Let Patience Have Her Perfect Work, and Count It All Joy!

Finding Comfort through Faith Amidst Trials

Elder Jaggi shares the pain his family experienced following the death of his brother, Chad. He describes how they found comfort in their faith in Jesus Christ, knowing they will be reunited with Chad again. Despite the pain, they learned to be patient and find joy in their trials.

We have faith in Jesus Christ; we know we will join Chad again, but losing his physical presence hurts!

It is hard to be patient and wait for the time we will rejoin them.

The year after he died, we felt like a dark cloud overshadowed us. We sought refuge in studying our scriptures, praying with more fervency, and attending the temple more frequently.

• What does Elder Jaggi mean when he says that losing a loved one "hurts"?
• How did Elder Jaggi's family find comfort in their trials?
• What does this teach us about the role of faith in dealing with trials?
• How have you found comfort in your faith during trials?
• How can you strengthen your faith to better deal with trials?
• What actions can you take to find joy amidst your trials?

Understanding Patience and Choosing Joy

Elder Jaggi discusses the lessons his family learned about patience and joy through their trials. He explains how they decided to "count it all joy" in the new year, despite the challenges they faced. He suggests that our Heavenly Father may be allowing us time to reflect on our understanding of patience and our decision to choose joy.

In our desire to open a new year, a new decade, with joy, we decided that in 2020 we would "count it all joy."

Our Heavenly Father may be allowing us time to reflect and consider our understanding of patience and our conscious decision to choose joy.

• What does Elder Jaggi mean by "count it all joy"?
• How does this relate to our understanding of patience?
• What does this teach us about choosing joy amidst trials?
• How can you "count it all joy" in your own life?
• What can you do to better understand and practice patience?
• How can you consciously choose joy amidst your trials?

Emulating Christ's Attributes

Elder Jaggi talks about the importance of emulating Christ's attributes, particularly patience. He uses the example of Simon the Canaanite, who changed his focus from advocating for violence to becoming a disciple of Christ. Elder Jaggi emphasizes that being a disciple of Jesus Christ should be our most pronounced affiliation.

King Benjamin taught us to put off the natural man and become "a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and [become] as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things" (Mosiah 3:19).

Of all the zealous social, religious, and political endeavors of our day, let disciple of Jesus Christ be our most pronounced and affirming affiliation.

• What does Elder Jaggi mean when he says we should become "a saint through the atonement of Christ"?
• How does the example of Simon the Canaanite illustrate the importance of emulating Christ's attributes?
• What does Elder Jaggi mean when he says that being a disciple of Jesus Christ should be our most pronounced affiliation?
• How can you emulate Christ's attributes in your own life?
• What can you do to make being a disciple of Jesus Christ your most pronounced affiliation?
• How can you apply the teachings of King Benjamin in your life?

Increasing Faith and Joy through Patience

Elder Jaggi teaches that exercising patience can increase our faith and joy. He shares the experience of his daughter, Emma, who faced challenges as a missionary during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the trials, her faith increased and she found joy in her missionary work.

Just as the trying of our faith works patience within us, when we exercise patience, our faith increases. As our faith increases, so does our joy.

With only brief opportunities for in-person interaction and limited outdoor exposure, Emma’s reliance on God increased.

• How does exercising patience increase our faith and joy, according to Elder Jaggi?
• What does the experience of Elder Jaggi's daughter teach us about patience, faith, and joy?
• What does this teach us about the role of trials in our spiritual growth?
• How has exercising patience increased your faith and joy?
• What trials have you faced that have helped you grow spiritually?
• How can you exercise patience in your current trials?

Finding Joy in Difficult Circumstances

Elder Jaggi discusses how we can find joy even in difficult circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. He shares how his family found joy in studying scriptures, connecting with others online, and pondering temple covenants. He emphasizes that our efforts, even when we feel unsuccessful, can change our lives and bring joy.

We "let patience have her perfect work" (James 1:4) in our inability to meet in person as ward families for a season. But we count as joy our families’ faith increasing through new technology connections and Come, Follow Me study of the Book of Mormon.

President Russell M. Nelson promised, "Your consistent efforts in this endeavor—even during those moments when you feel that you are not being particularly successful—will change your life, that of your family, and the world"

• How did Elder Jaggi's family find joy during the COVID-19 pandemic?
• What does Elder Jaggi mean when he says we can "count as joy" our increasing faith?
• What does President Nelson's promise teach us about our efforts and their impact on our lives and joy?
• How can you find joy in your current circumstances?
• What consistent efforts are you making that can bring joy and change your life?
• How can you "count as joy" your increasing faith?