Patience is a virtue
When I was in high school, all of my friends had personal cellphones. I would see them texting and playing their online games. I have always wanted a cellphone, ever since I was back in Guatemala I had a cousin in my school called Diego and I saw how he had a phone. I would tell my parents all the time that I wanted a phone, "I want an iPhone, I want a smart phone." My father and mother would just say "later, when you are older you can get one." One day my dad even offered an old phone he used to use to give it to me! But for me it was not good enough. At the time everybody had iPhones, they where all touch screens, and all could play games. People would ask me for my number and I could not give it to them since I did not have a cellphone. When my 10th year in school ended I took a job as a lifeguard, with a goal that I would save up enough money to buy the iPhone 4. Now there was only one problem, I did not want to get a contract so that means I would have to buy the phone at full price, and I also wanted a really strong good case. In the end I knew that getting a phone was gonna be even harder. My job as a lifeguard payed me $6.55 per hour, but after 100 hours my pay would go up $0.50 and after my 100 hours it would keep going up every 50 hours. So I worked a lot my first summer, from 10:15 am all the way down to 9:00pm almost everyday. I took people's shifts and I would buy my own food, and when I would get home I would just crash at my bed. Even the few days I only worked for 4 hours, I would get home around 3:00 pm and would take a nap and the next day I would wake up scared that I would be late for the next day. The sun would burn my skin and make me extra tan, and no matter how many hours I would leave my water bottle in the freezer it would be hot by the end of the day. Eventually I had about $900 in the the bank. So I told my mom to drive me to a store, and the total price of the phone with the case and protective shield for my screen, came out around $750 plus another $35 to start paying for the month. I was excited to receive it, I felt proud of myself. This experience later helped me on my life, when the phone I had as a lifeguard got destroyed, I worked with my dad at his job helping a lady out, and after a couple of weeks I was able to buy the iPhone 4s. Patience played a lot in this story, if I would have just accepted the phone my parents wanted to give me, I would have never learned to work hard to get what you want in life. There is a quote that I enjoy from president Thomas S. Monson that says
“Life is full of difficulties, some minor and others of a more serious nature. There seems to be an unending supply of challenges for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions to such challenges, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required.”
–President Thomas S. Monson
“Patience--a Heavenly Virtue,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 59
In the Book of Mormon, on Mosiah 23:21 it says "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith." In that scripture we must learn how to accept God's timing. Even if we don't believe in a God we must accept the timing of certain things.
In the Bible on the Book of Job, we see a great example of patience with God's timing. After he lost everything including his children he said:
"Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
- Job 1:21
Job had hope that if he remained faithful to God he would be bless, and that is exactly what happen. Later he recived many more blessings, double of what he had and he forever remained grateful.
"Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."
James 5:10-11
Yes, patience could give you stress but at the same time it can help you with stress. When I was trying to get my driver's license, my instructor was really rude and hard on every detail. He would be insulting and he would make you feel bad. But instead of me talking back I just drove and tried my best, even after he told me I was not gonna pass, even after he called me an idiot, I just shook it off and had hope and faith that I would pass. My patience was tested, and on the last exam after I passed the driving test, I surprised him wi how well I did and for the first time he gave me a compliment of how well I drove. Because of that experience my patience grew and has helped me a lot in other expiriances.
When you think about it, we need patience everyday. There is a promise about patience in the Book of Mormon in Alma 32:41-43 "But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.
And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you."
You need patience in your everyday experiences and relationships, especially with yourself. Marriage without patience would destroy thousands of families. To love somebody, even yourself you must have patience. Even when it's hard or seems impossible, it is possible we can accomplish it.
Patience also helps us overcome our faults and weaknesses
"And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them;
But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions." Alma 34:40-41
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Romans 5:3-5
As a missionary I had to exercise a lot of patience with my companions. I used to have a companion who enjoyed doing missionary work his own way. His ideas were the only ideas we could use, and even when he tried to include me or help plan out. It never become our vision, only his. Now he had really good ideas, and was always ecxited about missionary work, and I was always agreeing with him. Att times I felt frustrated and irritated and left out, but I kept showing patience and did what he told me to do. It got to a point where I was about to snap, I knew my patience could not longer be pulled. So I prayed and prayed and after a couple of weeks I knew what to do. It was time for me to help him with his patience. The next day he asked me to do a chore, and I respectfully declined, he would get annoyed and frustrated and he would write angry emails about me on how he wanted me to become like him. He would ask me about an idea and I would respectfully give him my opinion and disagree with him. Again he would get annoyed and frustrated, and it keeped going for quite some time, until eventually our last week together, he told me I was a really good missionary and how I had great patience with him. Later he become a trainer and witnessed many baptisms. That experience helped us both overcome our faults and weaknesses, he helped me learn to stand up for my self and my ideas and with patience. And I helped him become a trainer and have patience and be a good leader to others. I promise you that if we grow our patience we will grow ourselves and others. Without it, families, communities and countries would be destroyed.
