Lesson: Try, Try, Try By President Henry B. Eyring

Lesson: Try, Try, Try By President Henry B. Eyring

I am so excited for this lesson. I will touch on some key things but to get more of my commentary throughout this lesson be sure to watch the video above.

I wanted to start off with this picture.

My sister, Debbie, shared a family home evening lesson she gave to her family. the hero was Nephi, and how he didn’t know how he was going to get the brass plates when he started on his journey, but he knew that God had commanded it and so he was determined.

 

1 Nephi 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

 

He had faith that God would provide a way for him to accomplish this great feat. Even with the great faith that he had, the Lord tried him and Nephi had many set backs. As a matter of fact, he didn’t just ran into a few set backs… oh no, Nephi and his brothers had to flee for their lives on many occations, and yet he still persisted and put his faith and trust in God.

 

How many times do we have set backs with things that we are working?

 

We need to like Nephi put our faith and trust in God. My sister went on to tell her young kids that even when things get hard or if you feel you can’t do something, we need to try, try, try like Nephi. What great wisdom here in this counsel. She shared how several times she will overhear her kids trying something and having a hard time with it, say to themselves or another sibling, we need to try, try, try like Nephi. https://spiritualcrusade.com/2017/10/try-try-try-like-nephi.html

President Eyring starts off saying:

Many years ago, I was first counselor to a district president in the eastern United States. More than once, as we were driving to our little branches, he said to me, “Hal, when you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time.” Not only was he right, but I have learned over the years that he was too low in his estimate. Today I wish to encourage you in the troubles you face.

How do we generate that kind of faith and belief in our lives? How can we teach that to our children?

My reassurance is this: the loving God who allowed these tests for you also designed a sure way to pass through them. Heavenly Father so loved the world that He sent His Beloved Son to help us. His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us. Jesus Christ bore in Gethsemane and on the cross the weight of all our sins. He experienced all the sorrows, the pains, and the effects of our sins so that He could comfort and strengthen us through every test in life.

D&C 50:43-44

“The Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you.

“Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall.”

As I read these verses, I felt that you can’t leave out the next two verses, they are so powerful.

D&C 50:45-46

45 And the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am.

46 Watch, therefore, that ye may be ready. Even so. Amen.

I was listening to another book at the same time as preparing this lesson and this next scripture just jumped out at me and I knew I needed to add it to my lesson.

Revelation 3:19-21

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

This next scriptures will bring this all together. It is actually from a recent Come, Follow Me lesson but bares repeating. 

Matthew 7:21-23

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Verse 23 in JST reads: And then will I say, Ye never knew me…

This same change is in the story of the 10 virgins. “I know you not” vs JST, “ye know me not.”

We all have our own personal journey to Christ. So, grab your phones and close your eyes for one minute (I will time you) and listen to what the Holy Ghost speaks to your heart and mind through your conscience which is the Light of Christ and then write that down. That will be your personal assignment from the Lord.

Our prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, has also given that same assurance. Moreover, he described a way we might build upon that rock and put the Lord’s name upon our hearts to guide us through our trials.

He said: “You who may be momentarily disheartened, remember, life is not meant to be easy. Trials must be borne and grief endured along the way. As you remember that ‘with God nothing shall be impossible’ (Luke 1:37), know that He is your Father. You are a son or daughter created in His image, entitled through your worthiness to receive revelation to help with your righteous endeavors. You may take upon you the holy name of the Lord. You can qualify to speak in the sacred name of God (see D&C 1:20).”

D&C 20:77

O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.

What does it mean to be “willing” to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ?

The statement that we are “willing to take upon [us]” His name tells us that while we first took the Savior’s name when we were baptized, taking His name is not finished at baptism. We must work continually to take His name throughout our lives, including when we renew covenants at the sacrament table and make covenants in the Lord’s holy temples.

So two crucial questions for each of us: “What must I be doing to take His name upon me?” and “How will I know when I am making progress?”

The statement of President Nelson suggests one helpful answer. He said that we could take the name of the Savior upon us and that we could speak for Him. When we speak for Him, we serve Him. “For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?”

 

Speaking for Him requires a prayer of faith. It takes a fervent prayer to Heavenly Father to learn what words we could speak to help the Savior in His work. We must qualify for the promise: “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.”

Alma 43:1 Last verse of missionary work before switching to the Nephite wars.

And now it came to pass that the sons of Alma did go forth among the people, to declare the word unto them. And Alma, also, himself, could not rest, and he also went forth.

We too can not, MUST NOT REST in our discipleship and service.

Yet it takes more than speaking for Him to take His name upon us. There are feelings in our hearts we must have to qualify as His servants.

The prophet Mormon described the feelings that qualify us and enable us to take His name upon us. These feelings include faith, hope, and charity, which is the pure love of Christ.

Mormon explained (Moroni 7:39-44, 47-48): (watch the lesson video for my commentarty)

“For I judge that ye have faith in Christ because of your meekness; for if ye have not faith in him then ye are not fit to be numbered among the people of his church.

“And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?

“And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

“Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.

“And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.

“If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.”

After describing charity, Mormon goes on to say:

“But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.”

My testimony is that the Savior is putting His name in your hearts. For many of you, your faith in Him is increasing. You are feeling more hope and optimism. And you are feeling the pure love of Christ for others and for yourself.