At times life brings us discouragement. However, we can overcome discouragement by having faith in Jesus Christ. In “Just Keep Going – With Faith“, Elder Carl B. Cook quotes Elder George A. Smith’s recounting of a conversation held with the prophet Joseph Smith during a “time of great difficulty”. “[Joseph Smith] told me I should never get discouraged, whatever difficulties might surround me. If I was sunk in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged but hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage and I should come out on the top of the heap at last” (emphasis added).
Elder Cook continues: “Today I would like to renew Joseph’s plea to not let discouragement overwhelm us when we face disappointment, painful experiences, our own inadequacies, or other challenges.” How do we do this?
Feelings of Discouragement
Coinciding with discouragement are a host of other feelings. These can include bitterness, depression (not clinical), failure, and resentment. Over the past couple of years I’ve had the experience of being deeply discouraged.
In November of 2020 I was informed that my position of employment was being removed and that I would no longer be employed. To be clear, this wasn’t because of poor performance or something like insubordination. This was a pure cost cutting measure and there was nothing I did to cause this reduction.
After the initial shock, all the feelings I mentioned above hit. The two biggest were the feelings of failure and resentment. I had put almost half my life into working for this company and to have it cut off in this manner was a severe blow. Needless to say, I had to work through these emotions so I could find a new job.
Cheryl and I have always paid our tithing and so we put our faith in God that He would reward us as it says in Malachi 3:8-12. We trusted that the “windows of heaven” would be open to help us have what we needed during the job search. We also took action by looking at our food storage and identifying some needs that would help us in the future.
I also have faith in my Patriarchal Blessing. It promises that I would have sufficient for my needs. During a prolonged (and it was prolonged) job search, having that comfort was exactly what I needed to overcome the feeling of failure. I had (and have) faith that God wouldn’t promise something He couldn’t deliver.
It took about seven months to find a new job. During that time I had numerous interviews, but nothing led to an offer. Talk about feeling like a failure. I couldn’t understand how or why I wasn’t finding employment. But I kept at it, knowing that my effort and faith would pay off.
How Do We Just Keep Going?
As the frustration of my job search mounted, I turned to one of my favorite passages of scripture. In 2 Nephi 4:17-35, we read how Nephi overcame the discouragement he felt after his father died and his brothers wanted to kill him. The faith shown in these verses along with the recognition of weaknesses have always resonated with me. Reading them during my job search helped me to state “I will trust in [the Lord] forever.” There were many times I needed to say “Awake my soul!”.
Just as Nephi found a way to keep going when discouragement hit, so must we find ways to keep moving forward. Walt Disney once said “Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths” (Goodreads) When we dwell on the past, we can be dragged down. However, if we look forward with optimism, we can find ways to live happily.
Another quote that I love comes from the Dune series by Frank Herbert. It is known as the Litany Against Fear and states “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.” Facing our fears (discouragement) can be hard, but we can let it pass over and through us. We can watch it move away and then, after it has gone, we can realize that we are still standing and stronger than before.
These are a few ways that help me to keep going when discouragement hits. I also pray that my faith won’t waver and that I can trust in God to help me through.
Faith Overcomes Discouragement
“The God of heaven and earth will help us overcome discouragement and whatever obstacles we encounter if we look to Him, follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and just keep going – with faith.” Recently, I again had the opportunity to go through a job loss. My company made the painful choice to eliminate about 10% of its work force and I was one of the people let go. Talk about getting discouraged! This was the second time in less than three years that a job loss occurred.
I again started to go through the feelings associated with discouragement. This time however, I know that my faith can help me overcome those feelings. It is different how I am looking at my situation. I know that I will be blessed for doing the things I have been asked. This gives me the power and strength needed to just keep going. Since finding out the news, I have been continually pouring out my heart to God to help me overcome any discouragement I might feel.
As I search for a new job, I have faith that my actions will be guided. I’m not waiting around for God to give me direction. I’m doing the things that I learned from the last time worked in helping to find a job. My faith is helping me to overcome any feelings of discouragement when I get the notification that I won’t be considered for a position. My faith is helping me to know that I will find a position that will be right for my family. My faith is helping me to see the positives even when it appears that only negatives have happened. That helps me to keep going forward.
Don’t Give Up
Elder Cook also advises us to not give up. This is solid advice as sometimes we want to take the easy path. For instance, it would be easy for me to give up on my job search. I could blame my former employer for the situation I am in. I could complain about potential employers not seeing the value that I can bring to their company. I could throw a fit, be angry, and non-social in my dealings with others.
I could do all those things. However, I was fortunate enough to have the examples of my parents and grandparents. I watched them never give up. Even when it seemed like things were hopeless, they didn’t quit. I was surrounded by a “just do” attitude that helped me understand that quitting wasn’t the answer.
“Regardless of the size, scope, and seriousness of the challenges we face in life, we all have times when we feel like stopping, leaving, escaping, or possibly giving up. But exercising faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ, helps us overcome discouragement no matter what obstacles we encounter.”
Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of not giving up. During the last days of His life, there were several opportunities for Him to back out of His divine mission. His attitude of not giving up can be summarized in these words, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” Jesus did not give up. He completed His mission and thereby gave us the power to overcome discouragement by having faith in Him.
Conclusion
Joseph Smith once said, “Stand fast, ye Saints of God, hold on a little while longer, and the storm of life will be past, and you will be rewarded by that God whose servants you are.” (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Chapter 19). Having faith in Christ allows us to “hold on a little while longer” when we are discouraged. We can overcome that discouragement as Nephi has taught. By not giving up and going forward, we can show that we are willing to let discouragement pass over and through us and leave us standing stronger.
Tips for Teaching
When teaching this topic, you may want to consider any or all of the following:
- Have the class discuss times in their lives when they’ve been discouraged. What feelings did you have in these moments?
- Read the quote from Elder George A. Smith and discuss what Joseph Smith was trying to teach.
- Discuss 2 Nephi 4:17-35. In what ways did Nephi recognize his weaknesses? In what ways did he overcome them?
- Discuss why it is import to “just keep going” when we feel discouraged. How can faith in Christ help us to move forward and not give up?
Whether By Mine Own Voice 
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