Excerpt
Discouragement isn’t in the trouble; it’s the adversary’s germ. The cure: prepare, work early, repent quickly, and remember angels round about us.
Intro
Today I revisited Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s 1980 devotional, “For Times of Trouble.” Trouble is universal; discouragement is a germ the adversary wants inside us. The scriptures teach that “preparation—prevention if you will—is perhaps the major weapon in your arsenal against discouragement and self-defeat.” I’m choosing preparation and steady work over panic and self-doubt.
Straight line
- Prepare early. “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining… If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.”
- Live simply and gratefully. “Love your life, poor as it is. …The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the almshouse as brightly as from the rich man’s abode.” (Thoreau, Walden)
- Do the work. “Prepare. Plan. Work. Sacrifice. Rework. Spend cheerfully on matters of worth.” Start early; finish calmly.
- Learn from setbacks. “Love your life, poor as it is. Drive even these experiences into the corner… and learn from them.” Trials can forge timeless bonds with saints who walked the same road.
- Repent quickly. Change now and prove it daily. “You can change anything you want to change, and you can do it very fast.”
- Remember help from both sides of the veil. “They that be with us are more than they that be with them.” Angels stand round about us.
Final reflection
My part is preparation, planning, and cheerful sacrifice. God’s part is grace, change, and ministering angels. I will work early, repent quickly, and let heaven handle what I cannot.
Pocket I’m keeping
- Prepare early; prevent discouragement
- Love my life—simple, grateful, steady
- Work → rework → finish calmly
- Learn from pain; keep bonds with the faithful
- Change fast, then prove it
- Angels round about
What I hear now
“Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” (Joshua 3:5)
Link to the talk
BYU Devotional, March 18, 1980 — “For Times of Trouble” by Jeffrey R. Holland
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