Revival, Hope, and Patience

I've been meaning to "revive" this blog for some time now.  I actually tried some months ago. I started by changing the template, and in the process screwed a number of things up. I haven't taken the time to fix it 'til now. The design is still bland, but I hope to remedy that before too long.

I have also intended to expand the scope of my content from my motorcycle-centered topics to more general and soul-centered content. I can only write so many times about my commute. I think my title will remain the same, though. The content will now reflect the winds that blow through my mind as well as my head, whether I'm riding or not.

To start off with I want to mention just a couple of dozen's of thoughts that I've had today. General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints started today. I love this time of year, as well as the Semi-annual conference in October. I come to enjoy the talks given by inspired men and women of God more and more each year. I am left with the desire to immerse myself in their words continually for the next six month, and then find myself wondering why I don't. I'll probably touch on several talks and ideas by several different speakers over the next few weeks as I read and re-read their words, but I want to mention a couple inspirational ideas now.

First, Elder Wilford W. Andersen of the Seventy spoke about Hope.  There is such a great need for hope in this world today. I have such a great need for Hope. There is so much that seems to seek to grind, beat and maim my will to hope and be happy. Sometimes I feel surrounded by filth and anger, dishonesty, destruction and despair within and without.  I have often thought, "How does one carry on in the face of such devastation?"  Elder Andersen spoke of the example of the early LDS saints as they were driven by violent mobs from their homes in Nauvoo, IL. The words of many of those saints echoed a common sentiment, "Their hearts were broken, but their spirits were strong." He compared this to the recent calamities that the saints in Haiti have experienced. They have suffered devastating losses. However, their hearts may be broken but their spirits are strong. The lesson to be learned is that, "hope and happiness and joy are not products of circumstance, but faith in the Lord."

I don't know how many times I have found myself born down by the weight of despair and unmet hopes and expectations thinking that if only my circumstances were different, I could be happy. While I know in my head that true and lasting happiness comes from faith in the Lord, it is frequently difficult for me to get my heart to understand the practical exercise of this concept. "Hope comes as a result of faith. If we would rebuild our hope, we must rebuild our faith.... True faith requires work.... Faith grows by keeping the commandments. We must work at keeping the commandments.... When we strive to keep the commandments of God, repenting of our sins, and promising our best efforts to follow the Savior, we begin to grow in confidence that, through the atonement, everything will be all right." I am beginning to finally learn that I truly can find happiness through righteousness regardless of my circumstances. And through sincere righteousness, I can find the patience to wait for the promises of the Lord, namely a fullness of joy, to come in His own time and in His own way.

That leads to the next thought I want to touch on, which is patience. I'm am certainly not a very patient person. I recognize this as being a significant source of my disappointments. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke on patience during the General Priesthood session tonight and I found myself convicted with guilt, but inspired to be better. He taught that patience is a precious virtue at the center of a godly character. The lack of patience is a symptom of selfishness. The power of the Priesthood of God functions primarily on the virtue of patience. That is why we are given the Priesthood. It refines our character and prepares us for our eternal reward through the patience that is required as we serve others.

I am determined to be more patient. More patient with my family, my friends, my colleagues and especially with myself and the Lord. As with hope, I must trust that all things will work out in the Lord's good time. It is selfish of me to expect the Lord to cater to my every whim as if I were a spoiled child demanding that He please me right now. "The promises of the Lord, if not always swift, are always certain.... Knowledge and understanding often come at the price of patience.... In your patience you win mastery of your soul (Luke 21:19)."

I could go on and on with the many nuggets of truth and inspirational feelings that I have felt today, but I will continue later. Whoever you are, if you're reading this, I greatly encourage you to go and read or listen to the words of these servants of God again and again. They are true and they are the words of life.