Once upon a time in a beautiful kingdom far away, there lived a royal family. They were a happy family, with a king and queen that were wise and loving parents and many princes and princesses.
One night, during a family council, one of the princes asked his parents “when I grow up, will I be a King, just like Father?”
The wise King answered “you can be.”
One small princess asked “Can I be a Queen?”
Her mother smiled and answered “you can be, but it’s not easy.”
The King and Queen decided that it was time for their children to understand the steps to becoming truly royal.
“You will each need to go on a quest. You will need to leave home and then find your way back.”
One of the princes from the back of the room piped up, “well, that doesn’t sound all that hard.”
“It’s harder than you think,” answered the King. “You see, you won’t remember where we are, or even who we are. Plus, you’ll need to get past the fierce dragon that will try to keep you from getting home.”
A princess shook her head. “I don’t like the sound of this. I think I’ll just stay here.”
The King hugged his daughter as he explained to all of his children. “I won’t make you go on your quest, but you can’t stay here unless you do go.”
One of the younger princesses sniffled “How will we find our way back?”
“We’ll give you a map” said the King, “and a guide; is there anyone that would be willing to volunteer?”
The eldest of the princes and princesses had watched each of his brothers and sisters grow and loved each of them dearly. More than anything, he wanted to have them all as a big, happy family again. “Father, Mother, I’ll be the guide.”
The King nodded “alright, but your quest is the most difficult of all. You will have to follow my directions exactly.”
The oldest prince answered “I will Father, I promise.”
Time passed as all of the royal children prepared for their quest. They went to classes to learn about the kingdom and studied very hard. They each tried to prepare as best they could for the many changes that would happen when they left home. Finally, there was nothing left to study…it was time to go. As they all began walking toward the gate that opened into the kingdom, their eldest brother gently explained that they would each have to go through the gate by themselves and that they would probably forget what they had learned.
One of the princesses sighed, “then why did I study so hard?”
The elder brother smiled, “just because you forget it for a bit, doesn’t mean that you no longer have the knowledge. You’ll just have to figure out how to jog your memory.”
The princess nodded, “OK. Where’s my map? There’s no time like the present to get started.”
The elder Brother smiled again. “I can’t give it to you, you have to find it and learn how to use it. It’s out there. I know you’ll find it; then you can help your brothers and sisters find it. You’ll be able to work together to figure out how to follow the map. There’s enough of the map for all to use it.”
The gathered crowd of princes and princesses nodded their heads and set out toward the gate, to wait their turn; each determined to make it back home.
At the gate, the King and Queen gave each of their children a hug and a kiss. Before each son or daughter stepped through the gate, the King would whisper guidance to them.
To one princess, he whispered “I’m going to tie a cloth around your eyes. You won’t be able to see, and you’ll need to walk.” The princess groaned, walking sounded like a lot of work, and how could she get anywhere if she couldn’t see? Plus, how would she paint and draw?
She asked the King “Why Father? My brother just left riding a beautiful horse and he can still see. Why can’t I?”
The King answered “my precious child, I love you so very much. I want you to learn to love the people of our kingdom; how can you learn to love them and understand them if you are too distracted to be able to really listen to what they have to tell you?”
The princess sighed again, “I’m not sure I can do this. I’ll miss you terribly and I’m all alone.”
The King whispered. “Your brother will be there to show you the way. Find him and help others to find him so that none of you will have to travel alone.”
The Queen embraced her daughter. “Remember you can call us anytime, night or day. Your Father will be available at all times. Sometimes the reception is bad where you’ll be, so you’ll have to listen very hard. Here, take this gift from us.” And she handed the princess a wind-up song bird. “Now you’ll have music wherever you go. Beauty isn’t just for the eyes to see. Make sure to share it with your brothers and sisters.”
And so it went, one by one, each of the princes and the princesses said good-bye to their parents. Each left with their instructions from the King and some left with the understanding that their bodies would not do well outside of the gate; that it might be painful Others were overcome by sadness as they stepped out into the Kingdom. Some found that their instructions were to prepare them to live in some of the more unpleasant parts of the kingdom. Some, it seemed, walked out without any thing to hinder them at all.
Each one also left with a gift of some kind that they were to share with their siblings. The gift was to remind them of home and of their loving parents that waited for them.
