With the help of the Lord, life's burdens can be made light, Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy said during the Saturday morning session of conference.
Whether burdens are long or short, physical or emotional, heavy or light, all can be worrisome, oppressive and exhausting, Elder Clayton said, but, with the help of the Lord, they are manageable.
"No matter the burdens we face in life as a consequence of natural conditions, the misconduct of others or our own mistakes and shortcomings, we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father who sent us to earth as part of His eternal plan for our growth and progress," he said. "Our unique individual experiences can help prepare us to return to Him."
Each affliction is an opportunity to practice virtues that contribute to eventual perfection, Elder Clayton said. He added that accepting and understanding burdens can require time, effort and faith, but in the end are often disguised blessings.
Elder Clayton spoke of four examples found in the scriptures and in Church history — Adam, Alma, the Nephites and Lamanites, and Joseph Smith — that turned burdens into blessings.
Although these experiences occurred many years earlier, they still give comfort to individuals today, he said.
"Bearing up under our own burdens can help us develop a reservoir of empathy for the problems others face," he said.
Whatever the trial or burden, the Lord offers deliverance and will always strengthen and support in His own time and way, Elder Clayton declared.
"Mercifully, the Son of God offers us deliverance from the bondage of our sins, which is among the heaviest of all the burdens we bear," he said. "When we repent and keep the commandments, forgiveness and relief from our burdened conscience come with the help that only the Savior offers. …
"I know that as we keep the commandments of God and our covenants, He helps us with our burdens," Elder Clayton said. "He strengthens us. When we repent He forgives our sins and blesses us with peace of conscience and joy."
