*Saturday Afternoon Session

While restricted to a chair due to a slipped disk, President James E. Faust gave church members council on how to cope with an unfair world during the morning session of the 174th annual General Conference Saturday, October 2.

“In an increasingly unjust world to survive and even to find happiness and joy, no matter what comes, we must make our stand unequivocally with the Lord,” he said. “We need to try to be faithful every hour of every day so that our foundation of trust in the Lord will never be shaken. My message is one of hope and counsel for those who may wonder about the seemingly unfair distribution of pain, suffering, disaster, and heartache in this life.”

Questions such as “What did I do to deserve this heartache?” and “Why hasn’t the Lord answered our prayers the way we wished?” are common for those experiencing times of trouble.

In response to them, President Faust responded with a quote from Dr. Arthur Wentworth Hewitt explaining why sometimes the good suffer as well as the wicked.

“First, I don’t know. Second, we may not be so innocent as we think; but third…I believe it is because He loves us so much more than He loves our happiness.”

Pain and sorrow are necessary for our growth and progression.

Since none of us understand fully God’s plan for us, we must have faith in Him and trust that he will not lead us wrong.

“None of us knows the wisdom of the Lord,” he said. “We do not know in advance exactly how he would get us from where we are to where we need to be. We encounter many bumps, bends, and forks in the road of life that leads to the eternities. There is so much teaching and correction as we travel on that road. Said the Lord, ‘He that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom.’”

For this reason, trials are not reserved exclusively for the wicked. We must work through our problems with patience and “walk in faith, nothing doubting.”

President Faust used the example of Job, who was a “perfect and upright [man.]”

“The way to find joy in this life is to resolve, like Job, to endure all for God and his work,” President Faust said. “By so doing we will receive the infinite, priceless joy of being with our Savior in the eternities.”

When we do faithfully follow the commandments with patience, we will be blessed and our souls will be “healed.”

“When the journey becomes seemingly unbearable, we can take comfort in the words of the Lord, ‘I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee,’” President Faust said, quoting 2 Kings 20:5. “We have much reason to hope. Joy can be ours if we are willing to sacrifice all for the Lord.”



Copyright Brigham Young University 3 Oct 2004