John Bytheway [Bytheway - When Times Are Tough: 5 Scriptures That Will Help You Get Through Almost Anything

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the many wonderful people at Deseret Book for helping me put this book together, including Chris Schoebinger for encouraging and shaping the project, Michael Morris for his editing skills, Shauna Gibby for her artistic talents, and Tonya Facemyer for her typesetting. Thanks also to Cory Maxwell and Sheri Dew for their friendship and support. Finally, I'm grateful to my wife, Kimberly, and my childrenAshley, Andrew, Natalie, and Matthewwho make every day an adventure.

Introduction: What are we Leaning On?

A few years ago, a former wrestler-turned-politician referred to organized religion as a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers. Nothing new there. Similar comments have been made thousands of times and for thousands of years. In the Book of Mormon, Korihor characterized believers as "bound down under a foolish and vain hope," which belief was "the effect of a frenzied mind" (Alma 30:1316.)

As one who has had to rely on the Lord's strength from time to time, I don't mind being referred to as weak-minded, and I admit I often find strength in numbers. The fact is, I am weak, and I frequently lean on my religion and my fellowship with the Saints to see me through difficult times. But calling religion a crutch is a gross minimization. Yes, the gospel gives us something to lean on, to be sure, but our religion is much, much more.

About the time I began working on this book, my father passed away after suffering for many years with Parkinson's disease. He had joined the Church at age twenty-four, married, and served a full-time missionin that order. We were proud of all he had accomplished and of the legacy of faith and testimony he left his posterity.

Surrounding his bed at the time of his passing were his wife of fifty-three years, his six children, and a few of his numerous grandchildren. I will never forget the many feelings that rushed through our hearts at the moment he left us. We had been unable to communicate with him for the previous three days, and when he finally released his last breath, all of us experienced a strange mixture of sorrow and celebration. In fact, one of my sisters, expecting Dad's spirit to be somewhere in the room, looked upward and tearfully exclaimed, "Good job, Dad!"

The feelings of sorrow mixed with celebration remained throughout the viewing and funeral. As I watched my family go through that difficult time, I didn't see what the former pro-wrestler described. I didn't see a group of weaklings leaning on crutches. I saw something entirely different. I witnessed the power, the real, sustaining power, that came from our testimonies of the gospel. It supported us, filled us with hope and expectation, and even allowed us to smile and laugh in the midst of our loss.

My father's passing brought me further confirmation of something I had always known. Yes, we are weak, and we do need something to lean on at times. But if you look close, you'll find that what we are leaning on is not a crutch but a sword.

Lessons from Littleton

A few days after the terrible events at Columbine High School in 1999, Brother Rob Hildebrandt called me to ask if I could come talk to the LDS youth who attended the Columbine seminary. This was the most intimidating speaking invitation I had ever received. I was honored to be invited, but I spent a few sleepless nights trying to think of what I could possibly say to the young people, some of whom had witnessed the shooting and one of whom had been severely wounded.

I knew they needed more than just fun stories about growing up, attending high school, and going on dates. They needed more than just Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, as helpful as such books can be. They didn't need a crutch; they needed power. They were hungry for answers, and they wanted them from a source they knew they could trust.

I eventually put together a presentation I titled "Five Scriptures That Will Help You Get through Almost Anything." As I delivered my talk, I was thrilled to see the young people eagerly looking up the scriptures I cited. In response to an event that shook many of them to the core, these young people paused to lean on their swords. They found power, perspective, hope, and answers in the word of God, and they felt the spirit of the Lord that always accompanies a sincere study of the scriptures.

On that occasion, I was reminded that the Apostle Paul described many pieces of equipment that make up the armor of God, such as the "breastplate of righteousness," the "shield of faith," and the "helmet of salvation." The final item Paul mentionedthe only offensive weapon in a list of defensive armorwas the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:1417). I believe that Paul deliberately described the sword as a symbol of two different thingsthe Spirit and the scriptures. The fact is that the Spirit of the Lord is in the scriptures, and reading the scriptures allows the Spirit to confirm their truthfulness.

Yes, Latter-day Saints often lean on their religion for support during difficult times. But when difficulties pass, as they always do, our religion enables us to "rise in might with the sword of truth and right," ready to strike a blow for goodness and virtue.

Fortunately, when we need wisdom to help us govern our lives, we have better sources than retirees of the Worldwide Wrestling Federation, the hollow teaching of Hollywood, or the shifting psychology of pop culture. We have so much more. Within the covers of our standard works is a modern-day "school of the prophets," where class is constantly in session and the tuition is free. On the faculty is a team of spiritual giants, many of whom have conversed personally with the Lord. All we have to do is open and read in order to be tutored by Moses, Isaiah, Nephi, Alma, Paul, and many others.

Each of us can expect to experience things in our lives that may also shake us to the core, but we know where to find the answers that will help us survive and thrive. We know that we can look to the word of Godour sword to fight our battles with the world and something to lean on when times are tough.

Some "Answers" Have a Low Shelf Life

Many years ago, Dr. Albert Einstein was teaching graduate-level physics at Princeton University. After administering an exam to his students, Dr. Einstein and his graduate assistant were walking across campus. The assistant was carrying the completed tests and suddenly asked, "Dr. Einstein, isn't this the same test you gave last year?" "Yes," replied the scientist. The assistant was incredulous. "Dr. Einstein, how could you give the same test two years in a row?" he asked. Dr. Einstein replied matter-of-factly, "Since last year, the answers have changed."

Most college students have paid dearly for a college textbook, only to have the bookstore refuse to take it back at the end of the semester. It happened to me with a biology text. "I'm sorry," the bookstore employee said, "we're not using that text next semester. I realize you paid $75 for it, but we can only give you $5." What happened? The answers changed.