"All is Well"

I just finished reading an address given by President Uchtdorf in Ogden earlier this month.  He speaks about the pioneers, and what we can learn from their example.  The talk is very applicable--it's much more than one of those "listen to me tell you about everything the pioneers did" talks.  He makes clear and relevant connections to our lives.  I'll share a few parts that I liked.

When I think of the lyrics of that hymn ["Come, Come, Ye Saints"] and the context in which it was sung, it brings tears to my eyes. I am very much aware that all was not well with these Saints. All they had to do was to look around and see how it really was. They were plagued by sickness, heat, fatigue, cold, fear, hunger, pain, doubt, and even death.

But in spite of having every reason to shout, “All is notwell,” they cultivated an attitude that we cannot help admiring today. They looked beyond their troubles to eternal blessings. They were grateful in their circumstances. I am in awe of those wonderful souls who, despite every evidence to the contrary, sang with all the conviction of their souls: “All is well.”

I have my own reasons for loving the song "Come, Come, Ye Saints," especially the second verse, but I love how President Uchtdorf talks about it.  I have really tried to be a happy and an optimistic person over the last few years.  Sometimes--as recently as last night--someone will ask me "How was your day?" to which I generally respond that it was good.  However, it is when they ask what made it good that I am unsure of how to respond.  A lot of the time it was just a normal day.  Nothing too good or too bad happened.  Other times, I've had what could be objectively described as a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day for any number of reasons.  But even when that happens, I still manage to be positive about it.  I'm not trying to toot my own horn here; I still get frustrated, disappointed, or saddened by things.  I am very grateful, though, that I have cultivated the kind of attitude that allows me to be happy regardless of circumstance.  President Uchtdorf explained it splendidly in his talk.

We can learn something from the pioneers. They woke up each morning with clearly defined purposes and goals that everyone understood—to serve God and fellowmen and to arrive in the Salt Lake Valley. Every day those purposes and goals were clear to them; they knew what they needed to do and that each day’s progress mattered.

I often get preoccupied with things that need to get done.  I wake up with a list: shower, shave, eat, catch up on news, read e-mails, pack a lunch, and try and get to class on time.  I spend the next several hours in school mode--going to class and doing homework.  Before I know it, it's night-time and I haven't consecrated any of my time to the Lord that day.  It is so important to wake up with priorities and goals, and to focus on those.  I need to be better at that.  I know that if I do things in the proper order, the Lord will be a lot happier to help me out with the other things.

When we complain about a Church meeting that has gone four minutes over its allotted time, perhaps we can hear the voices of those blessed pioneers: “Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? 'Tis not so; all is right.”

This one hit home.  I was recently complaining to someone about meetings ending late, meetings seeming to drag on when nothing is being accomplished, people talking too long at the podium, and institute lessons going over.  So this paragraph was a much-needed slap in the face.  One thing I struggle with is complaining.  I just do too much of it.  I need to adopt the philosophy Elder Wirthlin learned from his mother: "Come what may, and love it," (Oct. 2008) or, at the very least, "Come what may, and quit whining so much about it."  Interesting that this portion of President Uchtdorf's talk is titled "Optimism."  And I thought I was doing so well at that.

I'll end with one more quote from the talk.  I hope that it will be enough to inspire you to read it yourself (the link is at the bottom of this post).  If you read with a "what can I do better" attitude, you absolutely will come away with something (or some things, in my case) to work on.

The pioneers were not supermen and superwomen. They were just like you and me. How often did they wonder if they could go on? They must have asked themselves over and again, “Can I do what I have been asked to do?”

But they pressed on. In faith, one step at a time, they pressed on. They trusted in God and His divine and merciful plan. And they left a legacy that will inspire and strengthen generations to come.

"All is Well" - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf