Conference Talk of the Week

Overview

Sister Tamara W. Runia speaks from the sudden death of her oldest son, Ryan, who left behind a wife and four young children. She centers her talk on the Lord's words to Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail: "All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7). She teaches that keeping the commandments does not keep hard things from happening. The gospel is not an umbrella that keeps the rain off. It is the rock we stand on during the storm (Helaman 5:12). Because God loves us, He lets us go through refining experiences that help us become like Him. She closes with her brother's college sculpting class, where the instructor carved deeply and quickly to bring a clay bust to life. She uses that story to show what can happen when we ask the Savior to work on our souls.

Three Key Takeaways

• 1The gospel does not shield us from hardship. Sister Runia once thought of it as an umbrella that kept the rain off. She learned that everyone gets rained on, so she now sees the gospel as the sure foundation we stand on during the storm (Helaman 5:12).
• 2Like Nephi, we can say "I know that he loveth his children" while admitting we do not know the meaning of all things (1 Nephi 11:16–17). This changed her question from "why" to "God loves me, so what is supposed to be happening here?" At Ryan's funeral she said, "Not understanding is not the same as not believing."
• 3Each person's story is personal, so there is no need to compare it with anyone else's. It is also purposeful. Suffering is not a detour from the path; it gives the path its purpose, even when from the outside a life seems to be falling apart.

Reflection Questions

• Where have you expected obedience to work like an umbrella that keeps hard things away? How would it change your view of a current trial to see the gospel as the rock you are standing on instead?
• Think of a hard situation you are facing now. Try Sister Runia's question: "I know that God loves me, so what is supposed to be happening here?" What do you notice when you ask it that way?
• Is there a story you expected your life to tell that you have had to give up? Which pieces of your life right now are hard to fit into God's plan, and what would it look like to keep trusting the One who designed it?