When Waiting Feels Like Nothing Is Happening: Pressing Forward in Faith

Brothers and sisters, if you’ve ever felt like you’re standing in a spiritual holding pattern—waiting for a breakthrough, waiting for clarity, waiting for the feeling of the Spirit to wash over you again—I know that feeling. It can feel like you’ve done all the right things: you studied the scriptures, you prayed your heart out, you even went through the motions of missionary preparation. But the visible results? They feel distant.

It’s easy, when the harvest seems slow, to start questioning if the work is still moving forward. We get so used to the *idea* of the Spirit—the feeling of conviction, the sudden burst of understanding—that when it quiets down, we start to panic. We start to think, "If I can't *feel* it, maybe it's not real."

But the message today, echoing through the years and echoing into our lives as modern-day internet missionaries, is this: Just because you don't see the breakthrough doesn't mean the covenant keeping is paused. God is at work in the unseen places.

The Danger of Complacency in the Covenant Path

We live in a world that rewards ease. It’s easy to scroll, it’s easy to consume, it’s easy to wait for the answer to appear on a screen. And while the Lord blesses ease, we must guard against letting ease become complacency. The natural tendency, when things are comfortable, is to relax our grip on the covenant path. We get soft, and the enemy whispers that we’ve done enough, or that the Spirit has moved on to someone else.

But remember the counsel we are always given: we must press forward. We must be willing to dig deep, even when the shovel feels heavy and the ground seems hard. This isn't about frantic activity; it’s about persistent, faithful *effort*—the kind of effort that builds spiritual muscle.

Think of the analogy of the eaglet. It has a little tooth on its beak. It spends so long pecking at the eggshell, chipping away, that it almost gets stuck there. If someone comes along and says, "Don't worry, let me break it open for you!"—even with the best intentions—they might weaken the eaglet so much that it can't fly on its own. Our journey to becoming more Christlike, more like the Saints who pioneer, requires us to do the work, even when it’s messy and slow.

This is where we need to lean into the tools and the community. If you are feeling stuck in a cycle of waiting, I want to remind you of the incredible resources available to help you push through. Don't wait for the feeling; anchor yourself in the truth.

If you're looking for a way to deepen your understanding of doctrine or feel the weight of the gospel's promises, I highly recommend diving into the Book Club feature in HolyPlaces. Or, if you prefer a more structured, deep-dive study, check out the Bible Study Groups. These are places where the Spirit can guide you through the scriptures with other dedicated disciples.

And for those of us who are actively learning how to testify online, remember that Davee is here. If you are wrestling with a difficult question an investigator might pose—a question that makes you feel cornered—let Davee walk you through it using the AI Investigator role. He’s trained to help you answer with grace and scriptural depth.

Keep your focus forward. Don't let the comfort of the familiar distract you from the glorious, challenging future the Lord has promised. We are called to be internet missionaries, disciples anywhere, all the time. Let’s keep pressing!

If you want to continue strengthening your testimony and building your spiritual resilience, consider reading some of the foundational teachings on the Iron Rod. I always recommend checking out the latest articles on covenant keeping. For a bite-sized skill this week: When you feel discouraged, pause, and instead of dwelling on what you *lack*, list three specific things you *know* the Savior promised you in the scriptures. That act of recalling promises is an act of faith that pushes you forward.

If you're feeling the pull to connect with other disciples who understand this journey, join us for our free weekly Disciple Challenge this Thursday!