Hard



 Reading in 1 Nephi, one key thing we learn about Laman and Lemuel is that their perpetual murmuring revolves around things being “hard”.  


We live in a society which echos the idea that we should abhor and shrink from things that are hard.


And yet it is in how we handle the hard that we build and reveal our character.


It is in how we handle the hard that we have opportunities to grow and change.


I asked my Seminary students how they would define “hard”.  One girl responded, “things that take effort”. 


And what do we know about effort?


President Nelson tells us the Lord loves effort.  


Duke University coach Kara Lawson gave an inspiring speech on this very principle in which she passionately reminds that waiting for easy is going to be a very disappointing venture.


That we need to learn to handle hard better.


To expect the hard and to recognize that NOBODY is immune from hardship.  Our hards are individual, so may look incredibly different and feel unfair at times but we all have them.


We sing that Nephi was courageous by saying he would go and do the thing the Lord commanded.  He faced the hard, multiple times when necessary, trusting in the Lord and relying on faith.


We don’t have to love the hard, but we can be grateful and learn to handle it better. 


https://youtu.be/oDzfZOfNki4?si=Vlx9kio8CmqAGkSA


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