Lifting burdens, strengthening weaknesses

It is my weekly privilege to lead a Sunday school class of marvelously faithful and inquiring high school juniors and seniors. It is a true blessing to me to be a part of this class and to learn with them through the Spirit as we discuss the gospel. Note that I say that I lead the class but I do not teach it. We teach each other through our discussions, and I always come away from our sessions feeling like I have learned at least as much as anyone else in the class.

For the past couple of weeks we have been discussing mortal burdens and weaknesses and how the Atonement of Christ helps lighten our loads. One thing I have learned from these young men and women is that the youth in Davis County, Utah, have plenty of challenges and burdens. Growing up in faithful families in a predominately LDS community does not provide these youth of Zion with a free pass to endlessly carefree lives. Challenges and difficulties are necessary to growth, and these young people need to grow just like everyone else. No one is exempt from the extremities of life. How we react to those extremities, and how we help others with their burdens, are the lessons we are sent to mortality to learn.

And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life— Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you? (Mosiah 18:8-10)

One of the covenants we make at baptism is to help others bear their burdens, to mourn with them, and to comfort them. The Apostle Paul taught the saints in Galatia the same principle when he wrote to them, "Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). Christ's law, also known as the Law of the Gospel, is to bear each other's burdens.

We covenant weekly to take upon us the name of Christ and always remember him and keep his commandments (D&C 20:77). Our goal is to become like Christ. Through the Atonement, he bore the burdens of all mankind. To become like him, we must learn to bear the burdens of others.

Necessary and Unnecessary Burdens

We experience two classes of burdens in our lives:

1. Positive - Duties, obligations, responsibilities.
2. Negative - Liabilities, encumbrances, problems, or difficulties.

Both classes of burdens are necessary to our growth and development. As we learn to bear up under our burdens, we become strong and develop endurance.

Another way of classifying our burdens is:

1. Necessary - burdens that strengthen us.
2. Unnecessary - burdens that weaken us.

The purpose of life is not to avoid all burdens. We need burdens to grow and progress and gain strength, just as an athlete needs resistance to build muscle and endurance. I recall a summer of very difficult conditioning in high school as our football team prepared for the season. I spent the whole summer pushing and pulling against weights that were far beyond my capacity. I could not budge them from their stands. I ran bleachers until my legs gave out and wind sprints until my lungs burst. I hated that summer. I sprained my ankle in a practice early in the season and did not play much. But I continued the weight training regimen. In the spring I joined the track team in the shot put event, which required more weight training.

The next summer, when it was time for football conditioning again, I went back to the same barbell stations, which the previous summer had been immovable obstacles for me. This time, I could lift them all with ease. They were no longer heavy enough to give me the workout I needed. Those weights and bleachers were necessary burdens for me.

On the other side of the coin is the story of a boy scout troop that went for an all-day hike. Each boy carried a backpack filled with the necessities for the trip - food, water, a first-aid kit, a compass, and knife, and so forth. One of the boys was a rock collector. As they walked along the trail, when he saw a particularly interesting or unusual rock, he picked it up and put it in his backpack. Soon his backpack was fuller and heavier than all of the other boys', and his legs and shoulders began to get tired. Nevertheless, there were still more interesting rocks along the path. When his pack became too full, he began to jettison other items to make more room. When the troop finally halted for lunch, the rock collector opened his pack to find no water and no food, only rocks. Unnecessary burdens are generally a result of our unwise choices or the unwise choices of others.

The obvious lesson is to recognize the difference between necessary and unnecessary burdens. We should dump the rocks from our backpacks so that we have capacity and strength for the essentials.

Source of Burdens

And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12:27)

Some of our burdens come from God. My football coach marched me through weight training and bleachers when I would rather have gone to the beach because he knew what I needed to be ready to win a football game. Similarly, God hands us necessary burdens because he knows what we need to become like him and to be ready to enter his kingdom.

Burdens may be placed on us by others outside of our control. We may be oppressed and weighed down unfairly. For example, the people of Limhi were enslaved by their Lamanite overlords.

Now they [the Lamanites] durst not slay them [the people of Limhi], because of the oath which their king had made unto Limhi; but they would smite them on their cheeks, and exercise authority over them; and began to put heavy burdens upon their backs, and drive them as they would a dumb ass. (Mosiah 21:3)

Oppression is a burden, whether it be political or social or economic. The people of Limhi were oppressed by the Lamanites as a result of the people's iniquity, greed, and pride. Their burdens came as a result of unrighteous choices of their own making as well as from the rebellious iniquity of a whole group of people.

The people of Alma, on the other hand, found themselves in similar circumstances as the people of Limhi even though they had repented and turned to the the Savior and were living faithful lives of righteousness. Just as the Lamanites had surrounded and oppressed Limhi's people, they also enslaved Alma's little band of believers. The difference, however, in how the two groups of Nephites responded to their oppressive burdens is remarkable and instructive. Limhi's people fought three bloody battles with the Lamanites to try to free themselves from their oppressors, each time being beaten and weakened until they finally submitted out of necessity. Alma's people took a different approach. Instead of depending on the arm of flesh to rescue themselves, they turned to the Lord. As a result of their humility and faithfulness, the Lord blessed them.

