Feeling “Heavy Laden” by Life’s Burdens? Seventy Shares 4 Simple Tips
Contributed By Valerie Johnson, Church News staff writer
The load each person has been called to bear is heavy, but the Savior has invited all to come unto Him so He can help.
Article Highlights
- 1. Accept the invitation to come unto the Savior.
- 2. Recognize and follow promptings.
- 3. Tell others of your personal standards.
- 4. Give thanks that the Savior will help in your righteous efforts.
“I testify that as you come unto Christ and take His yoke upon you, your life will be better and happier.” —Elder Randy D. Funk of the Seventy
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To the many students who are laboring with all their might in school, work, and Church callings, Elder Randy D. Funk, a General Authority Seventy, reminded them of the Savior’s words found in Matthew 11:28: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Elder Funk is no stranger to feeling heavy laden. During an LDS Business College devotional held in the Conference Center Theater on October 16, he described how as a young law student 40 years ago, while looking for work, he and his wife had a one-year-old daughter and a child on the way, and he was called to serve as the elders quorum president in his married student ward. A decade later, when he was working as a relatively new law partner in a Denver law firm, with five children and a sixth on the way, he was called and set apart as a stake president.
“Now here we are in October 2018. I am laboring through my current calling, but at times it seems rather weighty. Do you see a pattern of life?” he asked.
For each student, this is a challenging time of life, yet hopefully a joyful time, Elder Funk said. Each one is in a different situation. “But in all situations, you may feel from time to time uncertain, overwhelmed, or simply exhausted as you labor to learn and do the many things that life requires. If that seems familiar, please remember the invitation the Savior … has extended to all of us: ‘Come unto me.’”
The load each person has been called to bear is heavy, Elder Funk continued, but the Savior has invited all to come unto Him so He can help.
However, some may feel they are so busy that they don’t have time for “the simple religious practices that will draw them closer to the One who can most help them,” Elder Funk said. “They sometimes feel they don’t have time for the Sabbath, time for a calling, time for daily prayer or scripture study, or time for the temple. But what all of us really need, especially during those times, is to come unto Christ and let Him share our burdens.”
Elder Funk gave four suggestions for students to follow.
First, accept the Savior’s invitation to come unto Him.
“As we draw closer to Him and seek, ask, and knock, we can receive answers and help in doing what is needful or essential, even during challenging times. To have faith in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, means that we trust Them. We trust that They know us, They love us, and [They] will help us. They know what experiences will help us to attain our full potential during this mortal probation, and They will help us.”
Second, develop the ability to recognize and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
While seeking to obtain one’s full potential, one needs to know that they are on the right course, which can be determined through personal revelation, Elder Funk said.
“Through the power of the Holy Ghost, you can know the things you should do, particularly those things that relate to your eternal salvation and happiness.”
Third, inform others of personal values and standards.
Elder Funk described how when he was a new employee at a law firm, a social was held to get to know their new colleagues. He found that there were no other beverages except beer and wine. When his colleagues invited him to drink alcohol, he informed them that he would not as he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
At the next function, there were other soft drinks and juices provided especially for him.
In another instance, a client urged him to use strong language and get angry with an opposing party during a negotiation. Elder Funk said that he would not, and he would remain firm and clear about their position. While maintaining those standards, they accomplished all that his client had hoped for in those negotiations.
“Living the gospel of Jesus Christ is never a burden,” Elder Funk said. “You will be protected and helped when others know your standards.”
Fourth, give thanks for the fact that the Savior will be there in all righteous efforts.
The allegory of the vineyard found in Jacob 5 is often used to describe how the Lord labors alongside His workers in missionary work or in Church service. But, Elder Funk explained, “My experience is that the Savior will help us in every aspect of our lives when we take His yoke upon us and allow Him to labor with us.”
In closing, he said, “I testify that as you come unto Christ and take His yoke upon you, your life will be better and happier. I testify of the blessings of drawing near unto our Savior. Trust in His goodness and guidance, His love and willingness to help each of us. With His yoke upon us, we can do far more than we can do by ourselves.”
Elder Randy D. Funk, General Authority Seventy, speaks during an LDS Business College devotional in the Conference Center Theater in Salt Lake City on October 16, 2018. Photo by Valerie Johnson.
