Diligence: success on the Strait and Narrow Path

Liz Gillen

Faithful persistence in pursuing a goal can and is immensely difficult. It is not hard to stop something once you have started; it is not hard to quit after you have hit the first bump in the road and as yourself, “What possessed me to do this?” Faithful persistence and diligence in seeking the Lord Jesus Christ is, however, essential to our ability to know and become close to our Redeemer. It is possible to know of the Savior without diligently pursing Him. It is also possible to become a good student in high school without diligently studying. But when you get to college, can you say you even know how to study?

When I was a freshman in high school, I decided that I wanted to join the cross country team. The summer before my sophomore year, I heard that the team was practicing, and that anyone who wanted to run was welcome. I was a varsity athlete on our swim team my freshman year and experienced much success. I knew that I was a good athlete and swimming came naturally. When I got to my first cross country practice that hot, humid July morning, I discovered that I was not nearly as good at running as I was swimming. I had never used so many muscles in my legs! I did not know how to breathe rhythmically as I had learned in the pool for so many years. I finished my first practice of the season with a crowning event: throwing up my breakfast.
I was slow; I often was the last person to finish a workout and could hardly ever keep up with the team with when we went out even on the shortest, slowest runs. It was not glamorous, and I hardly expected that I would as much achieve a respectable time, let alone letter like I did during the previous swim season. But something happened as I continued to attend practice and work hard: I began to improve. I improved not by a little bit, but by minutes after each 5K race. After two months of training, I could keep up with the team and running actually felt good. Huzzah! By the end of the season, my coach had moved me up to running on the varsity squad, and against all odds I lettered. The letter symbolized something different than it had before; rather than be something I could show my friends and have status through, it was a result of all of the hard work that I had put into running. I could have quit after I threw up my breakfast, but each day I continued to put one foot in front of the other, and eventually achieved what I thought was success. It was not important how much I had progressed compared to other people; it was important that I became a better athlete and that I learned that if I put my mind to doing something, there was nothing that could stop me.

If we want to learn about and eventually become like our Savior Jesus Christ, we must pursue that lofty goal diligently. The goal is not lofty in that it is impossible, but lofty in the sense that we must work daily for many years to have our hearts changed from their natural state to like the Savior’s. We will fail, we will prove ourselves early on that our natural state’s response to trying to become like our Savior will only cause us to “throw up our breakfast.” The goal, however, is not impossible.

In 1 Nephi 10, Nephi seeks to know the things that his father knows. The scripture in verse 19 states: “For he that diligently seeketh shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost, as well in these times as in times of old, and as well in times of old as in times to come; wherefore, the course of the Lord is one eternal round.”
What are you looking for? What mysteries of God do you not understand? For me, personally, and perhaps for you, I am looking to know my Lord. I am looking to understand my purpose in life and attempting to find the ways in which I can fulfill the Father’s plan for me here on earth. I seek to know my Father daily, to have His Spirit in my heart, and to retain the love of God in my heart always.

I will be the first (and not the last!) person to tell you that drawing close to God is incredibly difficult. Because there are so many distractions in the world and that the adversary is always attempting to bring us away from God, There are times where I can be completely unaware of His presence. I do not enjoy those times when I feel lost, unsure, or scared. As promised in section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants verse 63 “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

Richard G. Scott said in a conference address in 1991, “blessings come when we—Ask the Father in the name of Christ, diligently keep His commandments, ask with faith in Christ, ask for that which is right, harden not our hearts, and express gratitude.” Through our diligence, we show how much something is desired.

Diligence equals success in that we can and will achieve a better knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ if we but turn to Him. It is not worldly success, but success that will bring us to the Father. Our diligence will help keep us on the strait and narrow path, and will enable us to focus daily and persistently in serving our Lord. Through sincere prayer, scriptures study, and listening to the Prophets we can learn and know of His love, His plan, and the power of His atonement.

-Book of Mormon: 1 Nephi 10:10
-Doctrine and Covenants 88: 63
-"Obtaining Help from the Lord" Richard G. Scott. November 1991. http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=16e994bf3938b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1