And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. (Mosiah 24:14-15)

In the end, both groups escaped their captors. The cost, however, was much higher to the proud people of Limhi than it was to the humble followers of Alma.

The worst burdens we carry are those we create for ourselves. Like the boyscout picking up rocks, we may be collecting all sort of interesting and attractive burdens. Now, most of us do not pick up large boulders, but we fill our pockets with a plethora of small, shiny pebbles. A little lie, miscounted change from the grocery store, an extra candy bar from the vending machine, a borrowed tool that was never returned, a plagiarized assignment for a class because we ran out of time to do our own work, a sarcastic joke at someone's expense because we wanted to look clever, an 'R' rated movie because there was "just a little profanity", a little coffee after a graveyard shift because there is just so much to do the next day, an occasional glance at an inappropriate web site, a selfish thought, an impure motive, a grudge, an unkind word, an argument left unresolved. The list of sparkling pebbles is endless (see Mosiah 4:29).

The unnecessary burdens of sin and rebellion usually result in punishment. Often the punishment is the requirement to carry the burden we have made for ourselves until we repent. Even after repenting from our rebellions, we may be required to endure the short- and long-term consequences of our poor choices. An addict is always an addict, even when he is sober. Broken health may not be restored. Broken relationships may not be easily mended. In mercy, the Savior offers to share the yoke with us and lighten our burden, but he may not remove it completely for a time. He knows what we need to help us learn humility and patience and endurance, and he will not remove the burden completely until the lesson is learned.

Lifting burdens

There is, nevertheless, hope in Christ. He never leaves us if we do not leave him.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his [the oppressor's] burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. (Isaiah 10:27)

The day will come in which the external burdens will be removed from us. This is the "great day of the Lord", which is the Second Coming. Until then, we can expect to be faced with burdens. The "anointing" is the Atonement performed by the Anointed One, who is Christ. He will remove the burdens.

When we have given all of our unnecessary burdens to the Savior, what is left are the burdens that we still need to carry, at least for a time. These necessary burdens do not have to overwhelm us. There are family, friends, home teachers, visiting teachers, priesthood leaders, and others who have covenanted, as have we, to make others' burdens light.

We are neither exempt from burdens, nor are we exempt from assisting others with their burdens. We are the Savior's hands. As the song says, "he has not hands but ours." Often he answers the desperate prayers of others through us. That can happen, however, only if we listen for the promptings of the Holy Ghost. When we are baptized, we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion so that we can constantly receive instruction and direction to help and comfort others. If we ask for it, the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to see the people around us and recognize the challenges they face and the help they need. God will teach us how to keep our baptismal covenants, and he will provide us with ample opportunities to practice. We gain strength and endurance from bearing burdens - it does not matter whether those burdens are our own or someone else's.

Our ultimate help comes from him who carries all burdens, even Jesus Christ, the Redeemer.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

He does not violate our free agency. He does not force his help upon us. It is up to us to ask. The key to getting an answer is to ask the right question. Sometimes the appropriate request is to remove the burden. Many times, however, the right request is for increased strength, capacity, and capability to carry the load that the Lord wants us to bear. We often ask the Lord to change our unpleasant circumstances when those circumstances are exactly what he wants us to experience and learn from.

After the suffering handcart company was rescued from Martin's cove, three men were asked to remain with the company's belongings until the weather improved in the spring and wagons could be sent to retrieve their goods. The three men quickly ran out of food. Soon all they had available to them were leather hides. Now, most of us in such circumstances would have asked the Lord to change our circumstances. "Send us some buffalo or some stray cattle so we have something to eat," we would have logically prayed. But these three men understood the celestial logic of prayer. The Spirit inspired them to pray to have their capacities changed so that they could digest the hides. Their faithful prayer was answered. Through inspiration they learned how to prepare and boil the hides to make them chew-able, and their digestive systems were altered so that they could derive sufficient nutrients from the hides to sustain their lives. They managed in the bitter snow for another six weeks until the ground cleared and wagons could reach them.

Burdens are a necessary part of our mortal probation.  As Sheri Dew says, "This is a test. It is only a test." My daily prayer is in two parts:

1. Help me bear my necessary burdens, help me let go of my unnecessary burdens, and give me the wisdom to recognize the difference.
2. Help me to see the burdens of others, which are my opportunity to lighten in the name of Christ.

Mount up with wings as eagles

I was recently re-introduced to Isaiah Chapter 40 in the Old Testament. These days we tend to shy away from Isaiah. His Hebraic style of prophecy, couched in the vocabulary and syntax of King James' English of the seventeenth century, makes for challenging reading. Yet the prophets of the Book of Mormon loved Isaiah. They quoted him freely, sometimes whole chapters at a time.

