Endure, press on with faith amid trials, sorrows
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Enduring to the end is one of the "bedrock doctrines" of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve said during the Sunday afternoon session of conference.
"Enduring to the end," he said, "is the doctrine of continuing on the path leading to eternal life after one has entered onto that path through faith, repentance, baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost. Enduring to the end requires our whole heart, or as the Book of Mormon prophet Amaleki teaches, we must 'come unto him, and offer (our) whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth (we) will be saved.' "
Those who face the challenges of life often ask the question, "Why me?" he said, noting that the better question would be, "What could I learn from this experience?"
Then he said, "Though our trials are diverse, there is one thing the Lord expects of us no matter our difficulties and sorrows; He expects us to press on."
Speaking of enduring to the end, Elder Wirthlin said it "means that we have planted our lives firmly on gospel soil, staying in the mainstream of the Church, humbly serving our fellowmen, living Christlike lives, and keeping our covenants. Those who endure are balanced, consistent, humble, constantly improving and without guile. Their testimony is not based on worldly reasons — it is based on truth, knowledge, experience and the Spirit."
After repeating the Savior's Parable of the Sower, Elder Wirthlin said it identifies three obstacles to endurance.
"The first obstacle of endurance, 'the cares of the world,' is essentially pride," he said. "Pride rears its ugly head in so many ways that are destructive. . . .
"The second obstacle to endurance is 'the deceitfulness of riches.' We should end our fixation on wealth. It is only a means to an end, which end should ultimately be the building up of the kingdom of God. . . . .
"The third obstacle to endurance mentioned by the Savior is 'the lusts of other evils.' The plague of pornography is swirling about us as never before. . . . Pornography will sap spiritual strength to endure. Pornography is much like quicksand. You can become so easily trapped and overcome as soon as you step into it that you do not realize the severe danger. Most likely you will need assistance to get out of the quicksand of pornography. But how much better it is never to step into it."
Enduring to the end is a principle for everyone, Elder Wirthlin said, adding that there is help in doing it.
"I know there are many who suffer heartbreak, loneliness, pain and setback," he said. "These experiences are a necessary part of the human experience. However, please do not lose hope in the Savior and His love for you. It is constant and He promised that He would not leave us comfortless."
There are three keys to endurance in our day, Elder Wirthlin said.
"First, testimony. Testimony gives us the eternal perspective necessary to see past the trials or challenges we will inevitably face. . . .
"Second, humility. Humility is the recognition and attitude that one must rely on the Lord's assistance to make it through this life. We cannot endure to the end on our own strength. Without Him, we are nothing.
"Third, repentance. The glorious gift of repentance allows us to return to the path with a new heart, giving us the strength to endure on the path leading to eternal life. The sacrament thus becomes a key component of our endurance in this life. The sacrament provides a precious weekly opportunity to renew our baptismal covenants and repent and evaluate our progress toward exaltation."
Elder Wirthlin concluded, "I testify that in the eternities, as we look back upon our little span of existence here on this earth, we will lift our voices and rejoice that, in spite of the difficulties we encountered, we had the wisdom, the faith, and the courage to endure and press on."
