Diligence

Diligence
By: Brandon Hunsaker

What gives a marathoner the rational to continue a race when his body gives out at the 20th mile? How did Michael Jordan become an NBA legend although he was cut from his high school basketball team? Why did Joseph Smith, the Savior and the rest of the Lord’s prophetic servants finish their works although their friends and family betrayed them? How do we make it back to our Father in Heaven when we are beset with temptations and trials that seem insurmountable? These phenomenons are accomplished through diligence. To be diligent is the mental attitude that builds a firm foundation that cannot be shaken with the whims of the world.
Diligence simply put is the act of performing intense labor continuously. The Lord communicates this ideal to the early Saints by stating, “Behold I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry neither be idle but labor with your might,” (Doctrine and Covenants 75:3). We have each been given unique talents and are expected to work by perfecting these talents so that we can serve others. “You…are responsible for developing the abilities and talents Heavenly Father has given you. You are accountable to Him for what you do with your abilities and how you spend your time. Do not idle away your time. Be willing to work hard. Choose to do many good things of your own free will,” (For the Strength of Youth 5). To be honest, I don’t know exactly the talents that I have been given by Heavenly Father, I don’t really know what I excel at, I didn’t do that great in sports in high school, I didn’t really fit in the theatre department, whatever I tried in high school there always seemed to be a bunch of people who were already better at it than was I, but whatever I did undertake I always put forth my best effort. We have been counseled to not just work hard within in the Church, but to also invest great amounts of time towards our own individual education. “Be willing to work diligently and make sacrifices to obtain learning. Education is an investment that brings great rewards. You live in a competitive world where a good education opens doors of opportunity that may otherwise be closed,” (For the Strength of Youth 9). While I question what I’m supposed to do in life, I do know that as I am diligent in my studies the Lord will open doors in my life that I cannot open by myself that will bring success and security.
The Lord understands that each of us undertake an overwhelming learning curve of intimidation when we undertake new assignments, “Wherefore let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed,” (Doctrine and Covenants 107:99). Unlike the world, the Lord doesn’t always expect us to have a beefed up resume of experience for any particular calling. The phrase experience required normally doesn’t fly within the Church. President Thomas S. Monson has said, “The Lord does not look for capability, but rather availability”. This quote has motivated me to break out of my comfort zone at times in my life when I was called to assignments that seemed intimidating. I was asked to be a ward nursery leader following high school graduation. I had no experience with young children, and I was more afraid of the parents than the kids. At the beginning of the summer, each child scream at the top of their lungs as their mothers dropped them off and I wasn’t that popular of a desperado within the nursery. My first week I battled through constant crying for two hours from one kid or another, about some random problem. Little, by little as each week passed the crying grew less. I learned the likes and dislikes of each kid. By the month mark, all of the kids no longer cried when they arrived at nursery but enjoyed playing with me. I had overcome a learning curve, but not immediately. The first three weeks had been challenging, but I just kept trying and I came to know each child individually. President Monson has also gone onto say that “Those who prove their dependability receive capability”. I was blessed with the capability to know how to take care of two year olds because I stuck to my calling and kept trying new things that would interest the kids and learned little by little how to interact with young children.
For all works we fulfill there is an eventual reward. While I do not know when each reward will come, I do know that each work accomplished will reap an award in due time because of the principle of obedience. “There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated – And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated,” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21). While different assignments and tasks I have been given have seemed tedious, and overbearing I know that the Lord remembers all of our efforts. The Lord truly blesses those who finish what they start to the best of their abilities, “Let…all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence and your perseverance, and patience and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of Hosts. And if they persecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven,” (Doctrine and Covenants 127:4). While we are not necessarily persecuted for each of are works, it is fair to say that any work that brings about a great result encounters opposition. This counsel from Christ convinces me to continue in the face of opposition. To know that I am not alone in opposition, but that the prophets and other righteous men not just encountered but overcame opposition convinces me that I can overcome the opposition and be victorious. I am also comforted to know that I will not lose my reward as I continue to labor.
But an important question to ask is what is our reward? Through great labors, many other rewards and opportunities can be lost to keep a great work going. What is it that the Lord has promised us if we labor diligently? “And if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God,” (Doctrine and Covenants 14:7). We must always remember that we labor for eternal life, that this gift triumphs all other opportunities the world has to offer. If we do not remember this fact it is easy to trade the greatest gift for gifts that seem the greatest at just one point in time. Sometimes it takes constant reminders from church leaders, family, and trusted friends of simple truths that we have known since childhood to keep us in the right direction. With all the distractions in life it is inevitable to fall onto a detour that has no actual destination at the end if we do not constantly remind ourselves of the purpose of our sacrifices. These reminders within constant scripture study, prayer, and church attendance help us to regain our bearings on an incredibly challenging pursuit for the greatest of all gifts. Through following these three guidelines continuously we always remember our divine origin and find the willpower to give all that we have to have all that the Father has within the eternities.

Works Cited
· The Book of Mormon
· The Doctrine and Covenants
· http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=thomas+s+monson+quotes+capability
· My Priest Quorum Adviser Cory Whitehead