Keep Going

In October 2001, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin gave a great General Conference talk, One Step after Another. I recently found a little Family Home Evening message I'd put together for a singles ward back in 2008, and thought I'd post it here.

Elder Wirthlin said:

"Recently, I read about Erik Weihenmayer, a 33-year-old man who dreamed of climbing Mount Everest, a feat that defies many of the world’s most expert climbers. In fact, nearly 90 percent of those who attempt the climb never reach the summit. Temperatures sink lower than 30 degrees below zero. Besides extreme cold, 100-mile-per-hour winds, deadly crevasses, and avalanches, the climber must overcome the challenges of high altitude, lack of oxygen, and perhaps unsanitary food and water. Since 1953, at least 165 climbers have died in the attempt to scale the 29,000-foot-high summit.
"In spite of the risks, hundreds line up each year to make the ascent, Erik among them. But there is an important difference between Erik and every other climber who had attempted to ascend before: Erik is totally blind.
"When Erik was 13 years of age, he lost his sight as a result of a hereditary disease of the retina. Although he could no longer do many of the things he wanted to, he was determined not to waste his life feeling depressed and useless. He then began to stretch his limits.
"At age 16 he discovered rock climbing. By feeling the face of the rock, he found handholds and footholds that allowed him to climb. Sixteen years later, he began his ascent up Mount Everest. The story of his climb, as you might imagine, was filled with many harrowing and life-threatening challenges. But Erik eventually scaled the south summit and took his place with those who had gone before him, one of the few to stand on top of the highest mountain on the face of the earth.
"When asked how he did it, Erik said, “I just kept thinking … keep your mind focused. Don’t let all that doubt and fear and frustration sort of get in the way.” Then, most importantly, he said, “Just take each day step by step.”
"Yes, Erik conquered Everest by simply putting one foot in front of the other. And he continued to do this until he reached the top.
"Like Erik, we may have obstacles that would hold us back. We may even make excuses why we can’t do what we want to do. Perhaps when we are tempted to justify our own lack of achievement, we can remember Erik, who, in spite of having lost his sight, accomplished what many thought was impossible simply by continuing to put one foot in front of the other."

When I read that, it made me think that sometimes we put limitations on ourselves that God never did. Erik could have said, "I'm blind so I can't climb Mount Everest." But the only limitation God put on him was that he was blind. We need to be careful not to limit ourselves in ways that God never would. He gives us obstacles to overcome, of course, but sometimes we invent obstacles that we don't need to have. Take what He gives you and make the most of it.

Elder Wirthlin also said, "Sometimes we make the process more complicated than we need to. We will never make a journey of a thousand miles by fretting about how long it will take or how hard it will be. We make the journey by taking each day step by step and then repeating it again and again until we reach our destination.
"The same principle applies to how you and I can climb to higher spirituality.
"Our Heavenly Father knows that we must begin our climb from where we are. “When you climb up a ladder,” the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them.”
"Our Heavenly Father loves each one of us and understands that this process of climbing higher takes preparation, time, and commitment. He understands that we will make mistakes at times, that we will stumble, that we will become discouraged and perhaps even wish to give up and say to ourselves it is not worth the struggle.
"We know it is worth the effort, for the prize, which is eternal life, is “the greatest of all the gifts of God.” And to qualify, we must take one step after another and keep going to gain the spiritual heights we aspire to reach.
"An eternal principle is revealed in holy writ: “It is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize.”
"We don’t have to be fast; we simply have to be steady and move in the right direction. We have to do the best we can, one step after another."

In spiritual growth, as well as in school and work and everything we do, it's easy to put unrealistic expectations on ourselves. But the Lord didn't tell us we have to do everything perfectly. A friend shared a story about a friend's niece: she fell asleep while on her knees praying and her mother thought, "Oh isn't that precious? She tried so hard." So often we fall short of hat the actual goal was, but God is there, looking down at us and thinking, "Isn't she precious? She tried so hard." We are a lot harder on ourselves sometimes than He would be. I read a quote once that I absolutely love: "One must be a god indeed to tell a failure from a success without making a mistake." So often we get discouraged because we feel we failed, but really, there are so many good things that can come from our "failures". Give your best and let the Lord make up the rest. He provides ways for us to move forward, with prophets and scriptures, personal revelation, and often, the friends He puts into our paths. 
Elder Uchtdorf said, "There will be days and nights when you feel overwhelmed, when your hearts are heavy and your heads hang down. Then, please remember Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, is the Head of this Church. It is His gospel. He wants you to succeed. He gave His life for just this purpose." Christ wants us to succeed and He knows that we can. Every time we get discouraged and want to say, "But I'm not..." and "I can't," He is there assuring us--"I AM" and "I can" and with, "We are" and "We can." Whatever our limitations are, He can help us overcome them. Whatever the righteous desires of our hearts are, He can help us achieve them. He is there, helping is in ways we don't even realize. He is there, applauding our efforts, encouraging us, and loving us. And with Him, as we take one step after another, we will be successful.