Submitting to the Will of the Lord

By: Erin Davis

This was always something that I never liked learning about, and is something that has always been consistently hard for me throughout my life. Every time I hear, "submit to the will of the Lord," I think to myself, "Well, I don't really want to do that because that probably means I'm going to have to do something I really don't want to do, or something's going to happen that I really don't want to happen". Despite all of my kicking and screaming and not wanting to submit my will to the Lord's, I have found that it truly is a beautiful thing. I hope that what I'm about to share will be helpful for those who find themselves in the same boat that I am.

We all create in our heads a certain path for our lives that would be, in our minds, ideal and "perfect". You may want a certain job with a certain pay grade. You may want to get into a certain school for your desired field of study. You may want to be married by a certain age with a house, kids, and a stable lifestyle that shortly follow––the list goes on and on. Whatever it may be, we conjure up in our heads what would be most ideal for us and try to accomplish it. However, if there's one thing we know anything about life, it's that it almost never goes according to plan.

When life doesn't go according to our plan, disappointment, anger, and sorrow often strike our minds and hearts. We shake our fists at the Heavens and cry out, "How could you let this happen to me? I had it all worked out! This isn't how it's supposed to go!" We find ourselves confused at the fact that we couldn't achieve our deepest righteous desires. When things don't go according to plan, we fight, kick and scream. We think our desires are good and righteous and as such, the Lord will help us achieve them.

We live in a world with turmoil beyond measure, and fear of the unknown invades our minds like heavy fog. We constantly worry about what could happen. We constantly worry about our loved ones. Some anticipated trials come. Some don't. But in times of trial and in especially in times of uncertainty, this scripture always comes to mind:

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." - Mosiah 3:19

This post isn't about putting off the natural man. This post, along with this scripture, is about the second to last line when it says, "willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him". This is literally saying that in order to progress and eventually return to live with God, we must be willing to accept the challenges and trials that come our way. We don't really have a choice of what trials and challenges we face, but we do have a choice about how to respond to them. Yeah, we can worry ourselves sick about what the future holds. Sure, we can be angry at God for letting bad things happen in our lives or having our lives take a different path that we had imagined. But another option is to also do as the image at the top suggests: Let go, and let God––trust God. 

Let go of all the worries that plague your mind, and trust God. Let go of the fact that life hasn't gone the way it was planned, and trust God. We must trust God, knowing that He really does know what is best for each and every one of His children. He knows that certain trials will teach us certain things. He also knows that those certain trials will turn us into the person He wants us to be. He knows that it is those specific trials that will lead us back to Him. Brigham Young stated that every trial faced in this life is necessary for our salvation. This is why the Lord "seeth fit" to give us certain trials––they are what will bring us home. 

I know that letting go of our fears and worries and completely trusting in the Lord will give our heavy hearts rest, and we will be blessed with unparalleled peace. 

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." - Matthew 11: 28-29