President Ronald K. Hawkins, president of the Honolulu Hawaii Mission, encouraged university faculty, staff and students to seek the Lord in finding strength beyond their own in the campus devotional on Thursday, September 9, 2004.
President Hawkins quoted from the seventh chapter of Alma in the Book of Mormon to suggest four steps which, when adhered to, grant us strength beyond our own.
"Now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things..." (verse 23).
The first step in finding strength beyond our own, according to President Hawkins, is to be submissive and trust the Lord.
"We live in a world that expects access on demand, results without delay, and instant gratification -- a world not given to patience," President Hawkins said. "In our shortsightedness, we are often unable to see of understand the purposes of the Lord. Yet, He sees from a different perspective. He knows our needs better than we, and will prepare a course for our growth."
President Hawkins illustrated this point with a story of President Hugh B. Brown, a counselor in the First Presidency several years ago, who pruned a six-foot currant bush down to its stumps. If allowed to continue growing wildly, the bush would never amount to anything. Under the care of the gardener, on the other hand, the bush would be fruitful.
"I have an abiding testimony that our Heavenly Father will orchestrate each of our lives if we allow Him to," President Hawkins added. "At times, He prunes and clips and encourages new growth according to His perspective. And in that process, we find strength within that we never knew existed."
Returning to Alma, President Hawkins outlined the second step in finding strength beyond our own: "being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times..." (verse 23).
He emphasized that although the commandments may seem restrictive at times, they are actually the very opposite. "By living within the parameters the Lord has set," he explained, "we qualify for His divine assistance - strength beyond our own."
Continuing to quote, President Hawkins gave the third step to receiving divine strength: prayer to the Father.
"Asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive..." (verse 23).
As an example of the power of prayer, President Hawkins shared a personal experience from his life. His son, while serving as a missionary in Korea, fell ill to an immune system disorder that destroyed his red blood cells. Feeling inadequate and utterly helpless, President Hawkins pleaded the Lord for the right to exercise the healing powers of His priesthood, upon which he was granted inexpressible strength and peace.
The final step given by Alma and outlined by President Hawkins is to move forward with a plan of faith. "And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works" (verse 24).
To illustrate this principle, President Hawkins shared another story, this time from the life of Stein Rosqvist. As a male nurse, he was seriously injured in a helicopter crash en route to rescue accident victims. Doctors told him that he would never walk again, but through vigorous and persistent rehabilitation, Rosqvist was able to recover to the point of traversing some six miles over rock and sage in a Mormon pioneer trek.
While the stories shared by President Hawkins were of somewhat dramatic, he stressed that strength beyond our own is found in everyday life.
"It comes in the quiet, private moments of personal prayer," he said. "It is found in the simple obedience of seemingly inconsequential choices - when we resist moral temptation, when we maintain personal integrity, when we curb anger, when we forgive others. It is uncovered when we conquer self-pity or pride, or when we 'pause to lift another.'"
President Hawkins concluded by testifying that "strength beyond your own is real and it is available to all. When discouragement reigns, or pressures mount, or hope is gone, or temptation is all around, remember the steps: trust the Lord, keep His commandments, pray and proceed in faith and hope. The strength will come."