The Strength of Others: Carrying the Load Together in the Work

Sometimes, when we feel the weight of the Lord’s work pressing down—the needs of our ward, the challenges in the field, the weight of a calling—it feels like our own arms are getting tired. We feel the strain, and we wonder, "How am I supposed to keep going?"

It reminds me of a story I heard recently, one that really resonated with the heart of discipleship. It brought to mind the story of Moses, whose arms were heavy, and it was the hands of Aaron and Hur that held them up, allowing the victory to prevail. It’s a beautiful, tangible picture of support.

This week’s study, which came from a recent podcast, shared an account of Bishop Eyring himself, speaking about a young man who was a new member of the Church. This young man approached his bishop, not with a grand pronouncement, but with a very humble, almost tentative request: "Bishop, could we pray before we talk, and could we kneel?"

What followed was a masterclass in spiritual maturity. The young man, who was only 18, had experienced counsel from the bishop the week prior that hadn't worked. He came back, not to complain, but to ask for another chance, framing it as a spiritual experiment: "Heavenly Father, you know that Bishop Eyring gave me advice last week and it didn't work. Please inspire him to know what I am to do now."

When the bishop was initially surprised, the lesson that emerged was profound: the faith of the people we serve—the willingness of that new member to show up, to ask again, and to not judge the outcome—sometimes brings the greatest revelation to the leader.

The bishop realized that the young man already knew what the Lord wanted him to do, but by honoring the office and giving the bishop a chance to receive revelation, the cycle worked. The confirmation came, and the lesson was clear: the faith of those around us can sustain us, and it can open the windows of heaven.

A Lesson for Our Digital Field

As we all strive to be Internet missionaries, we are often leading from a distance, relying on our own spiritual reserves. It’s easy to feel like we are holding up our own arms through the weight of our online discipleship efforts or our local callings. But this story reminds us that we are never meant to do this in isolation.

We are called to support each other. Whether it's a companion holding up your spiritual arms during a difficult missionary discussion, or a fellow disciple in our online community offering encouragement when we feel weak—that support is divine. We need to be open to being *seen* and supported by the faith of others, just as the bishop needed the faith of that young man.

If you are feeling the strain this week, I encourage you to lean into your local ward, your online study groups, or even just reach out to a friend and share a testimony. Let someone else hold up your arms for a while.

If you want to dig deeper into this concept of spiritual support, I highly recommend checking out the full podcast episode. You can listen to the full episode on followHIM.co.

For those of you who are ready to apply this principle right now, let’s use our AI Investigator. If you're struggling with a doctrinal question or a difficult conversation, bring it to Davee. He can walk you through the hard questions an investigator might ask, helping you prepare your answers with the Spirit's guidance.

And speaking of preparation, if you haven't already, consider joining a Book Club or a Bible Study Group in HolyPlaces. That shared learning is where we find the strength to keep going!

What are your thoughts? How has another person's faith recently sustained you in the work?