As Latter-day Saints, we often speak about “enduring to the end.” But how can we endure trials that have no endpoint in this life?
Jeffrey S. Bednar, associate professor of management at Brigham Young University and the youngest son of Elder David A. Bednar, recently gave a poignant BYU devotional on this topic. He shared deeply personal reflections about his son Samuel’s rare genetic disease and how facing this challenge has brought his family closer to Jesus Christ.
Sam’s Ongoing Trial
During an ultrasound over 14 years ago, Jeffrey and his wife, Anne, learned that their son’s organs had developed in a way that raised serious concerns.
Jeffrey wrestled with the frightening news and poured out his heart in prayer. He thought about Christ’s disciples, who asked the Savior during a storm on the Sea of Galilee, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?”
“I found myself asking a similar question, ‘Master, carest thou not about my son?’” Jeffrey reflected. “The Savior did not rebuke my son’s maladies, but a quiet and unmistakable impression came into my mind and heart and simply said, ‘Jeff, he is my son, too.’”
This prompting brought him a renewed sense of peace, even as some fear and uncertainty remained.
After Jeffrey’s son was born, tests seemed to show that his organs were functioning normally. “With grateful hearts, we named him Samuel, which means ‘God has heard,’ as a reminder that the Lord had heard and answered our prayers,” he said.
But nearly a week later, Anne noticed Sam was looking bluish gray and rushed him to the emergency room. Sam was ultimately diagnosed with Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD), a genetic disorder that impacts the body’s ability to clear mucus and infections from the body.
This diagnosis means that for the rest of his life, Sam needs airway clearance treatments multiple times a day. “Most trials in my life had an endpoint, but suddenly, we were facing a storm that would likely never be resolved in mortality,” Jeffrey said. “A question settled deep into my heart as we wrestled in the hospital: ‘How do I endure to the end of a trial that has no end?’”
Enduring Through Lifelong Storms
Jeffrey said that grappling with this question of the soul has motivated him to dive into the scriptures and worship in the temple more often. After studying the doctrine of Christ in depth, he has realized that “enduring to the end” doesn’t always mean holding on until a stopping point.
“I’ve increasingly come to appreciate the alternative definition of end, which is ‘an outcome worked toward or a purpose,’” Jeffrey said. “For example, Joseph Smith taught, ‘Happiness is the object in the design of our existence and will be the end thereof if we pursue the path that leads to it.’
“In this statement, the end is not referencing the stopping point of mortality, but rather the ultimate end, outcome, or purpose God is trying to help us work toward and pursue throughout this life.”
Jeffrey has learned that we’re not alone as we pursue this purpose; enduring to the end is all about partnering with Christ and becoming like Him:
“Framed in this way, enduring to the end requires that we allow suffering, disappointment, uncertainty, and heartbreak to shape us into disciples who think and love as Jesus Christ thinks and loves. And thankfully, our Savior is not merely the destination of that journey of enduring to the end. He is an active participant in helping us through all of our mortal storms.”
While Christ has the power to change our difficult conditions, He does not always immediately intervene. This gap allows us to choose how we will respond.
We Can Exercise “Little Faith”
Jeffrey pointed back to the example of the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. When Peter tries to walk on water and begins sinking, Christ responds, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”
This verse had always felt like a “strange chastisement” to Jeffrey after reading that Peter had shown enough faith to walk on water. But he said his perspective shifted when he realized the connection to another verse:
“As we learn in the New Testament, to those with ‘faith as a grain of mustard seed,’ ‘nothing shall be impossible’ to them. With Peter's ‘little faith’ and Christ's magnifying power, Peter had truly just done the impossible. Hand now safely in hand, Matthew's account suggests that Jesus walks with Peter whatever distance was necessary back to the ship. And not until they are back in the ship does the wind from the storm cease. …
“In Peter's case, an always watchful Savior allowed hours of rowing before walking to Peter and with Peter through this unrelenting storm.”
Jeffrey testified that just like Peter, we can face seemingly unending storms as we: 1) keep rowing, 2) draw closer to Christ, and 3) walk hand in hand with Him. These three steps allow us to endure to the end no matter our trials, and ultimately, to become more like Christ.
“Today, I can testify to you that Samuel is perfectly named,” Jeffrey said. “And though his storm continues daily, he is a constant reminder to us that God does in fact hear and answer prayers even if it’s not in the way that we anticipated or hoped. …
“These trials with no end are not adversaries. They are some of our greatest teachers helping shape our character to become like Christ.”
Watch the full BYU devotional to learn more from Jeffrey S. Bednar.
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