They all were told to keep their eyes and ears open, so to avoid the vicious dragon and to hear the messages sent from the King.
Time moved on, as it always does. The royal princes and princesses became accustomed to living in the kingdom. They had forgotten what they’d left behind. Many didn’t share their gifts with anyone else, and some even forgot about their gift altogether. The King and Queen tried to send packages and messages to their many children to guide them, comfort them, and to help reawaken the knowledge they had learned before they left. Some of the princes and princesses heard the King’s messages and stayed in close contact with their parents, communicating often. Others were in areas that caused too much interference for the messages to get through to them.
The Eldest Prince left sign-posts to help his siblings find him. He walked the path often to see if anyone needed his help.
In the middle of the kingdom lived the very crafty dragon. Once he realized that the royal children had been warned to steer clear of any dragon that came along, he hired some help. The Trolls he employed put up signs that tricked the princes and princesses into following the wrong path. Before they even realized they were lost, the trolls would invite them to a grand party to see a great treasure and to sit down to a fine feast. The trolls even offered to teach the royal children how to get their own riches by stealing- although, they called it, “taking from those that don’t deserve it” and by trickery- they called that “setting up a great deal.” Some of the princes and princesses did so well they started to work for the dragon themselves.
The princes and princesses that refused the troll’s invitations found that the dragon didn’t give up easily. He created avalanches to bury them so that they couldn’t go any further. The eldest brother always came to dig them out, along with some of their siblings. The dragon then sent insects to bite the royal travelers to make them sick, and whispers on the breeze to try to make them turn against each other and fight. Unfortunately, some of the princes and princesses got distracted and fell behind. When the Eldest brother went back to find them, they refused his help. He would sadly nod.
“I’ll be back in case you change your mind.”
The princes and princesses that had read the map and followed their older brother, eventually made it back home. It had been a long trip on a very bumpy path.
The gates opened and the King and Queen hugged each of their children as they walked back into their home. One of the returning travelers was the princess that had left with a cloth tied over her eyes and without a horse to ride.
The King asked her “How was it?”
She smiled as she replied “it was very hard. At one point, my feet were so swollen and sore, I couldn’t take another step. It was horrible, I was stuck out there all alone, I couldn’t see to find my way and I couldn’t get through to you.”
The King nodded, “Yes, we could hear you, you just couldn’t hear us. So we alerted your brother.”
“That’s just it, Father, a man showed up and took me to his home. He fed me and cleaned my feet. Then he told me that my brother had sent him. I ended up staying there for quite a long time. Every time I heard about someone walking the streets, tired and worn, I remembered how awful it felt. I knew how to help them, so I did. I made some of my closest friends that way; they made my time away from home much happier. It didn’t even matter that I couldn’t see I learned how to listen to know them, and that did make me love them. I hope you don’t mind, but I brought many of them home with me. Oh, and by the way, I gave the wind-up song bird to a woman that decided to stay for a bit longer, she’s teaching the town how to sing.”
Joseph Fielding Smith is quoted in Conference Report, October 1914 as saying:
1. D&C 4: 2, 6-7
Thoughts when asked to speak on adversity (expert, who isn’t, prepare, uh-oh what learn)
As prepare, looked up words associated
Affliction, suffering, tribulation, calamity, stress, grief, trouble, trial and sorrow
Learned only 2 paths
2. 1 Nephi 14:7 (become hardened or humble-grow closer to the savior)
3. Alma
Read something changed perspective:
Trial of faith to reveal and strengthen faith and is period of divine testing of our Confidence in Lord….(some reason, not have confidence unfathomable)
Furthermore, are provided some tools
4. Moroni
George Q Cannon
Sounds awful lot like asking for adversity, not sure good idea
Striving to become exalted being
5. Rev 7: 14
Maybe for my own good but afraid of being miserable
Christ has compassion having been through it all himself
I know Christ wants me to be happy
6. 1 Nephi 21: 13-16
D&C 136: 29-33
Joseph Smith Teachings
“Happiness is the object and design of our existence and will be the end there of, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.”
New words to associate
Obedience, good works, faith, trust, hope, and happiness
I never got this though email. I'm glad you posted it!
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