Possess Your Soul

            In my studies of the New Testament this week I came across Luke 21:19: “In your patience possess ye your souls.” As I am currently working to develop more tolerance for other people, I found this statement to be quite interesting. The principle that I took from this scripture is: “I can win mastery over my soul by practicing patience.”

            I found an extremely interesting article about patience by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf titled “Continue in Patience” from the April 2010 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Uchtdorf began his talk by discussing a study done with children and marshmallows in the 1960s by a professor at Stanford University. The professor placed one marshmallow in front of each of several children. He told the children that he would give them a second marshmallow when he returned if they did not eat their first one. The professor left the room for 15 minutes and watched through a two-way mirror. Some children ate their marshmallows immediately, while some waited a few minutes. Only thirty percent of the children received a second marshmallow. The professor “kept track of the children and began to notice an interesting correlation: the children who could not wait struggled later in life and had more behavioral problems, while those who waited tended to be more positive and better motivated, have higher grades and incomes, and have healthier relationships.”

            After sharing the simple experiment, President Uchtdorf says that it had become a “landmark study suggesting that the ability to wait – to be patient – was a key character trait that might predict later success in life.” He continues:

   Patience – the ability to put our desires on hold for a time – is a precious and rare virtue. We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter.

   Nevertheless, without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace….

   Patience is a godly attribute that can heal souls, unlock treasures of knowledge and understanding, and transform ordinary men and women into saints and angels Patience is truly a fruit of the Spirit.

   Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. It means reining in anger and holding back the unkind word. It means resisting evil, even when it appears to be making others rich.

   Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being “willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father” (Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ, Mosiah 3:19). Ultimately, patience means being “firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord” (Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 2:10) every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so. In the words of John the Revelator, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and … faith [in] Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).

   Patience is a process of perfection…. Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most. This was true in the time of the Savior. It is true in our time as well, for we are commanded in these latter days to “continue in patience until ye are perfected” (Doctrine and Covenants 67:13).

            Most people have a difficult time waiting for something that we desire. The more we want it, the more difficult it is to wait. We have been conditioned to get what we want as soon as we want it. We live in a world where everything is instantaneous. We have fast food, instant messaging, and instantaneous information from Siri or Google. We do not like to wait in lines at grocery stores, airports, or traffic lights. We want what we want, and we want it yesterday!       We have many opportunities in our everyday lives to practice patience.  Our world will be a much more pleasant place when we all learn patience. We might not want to be patient, but we must develop this characteristic in order to “possess” our souls and become perfect.

Patience

                Wise parents teach their children to be patient while showing forth love towards them.  When children learn to wait patiently for their desires, they are less likely to become little tyrants in their homes.  Thus, homes will be more peaceful, and families will be happier.

                One mother I heard about taught her children patience by a gentle touch.  When her child wanted her attention while she was visiting with someone else, she taught them to simply and quietly put their little hand on her wrist; she put her hand over their hand and continued with her conversation.  The child knew his mother was aware of his desire and waited patiently until his mother could appropriately end her conversation and attend to the child.

                Patience is a difficult trait to learn, and many people grow old without ever learning it.  We all know people who have not learn patience.  What might be cute in a toddler or bearable in a young child is actually very ugly in adulthood.  We often hear news stories about someone being impatient and using violence on another person. 

                I remember many times telling one or more of my children, “Be patient” for whatever reason.  I remember telling my teenage son to “be patient because patience is a Christlike attribute and you need to learn it.”  My son replied, “I know – but I don’t want to be patient!”  I am still telling him to “be patient” from time to time, but he is becoming more patient as he grows older.

                If parents help little children to be patient in their waiting, the children will learn attribute of Christ and thus find blessings, comfort and even healing.  They will also be more pleasant!  Many people believe that patience is passive, but they are wrong.  Patience is being active in waiting – like a child with a hand on his mother’s wrist.

                President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stated, “Patience is not passive resignation nor is it failing to act because of our fears.  Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears.  Patience means active waiting and enduring.  It means staying with something … even when the desires of our hearts are delayed.  Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well.”

                President Uchtdorf continued, “Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith.  It means being `willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father’ [Mosiah 3:19].  Ultimately, patience means being `firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord’ [1 Nephi 2:10] every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so.”  (See “Continue in Patience,” Ensign, May 2010, 57-59.)  

                Patient children grow into patient adults, and generations of families are blessed.  When family members are patient in their waiting, families are stronger in their relationships.  Strong families strengthen communities and nations.