At this Thanksgiving time, I am grateful to be here with all of you and to have the opportunity to speak. You are some of the choicest and most blessed of the Lord’s children. I see you every day on campus and in the classroom and can testify to you that He knows and loves you and stands ready to do all in His power to bring you back to His presence. He truly is strong, and His grace is sufficient for all those who turn unto Him.
Today I particularly want to address those who, because of their weakness, may feel discouraged or overwhelmed. To those who have worked so hard to overcome a weakness and feel as though you are making little or no progress—or even feeling you are moving in the opposite direction—I know how debilitating this can feel.
As the semester draws to an end and with finals coming, you may be feeling your own weaknesses more acutely. Becoming more aware of your weaknesses can be overwhelming.
The Guide to the Scriptures suggests that weakness is tied to the condition of being mortal and lacking ability, strength, or skill.[1] Moroni tells us in the book of Ether, “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”[2]
I have highlighted the words show and give to emphasize that the Lord has purposefully given us weakness to both humble us and teach us. If we are humble and have faith, He can show us our weakness. He can then show us that through the power of His atoning sacrifice, He can make weak things become strong.
In pondering my own experience, I was reminded of a moment when I recognized a weakness as a young missionary. I was riding with a family to the baptism of their eldest daughter. My companion had taught the mother and the youngest daughter and they had been baptized a year previous. The oldest daughter had now accepted the invitation to be baptized. The father, whom we called Oom Piet, sat with my companion and I in the back seat. As we drove, I felt the spirit prompting me to ask Oom Piet if he had a desire to join his family and be baptized. While he was always very pleasant, he had not as yet expressed an interest in learning more about the gospel and particularly not in baptism. It was an hour’s drive, and I could not shake the impression. I kept thinking about how and what to say and feeling like everyone was expecting me to do this. At some point, Oom Piet took out some dried boerewors—smoked sausage—he had made and began sharing it. In my anxious state, I finally managed to self-consciously blurt out in Afrikaans, “Kan ek nog 'n stukkie hê, asseblief?” (Can I have another piece, please?) referring to the boerewors. That is all I said for the entire drive.
I had faith in Christ, I was on my mission. What happened? Why didn’t I say the words? I then remembered the scripture from my seminary days: “But with some I am not well pleased. For they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given them, because of the fear of man.”[3]
The Lord had shown me a weakness, and I was humbled. This moment of weakness has been a reminder of my need for Christ for more than 46 years.
While preparing for this talk, I found a similar story of a missionary who was afraid to open her mouth and share the gospel. The sister missionary described how, as she went to approach a person, her anxiety increased until she found herself running in the opposite direction, certain that she could not possibly do the work. She then shared how this scripture from Doctrine and Covenants helped her to face and even overcome that fear: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”[4]
Knowing the Lord was beside her and bearing her up strengthened her and inspired the hope and confidence she needed, and she described how she was able to move forward and complete her mission.
The anxiety and fear this sister felt may not have been my weakness, but my fear certainly exacerbated a lack of faith or confidence in the Lord and the promptings I had received. As I turned to the Lord, over time my language abilities and confidence increased. It took faith to know the Lord was beside me and bearing me up. Faith was followed by work, and eventually, I became stronger in that one area. Certainly, I had not overcome all weaknesses, and thereby my weakness, but I had learned something about how the Lord works and how becoming humble and teachable can increase our usefulness to the Lord and to our fellow man.
President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “Difficult trials often provide opportunities to grow that would not have come in any other way.”[5]
In our moments of weakness, how many of us think of this as a way to come closer to Heavenly Father?
As I have worked for many years to overcome weakness, I have had to confront many fears and to be shown multiple weaknesses. As part of that process, I chose to become a social worker and to work with many of God’s children who faced daunting challenges and trials that tested them. I have seen much of the weakness that comes because of trauma, abuse, and addiction, and of people facing overwhelming challenges. One might even say that I have some expertise in this area, a strength, perhaps.
I would now like to share with you a remarkable account shared by my friend, Lee, that touched my heart deeply and reminded me that the best work we can do on our own pales in comparison, even as a social worker, to what we can do when strengthened by the Lord.
