Local Leader Message
A Divine Principle: “Thy Will be done”
“I have learned that, despite the unconditional love from a kind, loving Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, none of us makes it through this life without tribulations.”
It is Easter season, as we exult with others of the Christian world and gratefully celebrate that most glorious event in human history, the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is time to rejoice in the greatest victory, the victory over death. Of Him, the Apostle Paul declared, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
I will be eternally grateful for the testimony of the Apostle Paul’s declaration: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept . . .
“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20, 22).
It is humbling when we know our Heavenly Father’s love for us is beyond any measure. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:16–17).
In our premortal existence, Jesus Christ exemplified this divine principle, “Thy will be done.” He chose to put the Father’s will before His own. “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” (Moses 4:2).
Moreover, during His earthly ministry, He never sought to exalt Himself before The Father, He repeatedly exemplified this divine principle of complete submission to the Father’s will. “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38).
I have learned that, despite the unconditional love from a kind, loving Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ, none of us makes it through this life without tribulations. When those tribulations are not consequences of our prideful acts or disobedient choices, it is evident that the Lord feels we are prepared to grow, that more abundant blessings are waiting. “For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:4).
When earthly tribulations are strewn along our covenant path, it is up to us to determine our direction. Will we tread on the same path—one that faithful children of God followed by seeking a complete submission to God’s will—or will we curse God as Job’s wife did? “Then said his [Job’s] wife unto him, dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die” (Job 2:9).
When we experience these unprecedented times, let us not be blinded by adversity. We should always remember our Heavenly Father’s divine love for us, with unwavering assurance that we are not alone. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah 41:10).
As we seek a complete submission to our Heavenly Father’s will in our struggles and trials, surely we will hear that assuring voice: “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
To get us from where we are to where the Lord want us to be requires a lot of spiritual refinement that generally entails discomfort and sufferings—nevertheless with a joyous ending. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12–13).
May we seek diligently to trust Him wholeheartedly, acknowledging His omnipotent hand in our personal endeavors, as we acknowledge the limitations of our human judgment.
As the Lord has said, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6).
Laurian P. Balilemwa was called as an Area Seventy in October 2020. He is married to Happiness Kagemulo; they are the parents of two children. He resides in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.