Consistent and Resilient Trust
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Before Reading
Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:
- What does Elder Budge mean by "consistent and resilient trust"?
- How does Elder Budge describe the relationship between sorrow and joy?
- What lessons can we learn from the journey of the Jaredites?
- How does Elder Budge suggest we can find joy in the midst of trials and tribulations?
- What role does the Savior play in our journey through life's trials?
Topics
Understanding Consistent and Resilient Happiness
Elder Budge introduces the concept of consistent and resilient happiness as a state of peace and joy that comes from surrendering to God and trusting Him in all things. He emphasizes that this happiness is not simply an elevated mood, but a deep-seated joy that persists even in hard and uncertain times.
Even as I lay in the emergency room, I felt peace. I have never been so consistently and resiliently happy in my life.
We knew that the happiness he described was not simply pleasure or an elevated mood but a peace and joy that come when we surrender ourselves to God and put our trust in Him in all things.
- What does "consistent and resilient happiness" mean?
- How does this type of happiness differ from temporary pleasure or elevated mood?
- Can you recall a time when you felt consistently and resiliently happy?
- How can you cultivate this type of happiness in your life?
Finding Joy in Sorrow and Affliction
Elder Budge discusses the paradoxical relationship between sorrow and joy. He suggests that afflictions and sorrow can prepare us to experience joy if we trust in the Lord and His plan. He emphasizes that the gospel promises a life full of purpose and meaning, where our sorrows can be swallowed up in the joy of Christ.
In a paradoxical way, afflictions and sorrow prepare us to experience joy if we will trust in the Lord and His plan for us.
The good news of the gospel is not the promise of a life free of sorrow and tribulation but a life full of purpose and meaning—a life where our sorrows and afflictions can be "swallowed up in the joy of Christ."
- How can sorrow prepare us to experience joy?
- What does it mean for our sorrows to be "swallowed up in the joy of Christ"?
- How have you seen sorrow or affliction prepare you for joy in your own life?
- How can you find joy in Christ amidst your current trials?
Learning from the Journey of the Jaredites
Elder Budge uses the story of the Jaredites" journey to the promised land as a metaphor for our journey through mortality. He highlights the Jaredites" faith and trust in the Lord, even when they faced challenges and uncertainties. He suggests that, like the Jaredites, we can find joy and peace in surrendering ourselves to the Lord and trusting in His plan.
The Lord made it clear that ultimately the Jaredites could not make it to the promised land without Him. They were not in control, and the only way they could make it across the great deep was to put their trust in Him.
The Jaredites did not get into the barges because they knew exactly how things would work on their journey. They got aboard because they had learned to trust in the Lord’s power, goodness, and mercy, and they were therefore willing to surrender themselves and any doubts or fears they may have had to the Lord.
- What lessons can we learn from the journey of the Jaredites?
- How did the Jaredites demonstrate their trust in the Lord?
- How can you apply the lessons from the Jaredites" journey to your own life?
- What fears or doubts do you need to surrender to the Lord?
Enduring the Storms of Life
Elder Budge talks about the trials and tribulations we face in life, likening them to the stormy seas faced by the Jaredites. He assures us that through faith in Jesus Christ, we can have light continually and the assurance that God is always guiding us towards our heavenly home. He emphasizes the importance of enduring these storms with patience and consistent trust in the Lord.
As difficult as it is to understand, especially at the times in our lives when the headwinds are strong and the seas are turbulent, we can take comfort in knowing that God in His infinite goodness is always blowing us toward home.
Trusting in the Lord includes trusting in His timing and requires patience and endurance that outlast the storms of life.
- How can faith in Christ help us endure the storms of life?
- What does it mean to trust in the Lord's timing?
- How have you seen God guiding you through the storms in your life?
- How can you cultivate more patience and endurance in your faith journey?
Experiencing the Joy of God's Tender Mercies
Elder Budge concludes by emphasizing the joy and gratitude we will feel when we finally arrive home to the Lord, having endured life's trials with consistent and resilient trust in Him. He assures us that the Lord will visit us with assurances, speak peace to our souls, and cause us to hope for our deliverance in Him.
If we are faithful in keeping our covenants, we too will one day arrive safely home and will bow before the Lord and shed tears of joy for the multitude of His tender mercies in our lives, including the sorrows that made space for more joy.
I testify that as we commend ourselves unto the Lord and consistently and resiliently trust in Jesus Christ and His divine purposes in our lives, He will visit us with assurances, speak peace to our souls, and cause us to "hope for our deliverance in him."
- What does Elder Budge mean by "the multitude of His tender mercies"?
- How does consistent and resilient trust in the Lord lead to hope for our deliverance in Him?
- How have you experienced the Lord's tender mercies in your life?
- How can you cultivate a more consistent and resilient trust in the Lord?
