries seeing their parents, so they could help their daughter each month at the hospital. "Oh no," they said, "now that she is on her mission, we are putting in our application to serve a couple mission so we won't be there anyway." Sister Zheng is a great example of "youbanfa." Even with brain cancer, Sister Zheng was determined to serve her mission, no matter what the obstacles. She knew if she did all she could do, the Lord would do the rest. Sister Zheng and her family had faith - and they exercised faith by action. Once we act, then faith becomes a principle of power. One of my favorite scriptures is Moroni chapter 7, verse 33 "And Christ hath said, if ye have faith in me, ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me."
I am convinced that "youbanfa" is one of the great lessons of the scriptures - Nephi said, "As the Lord liveth and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commandeth us" (1 Nephi 3:15). Can you feel his determination? Can you sense the youbanfa attitude!
When the King's servants were crying over scattered sheep, Ammon was glad in his heart - why, because he knew the Lord would bless him with power. Heleman describes the 2,000 stripling warriors by saying, "And now, they were determined to conquer in this place or die..." (Alma 56:17).
The great missionary Paul, who was shipwrecked, stoned, bitten by a viper and imprisoned numerous times said, "I take pleasure in my infirmities, in reproaches... in persecutions, in distresses..." "I can do all things through Christ which stengtheneth me" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) (Philippians 4:13).
In modern days, we have the example of Joseph Smith who said, "and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true... I knew it and I knew God knew it and I could not deny it..." These examples of determination in the face of great ordeals are youbanfa! When we are determined to do all we can, then the Lord can bless us to be successful in overcoming any ordeal. When we do our part, then He will do his part. The Lord did not send us to this earth to fail. He does not give us ordeals so that we will fail. He gives us ordeals so we can become strong and accomplish anything.
In summary, when faced with ordeals, act courageously! Be youbanfa and don't wait to be acted upon. And remember you are yoked with the Savior. "He will go before your face. He will be on your right hand and on your left, his spirit will be in your hearts and his angels round about you to bear you up" (D&C 84:88). I testify this promise is true.
You are part of something great. You are a son or daughter of God and with His help, you can overcome any ordeal, you can accomplish any righteous endeavor.
I promise you that if you live with integrity and counsel with the Lord in all your doings - then act with patience, humility and youbanfa, you will be able to overcome any ordeal that you will be faced with in this life.
And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ - Amen.