When the Lamanites under Amulon placed heavy burdens upon Alma's people, they turned immediately to the Lord. I'm sure their desire was to have the burdens lifted quickly, but the Lord had other plans. Rather than taking away their burdens, He brought them comfort by making their burdens light. Alma later testified that his people could not pray out loud because the Lamanites forbid it, so they poured out their hearts and the Lord heard those prayers.
And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me [baptism at the Waters of Mormon] and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and they may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. (Mosiah 24: 13, 14)
Why does the Lord allow us to have burdens? Elder David A. Bednar, in a recent conference, told the story of a man who bought a 4-wheel drive pickup. He went out one day to cut wood for his family. As soon as he pulled off the road, his truck became stuck in the snow and mud up to its axles. He tried backing it up and also driving it forward, but all he did was slip deeper into the trouble.
Finally, he decided that he couldn't afford to waste any more time, so he began to cut wood and fill the bed of his truck. How surprised he was that, when he tried to leave, all the extra weight in the truck gave it traction and he was able to get back on the road. The moral of the story is that sometimes those things which seem like burdens may really be blessings. As the burden weight of the wood helped the man to get out of his situation, so the weight of our burdens can strengthen us as we - with the help of the Lord - gain strength to move on.
And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. (Mosiah 24: 15)
Jesus taught: My yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:30)
Over the years, God has placed many heavy burdens on my shoulders. Paul said that we should glory in such tribulation for the blessings they bring, but I must admit, I wasn't able to glory much while I was in the midst of the trial. It was only in retrospect that I can see the spiritual character growth that resulted and feel gratitude for the trial.
On trial has been a serious deterioration of my health in the past four years. About two years ago, when the symptoms became almost to onerous to bear, I asked my Stake President for a priesthood blessing. Before he laid his hands upon my head, he said something unusual that I have never forgotten: "I know you have the faith to be healed," said he. "Do you have the faith to not be healed?"
As I have learned to deal with the problems, I have been able to move forward and not look to death as a source of deliverance. I am not afraid of it if it is God's will, but at the moment He seems to want me to stay and struggle. A diagnosis after 20 months of not knowing has shown me a light at the end of the tunnel. The light is hope - a hope I've not felt is some time. The treatment will not be easy as it involves surgery on my brain, but I have decided to pray about it and, if I choose to move forward, I know that whether I wake up on this side of the veil or the other, I will be okay for it will be Christ's will that is honored and not my own. My burden has not yet been taken away, but it has been bearable through God's help and the words of a wise priesthood leader.
Your prayers will be appreciated, too.
© Dr. Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson May 2020
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