This is a test, it is only a test

This is a test of the emergency broadcasting system. It is only a test. If this were a real emergency, you would be notified through this station.

"Indeed, this life is a test. It is a test of many things—of our convictions and priorities, our faith and our faithfulness, our patience and our resilience, and in the end, our ultimate desires. Yet there are times when the vision and hope of a Big Finish are dimmed by immediate demands, days when one might wish for a mortal exam that was a little more manageable.
Thankfully, our experience here is an open-book test...

"We are temporarily afflicted with the amnesia of mortality... through the power of the Spirit we can often “catch a spark,” as President Joseph F. Smith taught us, “from the awakened memories of the immortal soul, which lights up our whole being as with the glory of our former home” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 14). It is the Spirit that will also shed light upon our ultimate potential," Sister Sheri Dew said.

Two scriptures that I like:
“Where there is no vision, the people perish,” Solomon proclaimed (Prov. 29:18).

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:16–17).

In the Lion King, Simba turns rebellious after the death of his father. At one point Simba is walking along and he sees his father in a vision. He tries to justify his behavior and his father teaches him an impactful lesson: "You have forgotten who you are because you have forgotten me."

Many times I find myself wanting God to change my circumstances when in reality I need to allow Him to change my heart, like Simba. I am finding that it is those things I hold in my heart that are the strongest walls in my life. There are things that I am secretly holding on to and I need to give them up because those walls don’t allow anyone in.

A wonderful friend of mine told me: I think we often forget to turn to the Lord for learning experiences when we have these crappy feeling. I for one forget him too much and it’s a lack of faith. However, when we push through it, that very moment entitles us to a far greater amount of faith for the next time because we showed him that even at our darkest moments we did prevail and did thrust in our sickles with all our might.”

In life, I think having faith in the words of the scriptures will help us significantly. In reading Sister Dew’s talk she makes mention of Alma and his brothers when they are out and about preaching: “yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord” (Mosiah 24:15).

We need to believe that God will make us equal to our challenges and burdens. At the same time my arch-nemesis comes into the picture: patience. I really shouldn’t say that, but it is something that is a real struggle sometimes.

The will of the Lord is another thing entirely. Everything is in the Gods time because He “knows.” Our Heavenly Father can see the beginning to the end and he knows the “plan.” Are we so arrogant to say that we know better than the Great I Am? Are we so rebellious that we won’t head the council that has been given to us?

President George Q. Cannon (1827–1901), a counselor in the First Presidency, taught: “When we went forth into the waters of baptism and covenanted with our Father in heaven to serve Him and keep His commandments, He bound Himself also by covenant to us that He would never desert us, never leave us to ourselves, never forget us, that in the midst of trials and hardships, when everything was arrayed against us, He would be near unto us and would sustain us. That was His covenant” (Gospel Truth, sel. Jerreld L. Newquist, 2 vols. [1974], 1:170).

And it all begins with the willingness to believe. “For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them” (Ether 12:12).

“Do you believe that the Savior will really do for you what He has said He will do? That He can ease the sting of loneliness and enable you to deal with that haunting sense of inadequacy? That He will help you forgive? That He can fill you with optimism and hope? That He will help you resist your greatest temptation and tame your most annoying weakness? That He will respond to your deepest longing? That He is the only source of comfort, strength, direction, and peace that will not change, will not betray you, and will never let you down?” Sister Dew said.

She goes on to say, “Satan wants us to fail the test on earth—to give up any hope of the Big Finish. Indeed, through eons of practice the adversary has perfected the arts of deception, deceit, despair, and discouragement. See if any of the following techniques sound familiar.

1. He tries to blur our vision of why we’re here and get us preoccupied with this life. He would have us distracted by and involved in anything and everything except what we came for.

2. He wants us to feel insignificant—that no matter how hard we try, we’ll never make much of a difference.

3. He tries to wear us down by creating the image that it is not important to endure to the end.

4. He encourages us to judge and evaluate each other—a practice that is demeaning to both the person who judges and the one who is judged.

5. He whispers that life is not fair and that if the gospel were true we would never have problems or disappointments.

6. He attempts to numb us into letting our standards slide.

7. He promotes feelings of guilt and discouragement.

8. He works hard to undermine our innate tendency to nurture and care for others.

9. He would have us stymied by the commandment to become perfect.

10. He would have us so busy that there’s no time to live the gospel, no time to fast and pray, to immerse ourselves in the scriptures, to worship in the temple—all the things we need to do to “study” for our mortal test.

11. He delights in portraying religion as restrictive and austere rather than liberating and life-giving.”

The veil does not bind Satan. He knows who we were, who we are and who we can become. Over time he has perfected his deceptions for our generation.

We are those who have been held back for this time and Satan knows he is going to be in trouble. President Ezra Taft Benson taught this valuable truth: “Never before on the face of this earth have the forces of evil and the forces of good been as well organized. … The final outcome is certain—the forces of righteousness will win. But what remains to be seen is where each of us … will stand in the battle—and how tall we will stand. … Great battles can make great heroes and heroines” (“In His Steps,” address to Church Educational System personnel, Anaheim, California, 8 Feb. 1987).

What side will you be on? Do you know? Or do you have to think about it?

What a wonderful privilege we have to be a part of this “test.” There is a scripture that my mission president quoted in the letter we got six weeks before going home. The Apostle Paul describes what I hope to say one day: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord … shall give me at that day” (2 Tim. 4:7–8).

As we stay focused on the our eternal purpose, we will keep a clear vision of who we are, what we are about and how vital our contribution is to the rolling forth of the Lord’s kingdom.