"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

"For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

"Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; . . .

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; . . .

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

"Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

"For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth" (Psalm 37:1-5, 7-9).

The opening lines of David's psalm indicate that those who do evil sometimes seem to prosper, and we might envy their prosperity. From all outward appearances, they are living the high life of fame and fortune, having not only wealth but also health. In our more immature perception that great rewards always follow good actions, we might exclaim, "That isn't fair!" as we see seemingly good people suffer while those who live less exemplary lives prosper.

Composed millennia ago, David's psalm contains counsel applicable to our day. If we cast it in terms of a self-help program, we would find in it a simple multi-step formula for dealing with some of life's problems and challenges: Fret not. Trust in the Lord. Do good. Commit unto the Lord. Cease from anger and forsake wrath. Wait upon the Lord.

• Fret not. Our focus should be on what we are doing, on our relationship with the Lord, not on whether someone else is being — from our point of view — rewarded for actions that we deem contrary to the Lord's teachings. In a sense, David says, "Don't worry about what others are doing, and don't be envious of what they seem to have gained by their actions."

• Trust in the Lord. Solomon counseled: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

  "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5—6).

  We don't always understand why things turn out the way they do. But the Lord does. What should we do when faced with unfulfilled yearnings based upon righteous desires, when we see others reap blessings for which we feel equally qualified? David says it best: "Trust in the Lord." Answers to many perplexing questions might never be found in mortality.

• Commit unto the Lord. Our main concern ought to be whether we're in keeping with the Lord's commandments and principles of His gospel. We cannot be fence sitters. We are either on His side or the side of the adversary.

• Do good. It's been said that doing good is its own reward. Joy and happiness come from doing good works. Living the gospel brings light and happiness.

  In The Life of Our Lord, which Charles Dickens wrote for his family, the famed author admonished his children: "Remember! — It is Christianity TO DO GOOD always — even to those who do evil to us. It is Christianity to love our neighbour as ourself, and to do to all men as we would have them Do to us. It is Christianity to be gentle, merciful, and forgiving, and to keep those qualities quiet in our own hearts, and never make a boast of them, or of our prayers or of our love of God, but always to shew that we love Him by humbly trying to do right in everything." (quoted by President Gordon B. Hinckley, First Presidency Message, Ensign, December 1994, p. 2, citing The Life of Our Lord, London: Associated Newspapers, 1934; reprint, Philadelphia, Westminster Press, pp. 11—17).

• Cease from anger and forsake wrath.

  President Hinckley said: "I submit that it takes neither strength nor intelligence to brood in anger over wrongs suffered, to go through life with a spirit of vindictiveness, to dissipate one's abilities in planning retribution. There is no peace in the nursing of a grudge. There is no happiness in living for the day when you can 'get even' " (Gordon B. Hinckley, "Of You It Is Required to Forgive," Ensign, June 1991, p. 2).

• Wait upon the Lord. Some people find it challenging to have patience in afflictions or to wait for blessings they feel they deserve. Abiding by the Lord's timetable requires patience. But we will find strength in developing patience to "wait upon the Lord," as we submit to His will.

  The Lord has provided a way for us to have the ultimate blessings. The temporal rewards we might miss in this sphere are few compared with the immeasurable blessings He has in store for us in eternity.