As I read and studied and pondered the scriptures this morning, I was reminded of her words. They have actually echoed a few times in my mind since she first said them, and I believe the important spiritual principle taught therein is of eternal value.
The principle answers the following questions (and more) that we may tend to ask.
- How do I continue to love my disobedient and wayward child?
- What if this righteous woman/man doesn't end up liking me? (for the YSA...)
- How can my life be of worth to God when it is full of failure and falling short?
- What is the purpose of me doing a task when it is not bringing results, but I know it is what God wants me to do? (Such as missionary work, keeping a commandment, or staying loyal and faithful to a spouse.)
Let me look at some examples:
Nephi, for example, saw his brothers through to the end. The adjectives used to describe Laman and Lemuel include: stiffneckedness, hardness of heart and murmuring. Nephi even received vision of his brothers' eternal downfall (*searching for reference*).
If God had given Nephi such a vision, why would he continue to preach and teach his stiffnecked brothers the truth? That is a question worth pondering. It gives insight on the character of Christ, and of what true love is.
Christ is the ultimate example of all principles of truth. He Himself suffered death, and progressed through resurrection for all of us to be resurrected - not just for some of us, else those who don't resurrect will be consigned to live with the adversary for eternity (2 Nephi 9:8-10). He saw us through to the end.
For every sin repented of, He suffered for. Not some.
As for ourselves in following Christ and Nephi's examples, here are some principles to ponder:
- We are held responsible for what we do with our agency - whether or not we used as much as we could as a team with God to carry out the duties given to us in mortality.
- We are not responsible for others' use of agency.
And so, we carry out our duty to the end. That is the vision of the Lord, no matter the result we may think we foresee, and no matter the actual result that comes. "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works" (Matthew 16:27). You see, we are rewarded according to how we work, not according to results.
We have a duty to others, in helping them help themselves; in strengthening our brethren and sisters; in being our brother's and sister's keeper.
A wise friend once shared these pearls of wisdom, teaching the principle of duty in this way: "Don't forget to invite - when you don't, you take away their agency." Surely we will be held responsible for that.
See your loved ones (even the hard-to-love ones) and just-met ones through to the end.
"Therefore, forsake the world, and save your souls; for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (JST Matthew 16:29). We see here the desire of God to save us - so we can confess ourselves guilty of selfishness if we are not taking care of our own souls through willingly and faithfully keeping the commandments. Hence, see yourself through in keeping the commandments to the end.
These scriptures and examples can shed a little more light on what it means to endure to the end. I have only expressed that essential principle of the gospel in different words: "See it through to the end!" I pray we receive the grace of God sufficient for our days of challenge, testing and learning. Hymn #30 says it this way: "Grace shall be as your day." Let us see all good things through to the end! No matter what the outcome - for any temporary failure or success will be endowed with eternal glory in the end anyway.
*Having read through this post, I realize it is lacking in flow of clarity and structure. I will fix it when time permits me.*
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