27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.
Alma 26:27 Book of Mormon Scriptures_
I think it's easy to overlook this very significant verse. Why is it significant? Because they had become so discouraged and even depressed that they almost quit and went home! They apparently had discussed this among themselves and agreed to go back home ("we were about to turn back"), when something changed their mind and they fresh courage (and faith) took. And what was it that turned them around in the right direction? It was the Lord. How and when and through whom did the Lord reveal his word to? Or was it all of them as they unitedly prayed? We do not know. But it was the Lord who spoke peace to their hearts. It was the Lord who said,
Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.
Thank goodness they listened! Thank goodness they harkened! If they had not, not only would thousands of Lamanites remained in darkness, bondage and misery, but the lives of these faithful brethren may have been drastically different, as is the case with many missionaries who come home early from their missions and struggle. But they did not quit.
Now, who or what was the cause of their discouragement and depression? Was it their circumstances? Or was it their attitudes and their weakened faith? While surely the circumstances played a part, the only part they played was to be used by the Adversary as a tool against them. Success was in front of them. All they had to do was not quit, and endure whatever they had to endure to win the prize.
As one whom Satan uses this tool against with great effectiveness, the lesson here must not be missed by me. When depression and discouragement come, we can look at it in one of two ways. As an excuse to quit, or as a sign that what we are doing is likely the right thing.
Discerning is the key. Sometimes in life we make wrong, bone-headed decisions, and it isn't until we bang our head against a brick wall and bleed a little that we come to our senses and make a course correction. Sometimes, as was the case with these good brothers, the opposition comes from the Adversary of our souls, as he tries to discourage us to the point that we turn around and give up on the thing that would bless others and us.
So what do we do when faced with opposition, discouragement and depression? How do we discern the source? I suppose the thing to do is not make any rash decisions, for it seems to me that Satan loves rash decisions motivated by strong emotions. I suppose the thing to do is take a moment to think about the situation, and try to determine, by inquiring of the Lord, which of these two influences is at work. Is it Satan or God speaking to us? For when a thing is right or important, you can rest assured both voices will there.
For those who are Endowed, they know what sometimes happened when Adam and Eve were praying to God, and how those prayers can sometime be answered. Sometimes we are left to ourselves to discern. And like Moses who had seen a glorious vision and spoke with God face to face, and then spoke face to face with Lucifer, we have to determine which of the two is light, and which is darkness. For Moses, it was a no-brainer. At least when he discerned that Lucifer, who claimed to be the only begotten and demanded Moses worship him, had no light in him. For Moses said:
_Who art thou? For behold, I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten; and where is thy glory, that I should worship thee?
14 For behold, I could not look upon God, except his glory should come upon me, and I were transfigured before him. But I can look upon thee in the natural man. Is it not so, surely?
15 Blessed be the name of my God, for his Spirit hath not altogether withdrawn from me, or else where is thy glory, for it is darkness unto me? And I can judge between thee and God; for God said unto me: Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve.
16 Get thee hence, Satan; deceive me not; for God said unto me: Thou art after the similitude of mine Only Begotten_.
Now, was this an unusual and atypical manifestation? Yes. But is it not the same as any other in that we need to discern which voice is speaking to us? I believe so. The bottom line, I suppose, is that one of Satan's greatest tools, especially in times of great importance, is discouragement and depression. Of this we must be aware, and on guard. Elder A. Theodore Tuttle of the Seventy once said,
"Opposition always comes in greater proportion just prior to something important".
I'll forever be grateful for this and many other gems of knowledge that my Mission President, Wayne S Peterson, instilled in us youthful and ignorant missionaries. Once again, the lesson in this verse, to me, is to not let sorrow overwhelm us. Do not let our discouragement, and even depression, stop us from the right course we are on. Because that is the only way we lose and Satan wins- if we quit.
The Race
attributed to Dr. D.H. "Dee" Groberg
Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face, my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race. A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well, excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell. They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place. Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son, and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.
The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire, to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire. One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd, was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.” But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip, the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped. Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace, and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face. As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now. Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face, which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!” He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all, and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall. So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win, his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again. He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace. “I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!” So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last. “If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!” Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten... but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again. Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye. “There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try? I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.” But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.
“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all, for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall. Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place! You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!” So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit, and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit. So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been, still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win. Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again. Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place, head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace. But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place, the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race. And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud, you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd. And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.” “To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”
And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face, the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race. For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all. And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall. And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face, another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”
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