Glory in my Infirmities

In the most recent general conference, Elder John A. McCune related the experience when he and his wife met with President Nelson to be called to serve in the Seventy. He said, “After extending to us our current calling, President Nelson turned to Debbie and focused on her. He was kind, loving, gentle, and full of joy, like the perfect father or grandfather. He held Debbie’s hand and patted it, reassuring her that it would be OK and that our family would be blessed. It seemed to us at that moment that we were the most important people to him and that he had all the time in the world for us. We left his office that Friday afternoon feeling reassured, loved, and joyful.” Elder McCune found out a few days later that “during that same day that President Nelson had spent with us, one of his daughters had passed away from cancer.” He described his astonishment at hearing this news: “We were stunned. Our hearts were full as we mourned for him and his family. Our hearts were also full of gratitude for his Christlike attention to us while mourning for his daughter who was suffering. As we pondered this experience, we asked ourselves, ‘How could he be so kind, loving, and even joyful at such a difficult time?’” President Nelson clearly lives by and believes in what he taught many years ago: “Saints can be happy under every circumstance. We can feel joy even while having a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad year! My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.” Elder McCune commented, “[President Nelson] knows he will be with his daughter again and will spend an eternity with her. Joy and eternal perspective come through being bound to the Savior by making and keeping covenants and through Christlike discipleship.” His example reminds us that we can still find joy in the Savior, even through the great challenges that we face.

            Paul wrote multiple times about his own suffering and those of the Saints, likewise affirming that despite this he and they could find the love and joy of the Savior. He wrote to the Romans, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?... Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39). No mortal suffering imposed upon us can separate us from the love of God and His Son. And so, we should keep hope even in dark times., trusting in Them. That’s what Paul encouraged the Corinthians to do when they faced difficulties: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:8-11). When we feel troubled or perplexed or persecuted or cast down, we should bear in mind the dying and resurrected body of the Lord Jesus, reminding us of His ultimate triumph over the greatest obstacles. In the same epistle, Paul spoke personally about a struggle he faced. He wrote, “There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). We do not know exactly what that thorn in his flesh was, but Paul found strength through Christ and was able to glory with gladness despite the trial he endured which God did not take away from him.

            Elder McCune finished his message with these words, “As we bind ourselves to act as covenant disciples, in whatever our level of capacity, our relationship with the Father and the Son is enriched, our joy enhanced, and our eternal perspective expanded. We then are endowed with power and can feel joy in a measure reserved for God’s true covenant disciples.” No matter the outer circumstances of our lives, we can find joy through our covenants with the Savior and our relationship with Him. Like Paul, we can glory even in our infirmities, knowing that the power of Christ will rest upon His covenant disciples.