Plans change, and we may not always know why. By applying faith and a commitment to the commandments, we can overcome any unexpected changes.
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We all have plans—and we’ve all had to adjust them occasionally. Take Elder Dallin H. Oaks, for example. When he was seventeen years old, he was called into active service by the Utah National Guard, altering his plans to serve a full-time mission. At age fifty-two, four years after being appointed as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, he was called as an Apostle. The death of his wife, June, also changed the course of his life.
There are many things that we can’t control, but as Elder Oaks states in his article “The Right Thing at the Right Time,” faith in the Lord and commitment to his commandments will “anchor us no matter what timing the Lord directs for the most important events in our lives.”
Sometimes our personal achievements are affected by the agency of others. Sometimes life just gets in the way. Sometimes important things occur that are not always welcome. As Elder Oaks states, “Even our most righteous desires may elude us, or come in different ways or at different times.”
What should we do when this happens? Faith in the Savior “prepares us to deal with life’s opportunities—to take advantage of those that are received and to persist through the disappointments of those that are lost.”
Most importantly, we must remember that, as the Lord said to Joseph Smith, “all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” (D&C 122:7–8). If we commit ourselves to the Lord’s will, we will overcome all of life’s unexpected changes.
Read Elder Dallin H. Oaks’s article “The Right Thing at the Right Time.”
Source: New Era
—Marian Spencer, Mormon Insights
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Watch or read Elder David A. Bednar’s talk “The Tender Mercies of the Lord” to know how the Lord blesses us from day to day.
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I really appreciate the message of this article. It is hard to understand why certain things happen in our lives, but I have also found that the only thing that brings me real comfort during these times is my faith in the Lord and that he knows what is best.
Out of all the Christlike attributes, patience is the most difficult for me. I am a person who likes to make plans, twenty-five-step plans. And it is frustrating when certain circumstances are out of my control. Usually my perfect plan is upset around step three and I have to go back to the drawing board. One thing I am still learning is how perfect God’s plan is. What I wouldn’t give to have his eternal perspective. I draw comfort from D&C 122:7-8 and am grateful for the Lord’s counsel to trust in him and take the time to learn from our experiences. I often remind myself that the Lord never gives me something that I cannot overcome. He knows me perfectly and wants what is best for me.