Elder Clayton talked about burdens coming from three sources:
- A natural product of the conditions of the world we live in. Things like illness, physical disability, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. These are not fault of our own. We can prepare for them, but and we will all confront them at one time or another
- Another source is from the misconduct of others. These could include abuse, addictions, sin, incorrect traditions, repression, crime, gossip, and unkindness.
- The third type of burdens are those made by our own mistakes and shortcomings.
Our unique individual experiences can help us prepare to return to Him. The adversity and afflictions that are ours, however difficult to bear, last, from heaven's perspective, for "but a mall moment; and then, if [we] endure it well, God shall exalt [us] on high." We must do everything we can to bear our burdens "well" for however long our "small moment" carrying them lasts.
Burdens provide opportunities to practice virtues that contribute to eventual perfection. They invite us to yield "to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and [put] off the natural man and [become] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and [become] as a child . . . "
Thus burdens become blessings, though often such blessings are well disguised and may require time, effort, and faith to accept and understand.
Elder Clayton gave four examples of burdens becoming blessings.
- Adam: Work is a continual burden, but it is also a continual blessing "for [our] sake." for it teaches lessons we can learn only "by the sweat of [our] face."
- Alma: Our economic challenges may help prepare us to hear the word of the Lord. (Or to set proper priorities.)
- The Nephites and Lamanites during the time of the Gadianton Robbers: Political unrest, social disorder . . . may humble us and motivate us to see heavenly shelter from societal storms.
- Joseph Smith: The suffering we experience through the offenses of others is a valuable, though painful, school for improving our own behavior.
Keeping our baptismal covenants helps relieve our own burdens as well as those burdened souls we serve. Those who offer such assistance to others stand on holy ground. [Remember] "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
Elder Clayton reminds us that our burdens may be lifted through repentance: When we repent and keep the commandments, forgiveness and relief from our burdened conscience come with the help that only the Savior offers, for "surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy."
At times in our lives we may have burdens that we feel we alone must bear. We are the only ones to have felt these feelings, or suffered these specific consequences of nature/our choices/other people's choices. We think that no one else understands what we are going through or how we feel. I like how he reminds us that everyone has burdens. What is easy for you may be very difficult for me to handle.
ReplyDeleteAll these experiences that we have are for a purpose- they are blessings that can help us learn to rely on the Lord, practice virtues that can help us towards perfection; they provide us with empathy for burdens that others around us may face. He stressed that keeping our baptismal covenants helps relieve our own burdens as well as tos of burdened sould we serve. "When we repent and keep the commandments, forgiveness and relief from our burdened conscience come with the help that only the Savior offers". I know this to be true from 'burdens in my own life as well as from others around me.
First of all, I like how Elder Clayton teaches us that it is a part of our baptismal covenant to bear on another's burdens. We can do this, like Christ taught, through service! School gets very busy for Keith and I and he really helps me bear my burdens when he surprises me by doing the dishes, cleaning up the apartment, or visiting me at work. I try to help him and bear his burdens as well by helping him review for tests, making dinner, and cleaning up.
ReplyDelete"Burdens provide opportunities to practice virtues that contribute to eventual perfection. Thus burdens become blessings, though often such blessings are well disguised and may require time, effort, and faith to accept and understand." Elder Clayton illustrates this doctrine through quoting the story of the Nephites who followed Alma and set up the community of Helam. The attributes they developed as the Lord delivered them in stages were: patience and cheerfulness.
"Mercifully, the Son of God offers us deliverance from the bondage of our sins, which are among the heaviest of all the burdens we bear.During His Atonement He suffered “according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance.”19 Christ “suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.”20 When we repent and keep the commandments, forgiveness and relief from our burdened conscience come with the help that only the Savior offers, for “surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy.” I know this was a long quote, but what a profound truth! It brings me peace to know that I can let go of the burdens of my mistakes because Christ has suffered for them. It gives me strength and determination to keep the commandments.
I loved Elder Clayton's comment that "Work is a continual burden, but also a continual blessing." I have felt that way a lot during college semesters of school, work, and everything else. And while sometimes it seems like a lot, I love thinking about what a blessing it is that we can have healthy strong physical bodies and good minds that allow us to do so many things and learn during our time on the earth.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the reference to the story about Alma and his people in bondage. That is one of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon about how the Lord eases our burdens in different ways, but we must first show our faith in Him.
Our burdens come from 3 sources. (see dad's post).
ReplyDeleteThe last one is the only one we have control over. "Burden's provide opportunities to practice virtues that contribute to eventual perfection." We will learn from our trials. This life is a test & preparation for the next life. Bear it well.