This is a General Conference Odyssey post for the October 1981 Saturday afternoon session.

We all feel pain, but do we feel driven to overcome our pain?

Most of us have heard the stories about President Kimball’s health problems, yet they never prevented his work as God’s prophet, if he could possibly help it. The Brethren often asked him to rest and save his strength. His answer: “I don’t want to be saved; I want to be exalted.”

Robert D. Hales spoke on “Examples from the Life of a Prophet,” using President Kimball’s examples of overcoming pain.

Most of us are afflicted with physical pain of some kind, mostly because we don’t take care of our bodies as we should. Today, it seems we are hearing more and more about emotional pain. It’s very hard to gauge someone else’s emotional pain because so much of it is emotional, which changes constantly. To deal with our physical and emotional pains, we sometimes take drugs that end up adding a worse kind of pain to our lives.

People, mostly women, are rising up to express the pain they have endured through inequality and mistreatment. Elder Hales says,

“Too often when adversity strikes, we use it as a justification to commit sin and turn away from the teachings of Jesus Christ, the prophets who lead us, and our family and friends.”

He also says,

“By overcoming pain and adversity, we can cleanse our souls and strengthen our faith and testimony in Jesus Christ.”

Do we understand that pain of every kind invites us to take upon ourselves the atonement of Jesus Christ as we call upon His help to pull us through? Aren’t we all mortals seeking exaltation through our Savior?

After having throat surgery, where one vocal cord was removed, Elder Kimball was asked by President McKay to bear his testimony in front of all the Brethren. He had no voice and could only utter breathy sounds. He was embarrassed and asked why he had been put in that situation. President McKay answered, “Spencer, you must get your voice back, for you still have a great mission to perform.”

Instead of pouting and complaining, Pres. Kimball learned how to use the scar tissue and his remaining vocal cord to control air in order to make some sound. Many of us still remember the sound of his voice when he spoke as a prophet of the Lord.

Once, at an Area Conference, President Kimball wanted to shake literally thousands of hands. These people had never seen a prophet of God before and he needed to give each one this great blessing. His doctors kept asking him to stop and rest, but his response was, “If you knew what I knew, you wouldn’t ask me that question. … I know you are trying to save me. But I don’t want to be saved; I want to be exalted.”

Reading this quote made me stop and think about what I want.

Sometimes, we really do use pain as an excuse to not fulfill commandments, assignments, responsibilities, etc. But if we really understand God’s plan for us, do we allow pain to consume us and prevent us from being exalted? Not me! I know too much about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I need more testimony, not protected pain, to carry me through this life.