My friend shared in his own words:
Lee’s Story
I was born into and raised in an unloving and abusive home. My earliest memories, at the age of two, are of terror. I lived in fear every day of my life, until I moved away at the age of 17.
When I was about 16, I fell into a dark hole. My life consisted of waking up, going to school, coming home from school and going to my room, eating dinner, returning to my room, and staring at the ceiling. At school, the only time people would talk to me was if they needed an answer to a math problem. I was in a tremendous amount of emotional pain and was convinced that I was ugly, lazy, stupid, and unlovable. Satan was working hard to “sift [me] as wheat.”[6]
Thankfully, I knew that even if nobody else loved me, Jesus did. I had felt His love and guiding hand even before I was six years old. I distinctly remember many times feeling his presence.
Going to church on Sundays was a haven for me. I could feel my Savior’s deep love for me. My family lived on a farm, so I couldn’t really visit neighbors, but wandering the fields, I could find a degree of peace, feel Christ’s love for me, and see the beauty of the earth.
One day, as 16-year-old me was in my room trying to find a way out of my situation—I cried out in my heart to Jesus, “Lord! I’m stuck and can’t get out!”
A day or two later, a boy a year older than me knocked on the door of our house. He met my parents there and said, “There is something wrong with Lee.” My parents’ response was, “We know, but we don’t know what to do.” I had grown up with this young man. I’d had sleepovers at his place, and he and his brother had been to sleepovers at mine. We had gone to Primary together and had served in Aaronic Priesthood quorums together.
He finished talking to my parents and came up to my room to talk to me. I didn’t believe he cared. I mean, who could? So, I ignored him. He would talk to me, and I didn’t look at him or respond. He said, “That’s OK. I can do the talking” and he talked to me for about an hour. At the end of that time, he said, “I have to go home and do my chores. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
The next day, he showed up again. I treated him the same way again. He came the third day in a row. Now I figured he did actually care so I started to talk with him. Jesus Christ sent him to rescue me. To help me. To show me that there were others who did care about me. He was the angel Christ sent.
I am so grateful to my Savior, Jesus Christ, for sending that young man. I am so grateful that someone only 17 years old would be listening to and acting on the words of the Spirit. The Lord and this young man got me out of the pit. It took many years, but, beginning with those visits, they rescued me from Satan and his chains of hell.
I now have had a great life. I have a wonderful wife of 40 years. I have 5 amazing children and 13 incredible grandchildren. The Lord has supported me and my family all these years, and I know that He will continue to do so throughout the years to come.
Jesus Christ lives! He rescued me! He wants to rescue you too. Please let Him. Cry out to him. Expect angels to come. They will come.
Turning to the Savior
What struck me in this account was not only the depth of Lee’s despair, but also the way he turned to Christ for help, as well as the courage of the young man who heeded the prompting to go to the aid of another in great need.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has testified “of angels, both the heavenly and the mortal kind.” He said, “I am testifying that God never leaves us alone, never leaves us unaided in the challenges that we face. “[Nor] will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man [or woman or child] upon the face thereof to be saved.” On occasions, global or personal, we may feel we're distanced from God, shut out from heaven, lost alone in dark and dreary places. Often enough that distress can be of our own making. But even then, the Father of us all is watching and assisting. And always there are those angels who come and go all around us, seen and unseen, known and unknown, mortal and immortal.”[7]
Lee has become one of those angels to many including me. He was shown his weakness, and he has been made strong. As to the young man who visited Lee, I can only project my own feelings of inadequacy and weakness and wonder how as a 17-year-old he was able to follow the promptings he received and allow the Savior to use him to perform his act of angelic heroism. I think back to my hour-long car ride and ask, what might have been had I spoken up, had I found the courage and faith to heed the prompt?
For those who, like me, find it difficult to overcome our weaknesses, mistakes, and even our sins, consider this. In her recent conference address, “The Joy of Redemption,” Sister Kristen Yee shared an experience she had while painting the Savior. She thought she had made an irreparable mistake by applying a sealing varnish prematurely. Believing she had ruined the painting, she spent the rest of the night trying to repair what seemed like a hopeless effort. After doing all she could, she let go. The next day, upon inspecting her work, she found that it “looked better than it had before.” This mistake became an opportunity for her to understand how the Savior's merciful hand could be manifested. She observed, “Like my painting, the Lord is not done with us when we make a mistake, nor does He flee when we falter.”[8]
She goes on to say, “At times I felt like I was failing more often than not. I wondered, ‘Did I not fix things the last time? Did I not truly overcome my weakness?’ I’ve learned over time that I am not necessarily defective; rather, there is often more to work on and more healing that is needed.”
