The Lord Loves Effort — Alma 17–22
Come, Follow Me: Book of Mormon 2024 (July 1-7)
In the last six months what hard have you encountered? It isn’t a question of “have you had hard” is it? It’s unlikely that 120 days would go by without a difficult situation, a loss, or an unforeseen change. Maybe your experience was a little hard or a Big Hard or both, a few, or many.
As you reflect, consider how you did your hard. Did you respond a little better than previous times? Were you more prepared because you’ve been practicing new skills? Did you remember a lesson from the Book of Mormon that gave you a template for action? Did you share your load with Christ, sooner rather than later, and did you let Him give you answers, encouragement, patience, and strength each day?
2024 has brought me many “opportunities” to do hard and do it divinely better. Let me share my small steps of improvement:
The sooner I recognize I’m in a hard place, the quicker I can turn the knob for spiritual 4WD that engages heavenly power to help me.
Pouring out my thoughts and feelings on paper is helpful and healing.
There are always glimmers, even in the storms, if I look for them.
When I’m troubled about world problems, I turn to the prophet. His words are always comforting, and I know he can see around corners.
Hard is complex. While someone may understand a part of what I’m going through, there is one that knows exactly what I’m going through and I don’t have to explain anything to Him.
These are such small steps, but with each one, I remember the conversation President Nelson had with a young primary girl:
Pearl: “Is it hard to be a prophet? Are you, like, really busy?”
President Nelson: “Of course it’s hard. Everything to do with becoming more like the Savior is difficult. For example, when God wanted to give the Ten Commandments to Moses, where did He tell Moses to go? Up on top of a mountain, on the top of Mount Sinai. So Moses had to walk all the way up to the top of that mountain to get the Ten Commandments. Now, Heavenly Father could have said, ‘Moses, you start there, and I’ll start here, and I’ll meet you halfway.’ No, the Lord loves effort, because effort brings rewards that can’t come without it.”
Do Hard Divinely Better Lesson #26: Take time to see how far you’ve come in doing hard divinely better. Remember, effort counts. (Go to www.terrianneflint.com if you want to review all my 2024 Book of Mormon messages.)