Mountains to Climb: Dealing with Discouragement

W. C. Fields once said, “smile first thing in the morning and get it over with.”

Yet, sometimes, it may seem so hard to smile. What is there to look forward in a day? There are so many things to get us down: difficulties at work, in the news, with children, with the spouse, and to top that all off, with our own selves. Why is life so troublesome?

Yet trouble does not have to be a bad thing.  F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “trouble has no necessary connection with discouragement—discouragement has a germ of its own, as different from trouble as arthritis is different from a stiff joint” (The Crack-Up, 1945). Troubles we all have, but the “germ” of discouragement, to use Fitzgerald’s word, is not in the trouble, it is in us. Or to be more precise, I believe it is in Satan, the Prince of Darkness, the Father of Lies. And he would have it be in us. It’s frequently a small germ, hardly worth going to the Health Center for, but it will work and it will grow and it will spread.

Many times, this discouragement may creep into, or initiate itself within, the home. This is extremely dangerous because it may lead to greater problems in the future. Yet, even when the greatest challenges happen to someone, it does not give a reason for anyone to be discouraged.

 Kelly McGonigal says, "I have changed my mind about stress... People who experience a lot of stress in the previous year had a 43% increase risk of dying. But that was only true for the people that also believed that stress was harmful for your health. People who experience a lot of stress, but did not view stress as harmful were no more likely to die. In fact, they had the lowest risk of dying of anyone in the study including people who had relatively little amount of stress."

How can we deal with stress and difficulties? Elder Holland gave this counsel,

"Prepare. Plan. Work. Sacrifice. Rework. If you work hard and prepare earnestly, it will be very difficult for you to give in or give up or wear down. If you labor with faith in God and in yourself and in your future, you will have built upon a rock. Then, when the winds blow and the rains come—as surely they will—you shall not fall." (Elder Holland, For Times of Trouble, BYU Devotional, March 18, 1980)

"If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." (D&C 38:30) Or how about the scout motto, "be prepared." Preparation is the 1st step. Why? One example may be the construction of a house. The first step is not to place up the walls. The first step is not even to lay the foundation. The first step begins much earlier, when each individual is trained in his/her respective field. The architect must receive a good education and be certified. He must learn how to adapt and change. In the family, regular discussions should be held to decide how and when to prepare for crises. A family must be prepared spiritually and emotionally to deal with unsuspected death, illness, unemployment, or any other family challenge. Remember: the family that prays together, stays together.

The second step is to plan. The architect will meet with the contractors and they will meet with the engineers. There is much to be considered--what type of foundation is needed? Is the ground sturdy enough to be built upon? Where are there going to be support beams? How can we be most efficient with finances and with the materials that we will be given? Planning is essential to strong marriages and families. Husband and wife should be equally involved in the finances, in parental decisions,

The third step is work. There is no replacement for work. Families will have to test and try out certain things. There will be failures. Yet work, accompanied by sacrifice, will lead to the greatest results! After all, Thomas Edison was broke financially, and his facilities burned down prior to his invention of the incandescent light bulb. He worked, and reworked, and eventually succeeded in creating something that would change the world. Will you and your family change the world for the better? You can do so, using these steps!

I heard President Spencer W. Kimball, in a session of conference, ask that God would give him mountains to climb. He said: “There are great challenges ahead of us, giant opportunities to be met. I welcome that exciting prospect and feel to say to the Lord, humbly, ‘Give me this mountain,’ give me these challenges.”

Let us climb the mountains of this world with confidence and faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ! These mountains will push and test us. But, by golly, they will strengthen and make our lives infinitely more meaningful, if we look to find joy in encountering these challenges