Discipleship and Trust

I had stake conference today and the theme that stood out to me was one of becoming disciples. They discussed how we are all going to have trials, but we should work on how we handle what life throws us instead of focusing on the trial. Our visiting authority suggested that we let discipleship be the defining characteristic of our lives. We should be doing what we are doing because we want to be like the Savior, not because we are expecting it to bring us a specific blessing or to keep trials away. Life is going to happen and when we let discipleship define us we can take what comes and make the best of it. That just struck me that our outlook and perception on life and what we choose to let define us make such a difference.

The other thing that struck me today came from my reading in Alma chapter 8. One of the questions that came up in stake conference was why, when we are doing all that we are supposed to be doing do we not get what we want or think we want or need. Ultimately it comes down to the Lord's timing not ours. I gained some comfort though from Alma 8 where Alma is trying to teach the people of Ammonihah and in verse 10 it describes Alma laboring with the Spirit and wrestling in prayer that the people's hearts may be softened. It didn't happen. The people hardened their hearts and threw Alma out of the city. Later in verse 15, Alma is told he has cause to rejoice because he has been faithful. It wasn't until later that the people accepted the gospel.

This story struck a chord because how many of us have righteous desires? Whether it be to have children, to serve a mission, or to be married, there are many righteous desires that sometimes no matter how much we pray and desire those things they don't happen when we want. But the hope comes from verse 15, as long as we are living righteously we will be blessed, perhaps not with what we want when we want it, but with what the Lord knows we need and on His timing. We just have to have the faith to trust Heavenly Father and keep moving forward.