I just came across a wonderful talk given by Patricia Holland back in 1999.

How much do we love both Elder and Sister Holland!

Speaking at the BYU Women’s Conference, she talked about having a better attitude about the challenges and struggles we face in this life.

I assume you won’t think me too bold or off-base if I say that when the winds blow and the sea is storm tossed, we must not give in to self-pity. God is with us; Christ is our sure foundation; there is a safe haven ahead. We simply have to remember that in this mortal journey, all learning, all personal growth, all spiritual refinement carry with them the possibility of a little motion sickness. No one—not even the Saints, maybe especially not the Saints—are immune from such challenges. … No one escapes God’s refining hand. Our trials offer a training ground for godhood. Without some moments in darkness, would we ever cherish the light? Without confronting some doubt, would we ever recognize and cling to faith?

The world tends to baby us. If something hurts, we run away from it. If we have anxiety, or fears of any kind, we are the exception and others need to make way. But God’s plan is for us to experience all the trials of life, just so we can turn to Jesus Christ and ask Him to rescue us. And guess what? He already has. We just need to turn to Him and say, “Thank you!”

Our number one job is to have Faith in Jesus Christ. We know this is the first principle of His gospel, and the world is rapidly diminishing its importance. Without faith in our Savior, we walk alone in the dark. What a terrifying thought! Yet, if we simply reach out, even just a little, He is always there, watching and waiting for us

We cannot go through life too scared to do anything. We have work to do.

Sis. Holland shares an interesting experience that really resonated with me. She explains that one day they experienced a windy storm, winds up to 113 miles an hour, and she was scared.

It was very early in the morning as the worst of this was happening, and Jeff was just leaving for the office. I said to him, ‘Do you think this is the end? Is it all over—or about to be?’ I whispered. My husband, who has deep faith and endless optimism, took me in his arms and said, ‘No, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if it were? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christ really did come and his children really were ready for him? Wouldn’t it be terrific if evil was finally conquered, once and for all, and the Savior of the world came down in the midst of the New Jerusalem to wipe away every tear from every eye? Yes,’ my husband said, ‘in lots of ways I wish it were the end, but it’s not. It is just a stiff windstorm in Bountiful. We have got more work to do.’

Two things stand out for me:

1. He seemed pretty confident that the Lord wasn’t coming that day. It makes me wonder how much he knows…
2. He said the Lord isn’t ready to come because “we have got more work to do.”

This is the very thing I came to really understand only this past year. We somehow have this idea that the world has to be wicked enough in order for the Lord to come. I have learned that it isn’t about the wicked. His coming is about how ready the righteous are to receive Him. In the Pre Earth Life, we must have covenanted that we would accomplish certain things and this is what the Lord is waiting on us for. We don’t have time to be scared, timid, or self-focused. All of us want the Savior to come as soon as possible. But, He won’t come because “we have got more work to do.”

Let us take Sis. Holland’s advice and depend more on our Savior and Redeemer. We can depend on Him more because He is depending on us to complete His work, which is to gather Israel and proclaim His gospel. As women of God, we should be able to do this because we are spiritually amazing!

I won’t tell you how I failed in this very thing last week, and it’s still bothering me. But, I will pick myself up and be ready for the next opportunity.