Bear All These Things With Patience

Yesterday in stake conference one of the counselors in the stake presidency told of a scene he witnessed at the airport with two older women. One of them got on a moving walkway and planted herself in the middle with her luggage and stopped walking, seemingly oblivious to the fact that people behind her would not be able to pass her. Another lady came up behind her and became very frustrated that she could not get past the first one. Instead of talking to her, she stood there clearly angry and upset. When they reached the end of the first moving walkway the impatient lady tried to get around the first, but it was not possible given the crowds. And so the lady in front entered the next moving walkway first, and instead of following her onto it, the upset woman who was behind determined she was going to go around and beat the first lady by walking outside the moving walkway. This she tried, but she was unable to do it. As fast as she tried to walk, she was unable to be faster than the lady who was standing on the moving walkway. And so she ended up frustrated, still behind the first woman, and with her husband panting for breath behind her as he tried to catch up. The message of this member of the stake presidency was a call for more patience, which clearly this second lady did not seem to have much of. It is so easy to let the little frustrations of life cause us to lose our patience, when there really is no need. I would guess that this second lady was not really in a rush and I’m sure she got where she needed to be just fine, but she let herself get annoyed and lose her patience at a small inconvenience. This is just one example among so many that happen all around us in a world that could use a lot more patience and long-suffering. The call of Alma to the people of Gideon is surely desperately needed today: “And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times” (Alma 7:23).  

            The Book of Mormon speaks of patience multiple times, and in many instances it is in the context of very serious difficulties. In speaking of Alma and his people in the land of Helam, Mormon said, “Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith” (Mosiah 23:21). That trial of their faith was being put under bondage to the Lamanites, even that their enemies “put tasks upon them, and put task-masters over them.” The account says that “so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.” But this did not cause them to lose patience; rather, “they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage” (Mosiah 24:9-10, 15-16). This was patience in the most serious of trials, and it was because of that patience that ultimately the Lord delivered them. On another occasion Mormon described Nephites who “were steadfast and immovable in keeping the commandments of God, and they bore with patience the persecution which was heaped upon them” (Alma 1:25). Ammon described to his brothers how at the beginning of their mission to the Lamanites, “Our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions.” They faced very difficult afflictions, which included these: “We have been cast out, and mocked, and spit upon, and smote upon our cheeks; and we have been stoned, and taken and bound with strong cords, and cast into prison” (Alma 26:27, 29). And through all of that, the Lord expected them to be patient. Later some of them were with Alma in a mission to the Zoramites, and Alma said this prayer as they began: “O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people” (Alma 31:31). He sought for patience before they began their mission, and apparently his son Shiblon who was there too showed exemplary patience. Afterwards Alma said to his son, “I have had great joy in thee already, because of thy faithfulness and thy diligence, and thy patience and thy long-suffering among the people of the Zoramites. For I know that thou wast in bonds; yea, and I also know that thou wast stoned for the word’s sake; and thou didst bear all these things with patience because the Lord was with thee” (Alma 38:3-4). He was stoned and was in bonds and yet he still showed forth patience in these great afflictions. All of these examples highlight times when the righteous were patient in very difficult trials, far more serious than the moving walkway inconvenience. These stories remind us that we will need patience in the biggest trials—amidst persecution and affliction and suffering—as well as in the small challenges of each day.