In Accordance to His Will

Recently I had a brief discussion with a coworker in which I mentioned my busy family life with five children and a sixth on the way soon.  He asked a question about what motivated me, how I could hold it together with that kind of responsibility at home in addition to a somewhat stressful employment.  I’m not sure that I do a very good job of being a dad or husband or fulfilling the other responsibilities I have, but I did speak to him of the joy that my children bring me that makes it worth it.  Certainly there are challenges that accompany the family lifestyle my wife and I have chosen and a fair amount of sacrifice comes with it.  Even today I mentioned to a friend a hobby I would like to get back into and he suggested I’d be able to when the kids are all grown—there simply isn’t time now for many things I personally would like to do.  I also realize, though, that we are not unique in our family situation or the small sacrifices we’ve made to bring God’s children into the world.  So many of our own heritage have set aside personal interests to do God’s greatest work.  My wife’s grandparents, for example, brought up 17 children (all biologically their own) in the gospel—a truly extraordinary feat.  I pay special tribute to them on this day of his passing for the marvelous selflessness and faith that they showed in raising their family.   

I’ve since pondered my coworker’s inquiry more and thought about what motivates me and realize that my passing answer was incomplete.  What keeps me going is faith in God, and that faith hinges on this key principle that the Prophet Joseph Smith spoke of in relation to faith: One must have “an actual knowledge that the course of life which he is pursuing is according to his will.”  Deep peace and contentment come not from ease or wealth or entertainment or any cheap imitation that the world offers; rather, it comes from knowing that the course of one’s life is in accordance with God’s desires for us.  Of course we always fall short of living how He would have us live, but I believe we can be led by Him to know what He would have us individually pursue in our own life.  And when we have that assurance and follow it, we have as Paul declared, the “peace of God, which passeth understanding” (Philippians 4:7).  Paul knew of that peace because he had asked the question, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” and then spent the rest of his life doing what God required of him (Acts 9:6).  And despite the fact that he suffered immensely as a servant of the Lord—beaten with 39 stripes on five occasions, stoned, shipwrecked, in perils among enemies, and suffering hunger and thirst—he found the motivation in Him to continue moving forward because he knew that the course of his life was according to the will of God (2 Corinthians 11:24-27). 

             Ultimately the reason we have chosen to bring God’s children into the world is because we feel strongly that it is indeed His will for us personally.  My wife told me before we were expecting this latest child that whenever she would even think about not having another child the Spirit would quickly correct her—she knew there was a little girl waiting to come to be part of our family despite so many logical reasons it might not make sense for us.  And while we have many worries about how we are going to handle the chaos of life with that many little ones, we know it will work out because it is what God wants for our family.  And I pray that we can have the faith of Nephi in the Book of Mormon who accomplished so many miracles in the strength of the Lord.  He declared to his brothers, “If God had commanded me to do all things I could do them” (1 Nephi 17:50).  When he knew what course God wanted him to take in his life, he always paid the price to make it happen, and his example inspires us to try to do the same.