President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Continue in Patience

This was a great talk. We studied it for our May, 2010 fourth Sunday lesson.

President Uchtdorf started off with the story of a famous experiment where 4-year olds had a marshmallow place in front of them and were told that if they did not eat it, in 15 minutes they would be given a second one and could have both of them.  What was interesting to me about that is, a couple of weeks before the talk I saw a video of a recreation of that experiment.  Then, today, as we were discussing the talk in priesthood meeting I had the thought that 4-year olds don't comprehend the concept of 15 minutes. That is an infinite amount of time for them. So what they were really being asked to do was to wait until they received further instructions.  This applies to us as adults too. We may think that waiting 15 minutes to double our reward is no problem. But it takes faith and obedience to wait an infinite amount of time for our reward - meaning that we usually don't know when we will receive the reward for our obedience. So, we either wait, or we don't.

President Uchtdorf continues: Waiting can be hard. Children know it, and so do adults. We live in a world offering fast food, instant messaging, on-demand movies, and immediate answers to the most trivial or profound questions. We don't like to wait. Some even feel their blood pressure rise when their line at the grocery store moves slower than those around them. I thought this was an extremely accurate description of our world (at least in North America) today.


Patience-the ability to put our desires on hold for a time-is a precious and rare virtue. We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter.


Patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace.


If children are ever going to mature and reach their potential, they must learn to wait.  I think that patience then, is a sign of maturity - physical maturity, social maturity, economic maturity, and spiritual maturity. We can gauge how we are doing - maturing - by noticing how patient we are in these areas.

Patience [is] far more than simply waiting for something to happen - patience require[s] actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results didn't appear instantly or without effort.


Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can - working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!  This is great counsel - to show patience, especially in times of adversity.

Impatience, on the other hand, is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all-to-prevalent condition called "center of the universe" syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role.  I shared the comment in priesthood that, sometimes, when looking at the positive attributes of patience doesn't work for me, I might just consider these negative attributes. I don't want to be like that! And so I need to be more patient.

[In] the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants. In a few verses, the Lord provides a master course in priesthood leadership.  "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned. " (D&C 121:41)
     The character traits and practices described in these verses are the foundation of godly patience and are inseparably connected to effective priesthood and patriarchal service. These attributes will give you strength and wisdom in magnifying your callings, in preaching the gospel, in fellowshipping quorum members, and in giving the most important priesthood service-which is indeed the loving service within the walls of your own homes.
     Let us always remember that one of the reasons God has entrusted the priesthood to us is to help prepare us for eternal blessings by refining our natures through the patience which priesthood service requires.
     As the Lord is patient with us, let us be patient with those we serve.  Understand that they, like us, are imperfect. They, like us, make mistakes. They, like us, want others to give them the benefit of the doubt.
     Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself.
That was a long section to quote, but there was just so much good information for individuals and for leaders, I wanted to include it.

President Uchtdorf said, "Looking back, I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain."


Brigham Young taught that when something came up which he could not comprehend fully, he would pray to the Lord. "Give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself." And then Brigham would continue to pray until he could comprehend it.


I love this next quote, and it means more to me now that I am older:  Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can't see the Lord's hand in our lives until long after trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity , understanding, and happiness.  I think I could use the main idea behind this quote when students ask me why they "need to learn all this stuff."

Patience is a godly attribute that can heal souls, unlock treasure of knowledge and understanding, and transform ordinary men and women into saints and angels.


Next, is another long quote, but I like how he outlines the definitions of patience.
Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. It means reining in anger and holding back the unkind word. It means resisting evil, even when it appears to be making others rich.
     Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being "willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to is father." Ultimately, patience means being "firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so. In the words of John the Revelator, "here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and . . . faith [in] Jesus.
     Patience is a process of perfection.
     Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than the receiving that we grow the most.


President Uchtdorf finished his talk with this:
     The work of patience boils down to this: keep the commandments; trust in God, our Heavenly Father; serve Him with meekness and Christlike love; exercise faith and hope in the Savior; and never give up. The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness. They will help us to become worth priesthood bearers and faithful disciples of our Master, Jesus Christ.
     It is my prayer that patience will be a defining characteristic of we who hold the priesthood of Almighty God.