“I Give Unto Men Weakness”

(Jacob 4:6-7; Acts 17:26; Deut. 32:7-9; D&C 1:19, 23, 28; 122:9; Job 14:5; 2 Cor. 12:9-10; 2 Ne. 3:13; Moses 6:31; 7:3; Num. 12:3; Psalm 84:5, 7; Isa. 41:10; Ex. 15:2; 2 Sam 2:33; Luke 1:37; Philip. 4:13; Kisses at the Window, Bassett, pp. 15-16, 33-41)

“Where do you suppose we get these weaknesses? If you pose this question to a group of Saints, it will astound you how many different answers you get to this particular question. Some will say that they are responsible for their own weaknesses; well, if you keep your weaknesses, that’s true, but that is not where they come from. Another will say weaknesses come from heredity or environment; in either instance, we are passing the responsibility to someone else, either our parents or our neighborhood. Both of these sources have great influence upon us, but they do not give us our weaknesses. Still another may blame Lucifer, the devil, for their weaknesses; surely he is always on the job, but this is not where we get our weaknesses, either. Where do they really come from? The Lord tells us the answer to this question very plainly in the Book of Mormon. (Ether 12:27). So where do we get our weaknesses? We get them from the Lord; the Lord gives us weaknesses so we will be humble. This makes us teachable. Now don’t misunderstand me—the Lord is not responsible for the sin; he is only responsible for the weakness. It seems that all men have weaknesses in one form or another, character traits that make one more subject to a particular temptation than another… . Giving us weakness, however, is one of the Lord’s ways of getting our attention. He says this is the means he uses to make us humble, but he also says that if we will come unto him and have faith in him, he will make us strong wherein we are weak. I know this is the truth.” (Hartman Rector, Jr., Conference Report, Apr. 1970, pp. 139-140)

“As some of you have noticed, I only have one arm… . I want you to know that having one arm for nearly thirty years has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. It hasn’t been my greatest challenge, but it has been a great teacher to me, teaching me to be more patient and tolerant with others as I have had to learn to be more patient with myself. It has helped me to understand the necessity of our having challenges in life to help develop our character and stamina, helping us to become what the Lord ultimately wants us to become. Our challenges may be physical, spiritual, economic, or emotional, but if we will treat them as opportunities and stepping-stones in our progress, rather than barriers and stumbling blocks, our lives and growth will be wonderful. I have learned that between challenges it is very restful but that any real growth that I have ever enjoyed has always come with a challenge.” (John B. Dickson, Ensign, Nov. 1992, p. 45)

“God does nothing by chance but always by design as a loving Father. The manner of our coming into the world, our parents, the time, and other circumstances of our birth and condition, are all according to eternal purposes, direction, and appointment of divine providence.” (Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, Dec. 1974, p. 5)

“I believe that our Savior possessed a foreknowledge of all the vicissitudes through which He would have to pass in the mortal tabernacle. If Christ knew beforehand, so did we. But in coming here, we forgot all, that our agency might be free indeed, to choose good or evil.” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, p. 13)

“… we had our own free agency in our pre-mortal existence, and whatever we are today is likely the result of that which we willed to be heretofore. We unquestionably knew before we elected to come to this earth the conditions under which we would here exist… . I have a conviction deep down in my heart that we are exactly what we should be, each one of us, except as we may have altered that pattern by deviating from the laws of God here in mortality.” (Henry D. Moyle, Conference Report, Oct. 1952, pp. 71-72)

“Obviously, the personal burdens of life vary from person to person, but every one of us has them. Furthermore, each trial in life is tailored to the individual’s capacities and needs as known by a loving Father in Heaven.” (Howard W. Hunter, Conference Report, Oct. 1990, p. 20)

“Our Eternal Father knows all of his spirit children, and in his infinite wisdom, he chooses the very time that each comes to earth to gain a mortal body and undergo a probationary experience. Everything the Lord does is for the benefit and blessing of his children. And each of these children is subjected to the very trials and experiences that Omniscient Wisdom knows he should have… .” (Bruce R. McConkie, Millennial Messiah, p. 660)

