Sticking to the Task

Earlier I was thumbing through an old mission planner when I came across a poem that I wrote down when I was using it and wanted to share.

Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;

Beginners are many, but enders are few.

Honor, power, place and praise

Will always come to the one who stays. Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;

Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;

For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile

Will come life’s victories after a while.

—Author Unknown

I feel as if Nephi and Jacob are both examples of what this poem is about. In one of his final messages Nephi teaches his reader "the doctrine of Christ", faith, repentance,  baptism, reception of the Holy Ghost. After the reader does all this Nephi urges him or her "... ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." (2 Nephi 31:20) Dieter F. Ucthdorf taught that enduring to the end involved more than just passively enduring the struggles of life. Rather it involved actively remaining faithful to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel, and actively seeking out to do what our Savior would do. (See: Have We Not Reason to Rejoice)

In addition to our larger life goal of enduring to the end of our life we are given callings that the Lord asks us to follow through on. Nephi was an example of this when even in his final message he served as a witness of Christ. Jacob was also an example of someone who followed through on his priesthood assignment when he spoke to the people. (See: Jacob 2) 

God has provided us with tools to help us in our tasks of enduring to the end of our smaller assignments as well as to the end of mortality. He has given us the gift of prayer. (See: 2 Nephi 32:9)Thomas S. Monson taught, "When the burdens of life become heavy, when trials test one’s faith, when pain, sorrow, and despair cause the light of hope to flicker and burn low, communication with our Heavenly Father provides peace." (Finishers Wanted)

God has also given us the words of Christ which can tell us all that we need to do. (See: 2 Nephi 32:5) These words may be found in the scriptures. We may also receive guidance through the gift of the Holy Ghost. Furthermore, we have be promised the help of the Lord, that "if we then prove our dependability, he will increase our capability!" (Neal A. Maxwell, It's Service, Not Status that Counts)

If we endure to the end we have been promised "a beautiful refinement will come into our lives. We will learn to “do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us]” (Matthew 5:44). The blessings that come to us from enduring to the end in this life are real and very significant, and for the life to come they are beyond our comprehension." (Have We Not Reason to Rejoice)

I know that if we follow through and continue in righteousness we will feel greater satisfaction in our lives. We will have a sense of peace and security as we go about our work as we finish the tasks that the Lord has put before us.