Seventy Shares 5 Ways to Develop Spiritual Resiliency with BYU–Idaho Students

Contributed By Valerie Johnson, Church News staff writer

  • 11 May 2018

BYU–Idaho students gather to hear Elder Dyches speak at a devotional in Rexburg, Idaho, on May 8.  Photo by Jenna Ray, BYU–Idaho.

Article Highlights

  • Resilience is the ability to bounce back from difficult experiences.
  • Developing and having faith in Christ will help you recover, adapt, and persevere.

“If you have faith in Christ, as you experience life’s setbacks you can recover; as conditions change around you, you can adapt; and when adversity and discouragement are present, you can persevere and triumph.” —Elder Timothy J. Dyches, General Authority Seventy

Resiliency helps people have hope, but many people lack this quality, said Elder Timothy J. Dyches, General Authority Seventy, who spoke during a BYU–Idaho devotional held in the BYU–Idaho Center in Rexburg, Idaho, on May 8.

Elder Dyches defined resiliency as the “process of adapting and recovering in the face of adversity, bouncing back from difficult experiences,” then gave five ways to develop spiritual resiliency.

While every person’s future and journey through life will be different, every path through mortality has hazards, risks, and perils. “If you have faith in Christ, as you experience life’s setbacks you can recover; as conditions change around you, you can adapt; and when adversity and discouragement are present, you can persevere and triumph, for He has said, ‘Therefore, fear not, little flock. … Doubt not, fear not’ (D&C 6:34, 36).”

However, Elder Dyches said many people have found themselves off-center and lacking resiliency. All it takes is complacency, worldly distractions, immorality, the philosophies of men, and other pressures from the adversary. They find themselves less able to weather life’s storms.

On the other hand, those who are tenacious and resilient have hope, are obedient, attend the temple, and worthily partake of the sacrament.

“Hope is a gift from God to those who seek Him and love Him,” Elder Dyches said. “The brightness of hope brings a zest for life, a looking forward to what yet may be.”

Spiritual courage and willpower are grounded in the obedient. “We express our love to God by obedience to His commandments,” he said.

Elder Timothy J. Dyches, General Authority Seventy, speaks at a BYU–Idaho devotional on May 8. Photo by Jenna Ray, BYU–Idaho.

Elder Dyches greets a student after the devotional. Photo by Jenna Ray, BYU–Idaho.

When one experiences pain, suffering, the loss of a loved one, or disappointment, the temple can provide comfort and peace and restores spiritual resilience. Renewing covenants by taking the sacrament also boosts resilience, as those who do are “filled with hope and joy as we worthily participate in the sacrament,” he said.

Elder Dyches told the story of one of the most successful airplanes produced during World War II, the Grumman Hellcat, which shot down 19 enemy planes for each Hellcat lost. “The key to success was Leo Grumman’s motto,” he said. “‘Keep it simple, build it strong, make it work.’”

This same motto can be a guideline for those wishing to develop their own resiliency in all areas of their lives. Elder Dyches posed these questions: “What can I do to simplify my life? What can I do daily now to strengthen my faith and trust in God?”

Elder Dyches gave five suggestions to develop spiritual resilience:

  1. “Develop a core set of foundational doctrines and principles as your personal code of conduct that nothing can shake or replace. This is your testimony.” He said this is developed through consistent study of the scriptures and the teachings of living prophets and apostles.
  2. Learn how to adapt and cope with changes. Elder Dyches explained that in nature, the species that survive challenges are not the strongest or smartest. The ones that survive are those that adapt and adjust to a changing environment.
  3. “Never lose sight of your purpose on earth and your divine destiny.”
  4. Find an exercise regimen. Elder Dyches explained that working muscles helps improve the brain’s thinking processes, which increases resilience.
  5. Choose happiness. Elder Dyches said, “To me, there is nothing more important and life altering than to develop a positive outlook in your life.” He counseled the group to “trust God and believe in good things to come.”

Elder Dyches greets students after the devotional. Photo by Jenna Ray, BYU–Idaho.

Devotional attendees take notes as Elder Dyches speaks. Photo by Michael Lewis, BYU–Idaho.

Students arrive at the BYU–Idaho Center for the devotional. Photo by Ericka Sanders, BYU–Idaho.

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