Disturber and Annoyer

I was reading in 1 Nephi 15, and in verse 5 Nephi tells us he is overcome with great afflictions that were great above all.

I began to think about the trials and adversity he had to face. I followed the cross-references and read about Moses and Joseph Smith, both great men who were also beset with great afflictions and I began to wonder why hard things, bad things, happen to good people who are trying to do the Lord's work.

My answer came as I read in Joseph Smith History 1:20 where Joseph Smith says, "I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of [Satan's] kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me?"

It seemed to witness to me that those sincerely involved in the great work of bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man would not have a life of leisure and pleasure. 

As I took stock of my own life, it was those times where life was comfortable and easy that Satan no longer saw me as a great threat and could back off a little. But those times when life was hard and uncomfortable, where I had to really dig in my heals to not quit, to keep moving forward, those were the times I was more fully committed to the gospel. Those were the times I was completely participating in the game of saving souls.

So if life seems hard know that Satan simply sees you as a disturber and annoyer of his kingdom and is working overtime to thwart you. Stay strong. I, for one, want to one day be able to have a membership along with Nephi, Moses, and Joseph Smith in the Disturber and Annoyer Club.

Our stake had a conference this week and President Child was very candid as he shared a point in his life where there really wasn't much left to live for after having a business deal go terribly wrong. With a small family and little hope in sight, he thought about a life insurance policy his family could cash in on should he step out of the picture.

This was shortly before the October 1999 general conference and an answer came so powerfully to him through the words of Elder Holland that testified of God's love and knowledge of him.

“Don’t give up, boy.
Don’t you quit.
You keep walking.
You keep trying.
There is help and happiness ahead . . .
You keep your chin up.
It will be all right in the end.
Trust God and believe in good things to come.”

And you know what, two weeks later things began to turn around for that man and his little family. My stake president is one of those might ones who holds a membership in the Disturber and Annoyer Club.

Believing is when you've given your heart over to something

"This I Believe"
an essay by Jenny Engh

What do I believe – a very fundamental question and something I’ve given a lot of thought to over the past year and a half when I was so rudely interrupted by cancer!

Our minister at House of Hope gave a sermon on Believing – right in time for Christmas.

His take on belief was this: that thinking and believing are different – so when people ask you what you believe – they may really be asking you what you are thinking.

The difference?

Believing, he went on to say, is much more settled – when you’ve given your heart over to something.

What a beautiful thing to say – believing is when you’ve given your heart over to something.

So what do I believe in?

I believe in

the goodness of people,

the blessings of living life fully

and being open to new possibilities.

I believe in

nurturing those who are struggling

or may have lost their way.

I believe

we have all been given an opportunity to leave things better,

helping others improve their lives.

I believe in
fairness,
treating others equally
and calling out when others are treated unfairly.

I also believe in
the fundamental choice we all have in making our lives better
and creating our own happiness.

Personal responsibility, regardless of our circumstances, is not negotiable. We all have the power to make choices about our lives, perhaps not all the material goods or same opportunities we would like to have, but choices to do the right thing and to live life honestly.

I believe in

loving each other,

showing more kindness.

So belief is a starting point, not a destination. When my friend Duane asked me what I would want him to say at my funeral, I said, “remind people to be kinder to each other.” 

I believe we can.