The Unwavering Test: Becoming Saints Through the Atonement

When we hear the word 'test,' our minds often leap to the historical accounts—the martyrdoms, the great persecutions that shaped the early days of the Restoration. We naturally assume that the ultimate proving ground for the Latter-day Saint is a distant, bygone era of trial.

Yet, as Elder Jeffrey R. Holland so powerfully recounted, the crucible of faith is not a historical artifact; it is a perpetual reality. His testimony, drawing from the profound words of King Benjamin, forces us to confront a truth that can feel daunting even to those of us who have spent decades studying the covenants and the doctrines of the restored gospel.

The Scope of the Test: Now and Always

The narrative of Troy and Deedra Russell—the sudden, devastating loss of a child—is a raw testament to suffering. It speaks to a grief so profound it seems to eclipse all other human experience. But the weight of the message, derived from the Book of Mormon, is that this level of trial is not an anomaly reserved for the ancient record. It is the texture of discipleship itself.

King Benjamin taught that the fundamental purpose of mortal life is to become “a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord.” This requires us to become “as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.”

What does this mean for us, fellow disciples? It means that the struggle and strife, the heartbreak and loss, are not confined to the narratives of our ancestors. The moments when faith feels frightfully difficult to hold on to are *here*. They are with us now, in our university years, in our professional lives, and in the quiet moments when we face a doctrinal ambiguity or a personal failing. The test is ongoing. It is the refining fire.

This is where the gravity of the calling settles upon us. Our faith, the faith in God, Christ, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, must be unwavering. It must withstand the scrutiny of the refiner’s fire to prove it is more than “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”

Understanding the Burden: Divine Goodness

The language used—'inflict'—requires careful scholarly consideration. To mistake the nature of divine action is to invite profound spiritual error. As the speaker elucidated, the proper understanding is not of being "struck against" or "beaten down," but rather of *allowing* something that must be borne or suffered. This distinction is vital. God, by His very nature, is perfectly and thoroughly good. Nothing He permits is malicious, unfair, or intended to crush our spirit.

This understanding allows us to anchor ourselves in the covenant path. We are not merely surviving trials; we are participating in a divine process of refinement. We are learning, moment by moment, how to submit—to obey—and how to be childlike in our trust, knowing that the ultimate purpose is our eternal reward.

A Call to Practice

My plea to my brethren and sisters, and to all who are engaged in the sacred work of Operation Iron Rod, is that we practice now. We must cultivate that childlike submission today, so that when the inevitable 'sea of troubles' arrives—when the final exam of mortal life seems insurmountable—we have the spiritual musculature to keep our little craft afloat. We must be ready to testify, not just with our tongues, but with the enduring, tested substance of our lives.

Let us study the scriptures not merely for knowledge, but for the pattern of endurance. Let us refine our understanding of the Atonement so deeply that our testimonies are not merely recited, but lived out through acts of meekness and unwavering love. The Spirit guides us to the deeper covenants, and the covenants sustain us through the fire.