You may wonder if it is
worth it to take a courageous moral stand in high school or to go on a mission only to have your most
cherished beliefs reviled or to strive against much in society that sometimes ridicules a life of religious
devotion. Yes, it is worth it, because the alternative is to have our “houses” left unto us “desolate”—
desolate individuals, desolate families, desolate neighborhoods, and desolate nations.
So here we have the burden of those called to bear the messianic message. In addition to teaching,
encouraging, and cheering people on (that is the pleasant part of discipleship), from time to time these
same messengers are called upon to worry, to warn, and sometimes just to weep (that is the painful part
of discipleship). They know full well that the road leading to the promised land “flowing with milk and
honey” of necessity runs by way of Mount Sinai, flowing with “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots.”....
Be strong. Live the gospel faithfully even if others around you don’t live it at all. Defend your beliefs with
courtesy and with compassion, but defend them. A long history of inspired voices, including those you will
hear in this conference and the voice you just heard in the person of President Thomas S. Monson, point
you toward the path of Christian discipleship. It is a strait path, and it is a narrow path without a great deal
of latitude at some points, but it can be thrillingly and successfully traveled, “with … steadfastness in
Christ, … a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.” In courageously pursuing such
a course, you will forge unshakable faith, you will find safety against ill winds that blow, even shafts in the
whirlwind, and you will feel the rock-like strength of our Redeemer, upon whom if you build your
unflagging discipleship, you cannot fall.
The Cost—And Blessings—Of Discipleship By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - April 2014 General Conference
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