General Conference is a great time to stop and reevaluate our lives, make changes and overcome those challenges that we face.

President Henry B. Eyring’s talk, “Mountains to Climb’ from the April 2012 General Conference inspired me.  He helped me realize that I can climb the mountains in my life.

President Eyring quoted President Spencer W. Kimball, “ There are great challenges ahead of us, giant opportunities to be met. I welcome that exciting prospect and feel to say to the Lord, humbly “Give me this mountain, give me these challenges.”

The Lord allows these challenges to come into our lives. They teach us patience, build faith, and strengthen our spirits. We need them so we can become like our Father in Heaven.

I love the hymn, “More Holiness Give Me” (Hymn 131).  “More holiness give me…more patience in suffering…more hope in his word…more fit for the kingdom, more used would I be, more blessed and holy—more, Savior, like thee.” This life is a refiner’s fire, we are here to be polished and prepared for an eternal life with our Father in Heaven.

To learn from these challenges, we must, as Pres. Eyring says, “have a foundation of faith or we will crumble”.

Pres. Eyring proposes we build a foundation of faith through:

• Patience — It takes time!  Patience is not easy, I’m learning that lesson over and over and over again. But because Heavenly Father loves us, he is patient with us and helps us overcome any challenge we experience. Pres. Eyring teaches us, “Curing does not come automatically through the passage of time, but it does take time.  Getting older does not do it alone. It is serving God and others persistently with full heart and soul that turns testimony of truth into unbreakable spiritual strength.” When we do His will-Come unto Him, and invite others to Come unto Him- He blesses us.
• Personal Integrity — Be Consistent! My dad is constantly telling me to act and not be acted upon.  I have the power to be obedient, I have the power to have a positive attitude when I go through challenges.  It’s not easy, but it is worth it. Pres. Eyring continues to teach us, “Our choosing the right consistently, and whenever the choice is placed before us, creates the solid ground under our faith. It can begin in childhood since every soul is born with the free gift of the Spirit of Christ.“  Again, I am reminded of my dad’s words of wisdom, “Teach children young so the gospel becomes a part of their spiritual DNA.”

Pres. Eyring encourages us, “When hard trials come, the faith to endure them well will be there, built as you may now notice, but may have not at the time that you acted on the pure love of Christ, serving and forgiving others as the Savior would have done.  You built a foundation of faith from loving as the Savior loved and serving Him. Your faith in Him led to acts of charity that will bring you hope. It is never too late to strengthen the foundation of faith. There is always time… Heavenly Father and the Savior want you fitted to be with Them.”