The Focus of Our Lives

I was recently reminded of this powerful statement from President Nelson: “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.”  How we focus our thoughts and our hearts, what we choose to emphasize to ourselves about the experiences that we have and the challenges we face will in large measure determine our joy.  We see this exhibited in the experience of Nephi and his brothers.  They had the same physical trials as they spent eight years in the wilderness with their families, going through terribly challenging trials of hunger and physical endurance.  Nephi summarized the experience from his point of view in these words: “And so great were the blessings of the Lord upon us, that while we did live upon raw meat in the wilderness, our women did give plenty of suck for their children, and were strong, yea, even like unto the men….  If it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness” (1 Nephi 17:2-3).  Nephi focused on the blessings and miracles they saw at the hand of the Lord.  He emphasized the way the Lord guided them on their journey.

But Laman and Lemuel’s focus of the experience was much different from Nephi’s.  They lamented after those eight years in the Arabian desert: “Our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions. Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy” (1 Nephi 17:20-21).  They focused on their suffering and the things that they didn’t have—their possessions back home.  They experienced the same hardships as Nephi, and yet they were miserable because they focused on everything negative about the experience.  Joy was out of reach to them because they could only see it in what they didn’t have. 

Nephi showed us again about the importance of focusing on the right thing in his soliloquy of 2 Nephi 4.  At this time he was mourning the death of his father and suffering greatly at the hands of his brothers who were trying to kill him.  He felt angry towards them and was frustrated with himself because of his weakness in that regard.  He exclaimed, “O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins.”  His mind was focused on his own weaknesses and the sorrow and frustration he was having.  But after these words focusing on what he felt he was doing wrong, he sought to remember the Lord instead: “I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support.”  It was difficult to stay focused on this, though, for after describing how great things the Lord had done for him, he again started remembering on his own failings: “And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?”  But finally he was able to completely shift his focus away from his own weakness and from being frustrated with himself to finding joy in the Lord: “Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul….  Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation…. O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever…. Therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God” (2 Nephi 4:17-35).  He turned his soul to the Lord and rejoiced in Him instead of sorrowing in his own human weakness.  It is by focusing on the Lord and His power and goodness that he was able to overcome his sorrow and grief and move on—and doing that helped him receive the revelation to take the faithful and escape his brethren.  It was there that he was able to build a society where they were able to “live after the manner of happiness” as they focused on the Lord (2 Nephi 2:27).  His example can help us to see what is most important as we work through our own trials and challenges so that we can too “diligently focus on the Savior” as President Nelson taught us.