FAITH and PERSEVERANCE

Brother and sisters, August is seeming to be a very special month to

all of us. Why? Because it is the month when our branch was officially

created. To be precise, we turned one year old last Monday, August 8.

As a member of your Anislag Branch presidency and as we look at the

statistics and graphs of our sacrament attendance, we are very happy that

from time to time it rises. In fact, the last time a checked the figure, it rises

from the average sacrament meeting of 35 to 47 for the last 6 months.

Perhaps, we can obviously say that the difference of these two numbers is

very small but, brother and sisters, it’s still indicating, “PROGRESS”.

This progress is a fruit of our perseverance (pagtitiyaga or

pagpupursige). Perseverance to lead and to teach one another.

Perseverance to magnify our callings despite of our individual limitations.

Perseverance to pray and study the scriptures every day with our family.

Perseverance to attend the sacrament meeting and keep the sabbath day

holy. Perseverance to pay an honest tithe and gave a generous fast offering.

Perseverance to be a good example with our neighbors. Perseverance to

share the gospel. And perseverance to love and minister one another.

Now what is perseverance? Elder Claudio D. Zivic of the Seventy, on

his talk last April 2014 gave this very clear definition of perseverance. “To
persevere means to maintain the ability to endure, to carry on, to continue in

the same state without weakening or perishing. It is being able to go on in

the face of pain, oppression, discouragement or suffering without being

defeated.”

Brother and sisters, it has been said that strong men and women are

like kites—they only rise higher when the winds of opposition come against

them. Remember that persevering in those things that matter usually

requires constant effort. Over time, perseverance will bear the fruit we long

to obtain. If our path has no obstacles, our progress will be limited. Success

has a price, and there is no choice but to pay that price to obtain it.

King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon has a wise counsel about it. In

his final discourse, in the Book of Mosiah, the king offered this counsel: “And

see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not

requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again,

it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the

prize; therefore, all things must be done in order” (Mosiah 4:27).

With these simple words, King Benjamin explained how to be faithful

and act correctly in the face of competing demands. Demands ng

obligasyon sa ating mga pamilya vs. sa ating mga trabaho vs demand

sa calling natin sa simbahan. I believe that our Heavenly Father knows our
individual capacity and limitations. And to “win the prize”, sabi ng

scripture, we must be diligent and persevere, while acting within the

limits of our capacity and circumstances.

In the scriptures we find countless examples of this principle of

perseverance and how does it bless us. In fact, as we discuss in our Sunday

school class in this year’s come follow me, in the Old Testament, we learned

about Joseph, the son of Jacob and recently, we know about the life of Job.

These two great men shows an example of perseverance.

First, Joseph of Egypt. Joseph’s brothers hated him to the point of

planning his death, although in the end they sold him to Ishmaelites who took

him to Egypt as a slave. He was purchased by Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s

guard, who “left all that he had in Joseph’s hand”.

Later, after being falsely accused of trying to abuse Potiphar’s wife,

Joseph was imprisoned. He remained captive for 13 years and did not see

his family again for 22 years. After so many trials, Joseph would have been

justified in giving up and saying, “What is the use of trying to serve God if my

reward is only punishment?” Nevertheless, Joseph persevered in his

faithfulness to God. In the end, his perseverance bore wonderful fruit. It

blessed the lives of the Egyptians and the Hebrews, and the progress and

maturity he achieved were ample compensation for his suffering.

 Now, another example of perseverance is the story of Job. As we

know, it narrates the afflictions that befell a righteous man and considers

reasons for those afflictions. It does not entirely answer the question of why

Job, or anyone, might suffer pain and sorrow, but does state clearly that

affliction is not necessarily a sign of God’s anger and a punishment for sin,

as Job’s friends told him. The book suggests that affliction, if not for

punishment, may be for experience, discipline, and instruction.

Job was a just man who feared God and avoided evil. After the Lord

allowed Satan to torment Job, his afflictions included the loss of his seven

sons and three daughters, the loss of his wealth in flocks and herds and

serious physical illnesses. Remaining faithful to the Lord through his

indescribable sorrow and suffering, Job was able to say, “Blessed be the

name of the Lord”. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. … He also shall

be my salvation. … For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall

stand at the latter day upon the earth … yet in my flesh shall I see God.

The result of Job’s perseverance is told in the conclusion of the story.

The Lord blessed him with a family, good health, and great possessions. He

continued in his course, despite unrelenting opposition, until he saw the Lord.

Brothers and sisters, God rejoices when we persevere. Like Joseph

and Job, kapag tenest tayo ng panahon, sikapin natin na maging faithful
parin sa pamamagitan ng pagtitiyaga at pagtitiis na malampasan ang mga

pagsubok. Bawat pagtitiyaga natin sa lahat ng aspeto ng buhay ay nakikita

na Diyos. Sinabi ni Pres Nelson, “The Lord loves effort, and effort brings

rewards”. Naniniwala po ako na ang pagpupursige ay mahalaga sa ating

mga gawain, whether spiritual or temporal, large or small, public, or personal.

Sinabi ni Elder Wirthlin ng Quorum of the 12 apostles, “Think seriously

of how important perseverance, or the lack of it, has been in your own

endeavors, such as Church callings, schooling, or employment. I believe that

essentially all significant achievement results largely from perseverance. By

applying this principle, some of our finest legacies have been produced”.

Brothers and sisters, we are laying a foundation for our future

generations. We might be a part of the finest legacies in this area. Let us all

persevere. I know that perseverance is essential to us in learning and living

the principles of the gospel and that it will determine our progress as we

strive to reach exaltation. As what Confucius- a Chinese philosopher has

said, “It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop”.