Let Patience Have Her Perfect Work, and Count It All Joy!

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into ^adivers ^btemptations;

3 Knowing this, that the ^atrying of your faith worketh ^bpatience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be ^aperfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1: 2-4

Let Patience Have Her Perfect Work, and Count It All Joy!

by Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi

Elder Jeremy R. Jaggi highlighted these scriptures in his talk during shared about the time where he and his family were mourning about their lost and how they went through the difficult times.

The key to finding joy in the midst of trials is having patience to let trials work for one’s good.

“In our efforts to find joy in the midst of our trials, we had forgotten that having patience is the key to letting those trials work for our good.”

In Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel teaches key attributes of Christ that we can emulate:

“Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God’s will and accept His timing. When you are patient, you hold up under pressure and are able to face adversity calmly and hopefully”

“Of all the zealous social, religious and political endeavors of our day, let ‘disciple of Jesus Christ’ be our most pronounced and affirming affiliation.”

“Just as the trying of our faith works patience within us, when we exercise patience, our faith increases. As our faith increases, so does our joy.”

COVID-19 has created an opportunity for patience to “have her perfect work”.

“…in our inability to meet in person as ward families for a season. But we count as joy our families’ faith increasing through new technology connections and Come, Follow Me study of the Book of Mormon.”

“Where we make sacred covenants with God—the temple—is temporarily closed. Where we keep covenants with God—the home—is open! We have an opportunity at home to study and ponder on the exceptional beauty of temple covenants.”

Many people have lost jobs or opportunities due to the pandemic, but joy is found in the fact that Church members have increased voluntary fast offerings and contributions to humanitarian funds.

“Be of good cheer” is the commandment from the Lord, not be of good fear (Matthew 14:27).”

Even when living righteously, it can take time and patience before one receives desired blessings.

“Sometimes we get impatient when we think we are “doing everything right” and we still do not receive the blessings we desire. Enoch walked with God for 365 years before he and his people were translated. Three hundred and sixty-five years of striving to do everything right, and then it happened! (See Doctrine and Covenants 107:49.)”

Sometimes I thought that I was and still a patience person when it come to enduring my own trial, but as Enoch had shown how he had walked with God for 365 years, my trials and challenges are a too little to be counted. I still need to work on my patience and my faith.

I know that as I hear, hearken, and heed the voice of the Lord and His living prophet, I can “let patience have her perfect work” and “count it all joy.”