All of us face trials in our lives, and we each carry burdens with us. Sometimes those burdens can seem overwhelming, but there is hope. Jesus Christ offers His assistance in these words:
"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.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28–30)
Many things in the gospel are taught as principles. As Elder Scott once said, "Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances."
Because truths are couched in the scriptures in this manner, it makes it possible for everyone to use these truths in a way that applies specifically to them. However, it can be challenging to figure out exactly how to apply these principles.
Someone asked me recently how they should go about applying this particular principle. In other words, how do we allow Christ to carry our burdens? We know that he is not really talking in the literal sense; Christ often teaches in parables to help us understand better. So how can we, spiritually, allow Him to help us with our burdens?
First of all, we should try to understand the metaphor. What is a yoke? It is a means of spreading out a load to make it easier to handle. Sometimes it is for a single animal or person, but in this instance, we like to think of it as a double yoke.
By linking two oxen together, they can pull a load much greater than they would be able to do by themselves. In the gospel sense, if we work with Jesus instead of by ourselves, we can be successful in pulling our sometimes overwhelming loads. As He says, his yoke is easy, and his burden is light.
What about scriptures such as that found in Psalms?
"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee" (Psalms 55:22).
Besides working with Him to overcome our challenges, sometimes the Lord requires us to turn our challenges over to Him completely.
But how are we supposed to do this? As Elder Scott said, these are principles; we have to figure out how to apply them ourselves. I cannot, nor can anyone else, give a "one-size-fits-all" answer to this question. We can, however, learn from the examples of others who have had experiences trusting in God, and perhaps apply some of the approaches that worked for them.
Elder Oaks, in the October 2006 general conference, mentioned a few ways that we can lean on the support of the Savior in our lives. We should have "intense, daily scripture study, regular temple worship, and serious, contemplative participation in the ordinance of the Sacrament.... all of these activities serve to deepen and strengthen one’s relationship with the Savior, one’s understanding of His atoning sacrifice, and one’s faith in His healing power."
By doing these simple acts of devotion, we receive power in our lives to keep moving even while under our load.
Elder Robert D. Hales, recently passed away, spoke back in 1998 about his experiences healing after a painful medical procedure:
"I discovered that if I dwelt only upon my pain, it inhibited the healing process. I found that pondering was a very important element in the healing process for both soul and body. Pain brings you to a humility that allows you to ponder."
"We need to spend our time and energy building our faith by turning to the Lord and asking for strength to overcome the pains and trials of this world and to endure to the end for greater understanding."
In other words, if we desire to find healing from our burdens, we cannot focus on those burdens. It is by pondering the characteristics of Christ and striving to emulate them that we will find peace.
A few more scriptures on the subject:
"And it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing."
(2 Nephi 20:27)
Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, will free us from our burdens.
And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will.
(Alma 33:23)
Let me just end with an uplifting quote from Pres. Spencer W. Kimball concerning the plethora of trials we will face in life.
“We knew before we were born that we were coming to the earth for bodies and experience and that we would have joys and sorrows, pain and comforts, ease and hardships, health and sickness, successes and disappointments; and we knew also that we would die. We accepted all these eventualities with a glad heart eager to accept both the favorable and unfavorable. … We were willing to come and take life as it came”
Despite all of the hard things we face, it is worth it. Our Heavenly Father did not send us here to fail. He wants us to succeed, and both He and his Son will help us in our efforts.
"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.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28–30)
Many things in the gospel are taught as principles. As Elder Scott once said, "Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances."
Because truths are couched in the scriptures in this manner, it makes it possible for everyone to use these truths in a way that applies specifically to them. However, it can be challenging to figure out exactly how to apply these principles.
Someone asked me recently how they should go about applying this particular principle. In other words, how do we allow Christ to carry our burdens? We know that he is not really talking in the literal sense; Christ often teaches in parables to help us understand better. So how can we, spiritually, allow Him to help us with our burdens?
First of all, we should try to understand the metaphor. What is a yoke? It is a means of spreading out a load to make it easier to handle. Sometimes it is for a single animal or person, but in this instance, we like to think of it as a double yoke.
What about scriptures such as that found in Psalms?
"Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee" (Psalms 55:22).
Besides working with Him to overcome our challenges, sometimes the Lord requires us to turn our challenges over to Him completely.
But how are we supposed to do this? As Elder Scott said, these are principles; we have to figure out how to apply them ourselves. I cannot, nor can anyone else, give a "one-size-fits-all" answer to this question. We can, however, learn from the examples of others who have had experiences trusting in God, and perhaps apply some of the approaches that worked for them.
Elder Oaks, in the October 2006 general conference, mentioned a few ways that we can lean on the support of the Savior in our lives. We should have "intense, daily scripture study, regular temple worship, and serious, contemplative participation in the ordinance of the Sacrament.... all of these activities serve to deepen and strengthen one’s relationship with the Savior, one’s understanding of His atoning sacrifice, and one’s faith in His healing power."
By doing these simple acts of devotion, we receive power in our lives to keep moving even while under our load.
Elder Robert D. Hales, recently passed away, spoke back in 1998 about his experiences healing after a painful medical procedure:
"I discovered that if I dwelt only upon my pain, it inhibited the healing process. I found that pondering was a very important element in the healing process for both soul and body. Pain brings you to a humility that allows you to ponder."
"We need to spend our time and energy building our faith by turning to the Lord and asking for strength to overcome the pains and trials of this world and to endure to the end for greater understanding."
In other words, if we desire to find healing from our burdens, we cannot focus on those burdens. It is by pondering the characteristics of Christ and striving to emulate them that we will find peace.
A few more scriptures on the subject:
"And it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing."
(2 Nephi 20:27)
Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, will free us from our burdens.
And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will.
(Alma 33:23)
Let me just end with an uplifting quote from Pres. Spencer W. Kimball concerning the plethora of trials we will face in life.
“We knew before we were born that we were coming to the earth for bodies and experience and that we would have joys and sorrows, pain and comforts, ease and hardships, health and sickness, successes and disappointments; and we knew also that we would die. We accepted all these eventualities with a glad heart eager to accept both the favorable and unfavorable. … We were willing to come and take life as it came”
Despite all of the hard things we face, it is worth it. Our Heavenly Father did not send us here to fail. He wants us to succeed, and both He and his Son will help us in our efforts.
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