A few weeks ago I received the below message from my mission president. (Each week he sends out a weekly thought of something he's been studying and learning more about.-I love it!) I have been thinking about faith and patience a lot a lot :)
Faith, Patience, Diligence
Alma went to teach the Zoramites. From this experience we learn so many powerful principles and practices. From the conversion of Korihor through the teaching about Faith, to Amulek’s teaching about prayer, there is wonderful learning that benefits us very much.
The concluding verse in chapter 32 reads: “. . . Ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and yourdiligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit.” (Emphasis mine.)
I don’t know how many hundreds of times I have read this. As I read it yesterday it opened a whole new thought for me. In that verse we learn a “Process”. Alma applied this process to the accumulation of Knowledge using Faith. As I read it I recognized that the process is the same in the accumulation of anything. The ingredients do not change, only the end goal changes.
When you decide you will have a great marriage it will take Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering.
When you decide you want a healthy body, it will take Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering.
When you decide you want happy and productive children, it will take Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering.
When you decide you want good grades in school, it will take Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering.
When you decide you want a successful career, it will take Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering.
More than education, experience, or good breaks, these four powerful principles and activities shall lead us to success.
Once these principles and activities have been applied we will experience the “fruit” from the “tree”.
So, here is the process:
Identify the desired “fruit” (Goal).
Apply Faith, Diligence, Patience, and Long Suffering for as long as it takes.
Enjoy the “Fruit” forever.