Sister Yee then referenced Elder D. Todd Christofferson, who said, “Surely the Lord smiles upon one who desires to come to judgment worthily, who resolutely labors day by day to replace weakness with strength. Real repentance, real change may require repeated attempts, but there is something refining and holy in such striving. Divine forgiveness and healing flow quite naturally to such a soul.”[9]
Elder Richard G. Scott adds to this idea: “The Lord sees weakness differently than He does rebellion. Whereas the Lord warns that unrepented rebellion will bring punishment, when the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy.”[10]
Of particular concern to me are all those who work and struggle to overcome weakness but find it elusive. When despite your best efforts, the problems, challenges, and weaknesses remain. These feelings can be overwhelming and can leave us feeling hopeless. To that group, I want to emphasize the hope of which Elder Christofferson and Sister Yee spoke.
Further, Sister Michelle D. Craig has shared, “[Weakness] can help us experience how very much we need the Lord. Recognizing our weakness is a catalyst to change. Those who do not see weakness simply do not progress. This awareness is a blessing. It keeps us humble and turning to the Savior.”[11]
Perfected by Grace
I will close with one more personal story. My older brother and I are 11-and-a-half months apart in age. His path through life has been bumpier than the average. More than a year ago, he was diagnosed with cancer. He was confident he would beat it. For some time, he had been less active and had been working on full activity. One evening, as we spoke over the phone, I felt directed to invite him to attend the temple with me. It had been years since he had been, but he agreed to work toward that goal. I had been serving as a temple worker and had become very familiar with the process of helping and encouraging patrons.
Two weeks later, on a Saturday evening, we entered the temple. His health had deteriorated remarkably since I last saw him, and he was very weak. It took more than an hour to get him dressed and to the chapel. Finally, we were in the endowment room, and though exhausted, he was determined to get through. I waited for him in the celestial room and as he emerged, I could see he was quite disheartened. He felt he had made many mistakes, and he questioned his standing with the Lord
It was then that I realized I had been perfectly prepared for that moment. The words that came to me were simple. I witnessed to him that his offering was accepted of the Lord. He did not have to be perfect. He was where he needed to be. He was moving in the right direction, and the Lord loved him. He had come unto Christ. I would not have had the confidence to say those words had it not been for my own temple service.
Two weeks later, he returned to the temple. He shared with me a powerful experience he had in the celestial room that evening. Twelve days later, he slipped beyond the veil. In his weakness, the Lord had made him strong.
I was grateful to the Lord for his guidance. The relationship with my brother was not perfect, but that experience was a testimony to me of the Lord’s love for His children. He prepared me for that critical moment so I could overcome my weakness and say what He wanted me to say.
In Moroni 10:32, we read, “Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, … then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.”[12]
I challenge you to see weakness as a catalyst for change. I promise as you are shown and recognize your weakness and turn to the Savior, you will be made strong. You will have the strength to accomplish what is before you and complete your earthly mission.
I testify that God loves us and will never leave us. He will always reach out, so long as we are striving to do His will and live our best lives. At this time of giving gratitude, I am most grateful for the Father’s perfect plan and for our Savior’s atoning sacrifice by which we can be perfected. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] “Weakness,” Guide to the Scriptures
[2] Ether 12:27; emphasis added
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 60:3
[4] Doctrine and Covenants 84:88
[5] Russel M. Nelson, “What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget,” Liahona, May 2021, 78
[6] Luke 22:31
[7] Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Ministry of Angels,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2008, 29
[8] Kristin M. Yee, “The Joy of Our Redemption,” Liahona, November 2024
[9] D. Todd Christofferson, “The Divine Gift of Repentance,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2011, 39
[10] Richard G. Scott, “Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2013, 82
[11] Michelle D. Craig, “‘Notwithstanding My Weakness’: Removing the Feeling of Forever Falling Short,” BYU Women’s Conference, May 4, 2023. 12 Moroni 10:32