Three encouraging things

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Afternoon  Session of the April 1982 Conference.

As someone especially aware of "the commonplace struggles of life" lately, I appreciated this from President Howard W. Hunter:

To do one’s best in the face of the commonplace struggles of life, and possibly in the face of failures, and to continue to endure and persevere with the ongoing difficulties of life--when those struggles and tasks contribute to the progress and happiness of others and the eternal salvation of one’s self--this is true greatness.

There were also a couple other things that I found encouraging. I liked Elder Gene R. Cook's reminder that God IS specifically and individually involved in our lives:

Satan teaches the world there is no God. But to the Saints he simply says, “There is a God, but he is only generally involved in your life. He would not specifically help you today.”

And I really liked Elder Ronald E. Poelman's talk about on how God never gives up on us. I have a personal testimony of the fact that God DOES still speak to us and comfort us "when we deserve it the least," because I've felt it:

Knowing we have offended our Father in Heaven, we are afraid to ask his help, feeling that we don’t deserve it. Paradoxically, when we are most in need of the Lord’s influence we deserve it least. Nevertheless, in such circumstances he says to us, as Jesus said to the trembling Peter, “Fear not.”… 

By disobeying the laws of God and breaking his commandments, we do offend him, we do estrange ourselves from him, and we don’t deserve his help and inspiration and strength. But God’s love for us transcends our transgressions.

Other posts in this series: 

• A Prophet's Definition of "True Greatneess" by Nathaniel Givens
• Spirit, Truth, and Home-Centered Swords by Jan Tolman
• Three encouraging things by Marilyn Nielson