“Some are tested by poor health, some by a body that is deformed or homely. Others are tested by handsome and healthy bodies; some by the passion of youth; others by the erosions of old age. Some suffer disappointment in marriage, family problems; others live in poverty and obscurity. Some (perhaps this is the hardest test) find ease and luxury. All are part of the test. And there is more equality in this testing than sometimes we suspect.” (Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 21)

“On one occasion Theodore Roosevelt was decorating one of his generals for bravery. He said, ‘This is the bravest man that I have ever seen.’ He said, ‘He walked right behind me all the way up San Juan Hill.’ Theodore Roosevelt was a sickly child. He began life as a weakling, not expected to live; but he trained himself to think courage, strength, health, and vitality, and that is what he got. One of the things that frightens me most as I go about a little bit is to hear so many people talking weakness, failure, and sin. The most widespread disease in the world is the inferiority complex. And when we think inferiority, that is what we get. Another missionary described his problem by saying, ‘I can’t concentrate.’ One of our most unfortunate weaknesses is that we sometimes think we are under sentence to remain forever as we presently are. Yet one of the most exciting ideas in life is the possibility of changing ourselves for the better.” (Sterling W. Sill, Conference Report, Oct. 1963, p. 80)

“Strengthen yourselves by seeking the source of true strength—the Savior. Come unto him. He loves you. He desires your happiness and exults in your desires for righteousness. Make him your strength, your daily companion, your rod and your staff. Let him comfort you. There is no burden we need bear alone. His grace compensates for our deficiencies.” (Chieko N. Okazaki, Ensign, Nov. 1994, p. 94)

“If you go to the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, he will show to you all your faults, and all your weaknesses, he will bring plainly before you wherein you have come short in doing his will, and when you see yourself in the light of that spirit instead of being filled with pride, you will feel to abase yourselves and bring yourselves down in the very dust of humility; your own unworthiness will be so plain before you, that if pride should come into your heart at any time, you will almost be shocked at it, and you will feel to put it away from you. It is in this way that we as Latter-day Saints should live.” (George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses 22:101-102)

“In order to recognize our personal problems or weaknesses which hinder us from being better marriage partners, we should come to the Lord in prayer and reap the benefits of this powerful Book of Mormon promise: [Ether 12:27]. And so the need to pray. Many church leaders and marriage counselors indicate that they have not seen one marriage in serious trouble where the couple was still praying together daily. When problems arise and marriages are threatened, praying together as a couple may be the most important remedy.” (Joe J. Christensen, Ensign, May 1995, p. 64)

“Each of us who have made covenants with God face challenges unique to us… . Our Heavenly Father knows us and our circumstances and even what faces us in the future… . [Jesus Christ] … has perfect understanding of the feelings, the suffering, the trials, and the needs of every individual. Because of that, a way will be prepared for us to keep our covenants, however difficult that may now appear, if we go forward in faith.” (Henry B. Eyring, Ensign, Nov. 1996, p. 33)

“Indeed, when we are unduly impatient with an omniscient God’s timing, we really are suggesting that we know what is best. Strange, isn’t it—we who wear wristwatches seek to counsel Him who oversees cosmic clocks and calendars. Because God wants us to come home after having become more like Him and His Son, part of this developmental process, of necessity, consists of showing unto us our weaknesses. Hence, if we have ultimate hope we will be submissive, because, with His help, those weaknesses can even become strengths (see Ether 12:27). It is not an easy thing, however, to be shown one’s weaknesses… . Nevertheless, this is part of coming unto Christ, and it is a vital, if painful, part of God’s plan of happiness. Besides, as Elder Henry B. Eyring has wisely observed, ‘If you want praise more than instruction, you may get neither’ (1993 Annual University Conference, BYU, p. 42).” (Neal A. Maxwell, Ensign, Nov. 1998, p. 63)