Have you ever noticed that we tend to over react to things when we feel that we have little or no control in life?  As a result, we spend a lot of time feeling hurt, controlled, confused, or overwhelmed by our view of life.  In other words, we spend too much time fighting battles that don’t need to be fought.  And when we choose this course, invariably, we become “casualties of war.”

Since it’s hard to keep the Big Picture in mind as we face the challenges in life, it’s sometimes difficult to remember that the road to Eternity is purposeful and is filled with challenges that have been specifically assigned to us.  Heavenly Father knows what we need to learn from our brief Mortal existence and that certain challenges will provide that insight, understanding, and skills that are a part of our Eternal training.  But we don’t need to be overwhelmed by these experiences, for as Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote:  Yes, Armageddon lies ahead.  But so does Adam-ondi-Ahman (end quote).  We acknowledge the veracity of these reminders by our leaders, but in the battlefields of life, when we’re under attack, and we feel stuck in a rut of fear and potential failure, it’s easy to believe that what we feel is who we are.  And if we believe that we have no options, life can seem to be filled with our greatest fears.  Unless we consistently remind ourselves of the prophetic reminders that are provided so frequently, we easily slip into a self-defeating cycle, and create a negative filter that tends to distort everything. Unfortunately, this Filter of Negativity distorts everything in our lives with a contamination that seems real and terrifying.  But I want you to know that with the passage of time, we reach a point in our development where experience turns our fears into strengths, enabling us to identify these types of thinking errors more quickly.  In this manner, we can effectively replace them with the correct principles.  This is not an easy process, since we have probably practiced a wide variety of thinking errors throughout our lives, but it’s possible to move beyond this abyss, and replace our old thinking errors with correct principles.  Remember, we tend to think that we are our own worst enemy, but we’re not.  

This is a battle that we can win, not by ourselves but with the help of our Elder Brother.  We need to remember who we are.  We’re not alone.  Look for the good in yourself.  Remember our purposes in this life.  Practice being who you want to be.  We are so much more than any mistaken assumptions.  Now would be a good time to replace those thinking errors.  In fact, now is the best time to begin.  Now is the best time to be!  We’ve been prepared for this battle.  SO, BRACE FOR IMPACT!

The scars that we’ve developed throughout life only indicate that we have survived the battles of the past.  We need to always remember that our Savior, Jesus Christ, experienced scars beyond our comprehension from His fight with His battles for us.  Are we greater than He?  Christ has paid the price for us.  He is the source of all Love and Light, and we want to become more like him. So, what are we supposed to do now?  In D&C 81:5.  He said: .…succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees  (end quote).  We can do that.  The battle has already been won.  We’re more than our symptoms.  Set a new course and a new heading.  This is a journey that we’ve been prepared to make.  Where we are now and where we’re going is because of the Savior’s Love.  

With this in mind, Elder Uchtdorf added:  Love should be our walk and our talk (end quote).  We can do this.  We’ve been prepared.  We’re not alone.  Pass it on.  Others need to know of this truth.