Nevertheless, even Nephi admitted that Isaiah's writings could be difficult to understand: "For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews" (2 Nephi 25:1). But though Isaiah may not be light reading, Nephi encouraged his people - and us - to study the words of Isaiah, for they have great power and are of great worth, and his words contain an important message for all people: "And now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men. Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men" (2 Nephi 11:8).

Jesus himself was fond of quoting Isaiah. He recognized Isaiah was his prophet – the Messianic prophet. No prophet in the Old Testament wrote more about the coming of the Messiah than did Isaiah. The Savior, during his ministry to the Nephites on the American continent, commanded the people to study Isaiah's writings: "And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah" (3 Nephi 23:1). Such is Christ's ringing endorsement of Isaiah.

It is true that Isaiah's writings are filled with doom-and-gloom predictions of the destruction of Israel. He enumerates their wickedness and explains their follies and vanities, and he foretells a bleak future. Obscure references to locations, people, and events of his day can make his writing obtuse and bewildering. Yet Nephi says that his words should cause us to lift up our hearts and rejoice, and the Savior himself says that his words are great.

So what is so great about the words of Isaiah? Well, amidst the gloomy predictions and the vitriolic condemnations of an apostate Israel are magnificent and inspiring expressions of hope and salvation. Isaiah's prevailing message is not so much that Israel is doomed as that Israel will be saved. Nephi teaches us to liken Isaiah's words to ourselves, and so we should glean the same message – though we may feel doomed, salvation is ours. The Lord will come to our rescue.

Such is the hope found in Chapter 40 of Isaiah. Listen to the powerfully uplifting words of the prophet as he tells us of the majesty of God.

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. (Verses 1-2)

God tells his people to be comforted. The day shall come when the war of mortality will be over, and the battle against sin and evil will be won. We will be forgiven for our sins and mistakes if we have put our faith in the Lord and our efforts into building up his kingdom. Though we may feel like we have been punished twice over for our failings, the only real punishment is our own guilt. The Lord promises to lift us up and pardon our iniquities. Even in the midst of our trials, the promise of forgiveness is comfort indeed.

O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Verses 9-11)

Good tidings await us in the "high mountain", which is the temple. Armed with power and gladness, we are to speak up and speak out with courage. Our work is to share the gospel and to prepare ourselves and others for the Second Coming of Christ, when he will come with his "strong hand" and his arm of power to rule and reign, which is his right and destiny. Contrast the strong hand and arm of the ruler with the image of the loving shepherd who feeds his flocks and gathers his lambs. He will use his strong arms to hold us to his breast, close to his heart, and to lead us with gentleness. He will care for us and our families.  But how do we know he can truly help us?

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: (Verses 12, 15, 21, 22)

To understand how good God is, we need to understand first how spectacular he is. God is the magnificent, supreme Being. He comprehends the vastness of the universe. He can figuratively hold all of the earth's oceans in the cupped palm of one hand. The seas with all of their teeming life are within his grasp. He can measure the vastness of the galaxies between his thumb and little finger. He does not even need to stretch out his arms to encompass the universe. He can gather up all of the dust of the earth and put it in a measuring cup. If you were to ask him, he could tell you exactly how much the mountains and hills weigh. The great nations of the earth, even China and India with their billions today, are as an indistinguishable drop of water in a gallon of generations who have preceded and will yet come among God's children. They are like leftover dust on the scales of humanity that God comprehends. Imagine God sitting on the horizon of the earth with his feet dangling over the edge as he surveys the endless heavens before him, all of which he has created. Next to God, we are no more than pesky little insects that ignorantly consume everything before us without any appreciation for where it came from or how it got there or the destruction we leave in our wake. But that is not the end of the story. Read on!

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Verses 28-31)

Despite how far above and beyond us mortal weaklings God is, he does not get tired of us. He does not give up on his creations. Precisely because he knows us and understands us, and precisely because he can see our potential, his love does not decline towards us. He uses his limitless power, not to smash us, but to build us up. Because he does not faint, he helps us when we feel faint. Because he is endlessly strong, he strengthens us when we feel our own strength slacking. In our natural state we may tire and fall. When we serve God, however, our strength will be replenished.

The Lord then makes three promises. If we are willing and determined and faithful, he will enable us to soar like an eagle. If we are not ready yet to fly but are willing to run, he will enable us to run without fatigue. If we cannot run but are at least willing to walk, he will enable us to lengthen our stride and strengthen our gait. The point is not how fast we get to the finish line. We can fly, or we can run, or we can walk. The point is that we arrive. God sets the course. If we choose to follow it, he promises to strengthen us to the end. No one has to fail. No one has to drop out. Because God is so spectacularly powerful, he can promise immutably that he will help us. Because he will not fail, we will not fail.

That is the hopeful, hope-filled message of Isaiah. In God we can take supreme comfort.