"Endure to the end." What does it mean to you?

[Guest]

I had a conversation with my sweet grieving mom yesterday, and figured out that she has a really hardline and somewhat hopeless understanding of what "endure to the end" means. I'm trying to find ways to teach her that the Gospel really is Good News, and enduring isn't about doing everything, and doing it perfectly all the time. 

 

So, what does "endure to the end" mean to you?

[The Folk Prophet]

At the risk of sounding flippant, I'll quote Galaxy Quest.

 

Never give up. Never surrender.

 

By which I mean. Keep trying. That's what it means to me. Stay faithful and committed to the gospel and Christ come what may. Keep repenting. Keep working to better yourself. Etc.

[Josiah]

'End' doesn't only mean a final point or conclusion. It can also be defined as a goal or purpose. What is the 'end' or purpose of the gospel? It is immortality and eternal life - or exaltation in eternal families.

 

To me, "endure to the end" very literally means "continue on to exaltation". 

[NeuroTypical]

I was so impacted by the notion, that I've made it half of my personal mission statement.  Basically, my mortal probation here contains many alluring paths I could take that would lead me and others to destruction.  ETTE = I take zero of those paths.  And I don't get to rest from this plan until my heart beats its last.

[beefche]

Eowyn, your mom is hurting--badly. And as much as you are hurting, her pain is different since her relationship lost was different than your relationship lost.

 

When my dad lost my mom, I would say it took at least a year before he started getting out of the fog he was in. He functioned during that year, but there was little to no joy. He had moments of laughing or smiling (grandkids helped there), but it really wasn't until after the year anniversary of her death that I saw how he was doing better at the day to day living.

 

My mom and dad had just celebrated their 49th anniversary when she passed. I can only imagine how difficult it was for him to establish new routines, thought processes, meals, etc. 

 

Your mom's viewpoint of life or even eternity is a little skewed right now. Maybe her ETTE viewpoint has always been a little different, but right now, I'm guessing she is finding it hard to see joy or happiness without your dad in the picture. This church is such a family oriented church, that I'm guessing that just attending Sacrament meeting is very difficult for her. As I'm sure you know, when you are depressed, you can't see joy as an end result of anything.  

 

I only have my experience to rely on. What helped my dad was several things:  we, kids, were never afraid to talk about mom...we called him on her birthday, their anniversary, the anniversary of her death, etc. I still do that and we talk about her. When he was in the depths of his depression, he talked to his doctor who put him on Prozac to help. It took about a month of Prozac before dad said he was feeling a little better.  He developed his hobbies and began spending time with his friends and family--he kept busy with interesting/worthwhile things.  

 

I'm so sorry that your family has to go through this grief. It's been 8 years since my mom passed and I still think of her each day (if not each day, then several times a week). Again, I can't even imagine what it must be like for my dad who had her for 49 years. As her daughter (and involve your siblings with this), be sure someone is calling/talking to her daily, invite her out of the house on at least a weekly basis, ask her help for things she can do, encourage her to talk to a doctor if necessary, if you know her friends then ask them to help, don't be afraid to talk about your dad with her.

[Guest]

Thank you, beefche. That's very insightful and helpful. 

[Palerider]

I think of never giving up ....and as President Hinckley always said .... Things will get better ....you'll see

[Guest]

My mom's bishop asked her to be in charge of the ward bulletin. She accepted, as she's always done, then went home and realized she doesn't even know how to turn a computer on. After agonizing for a few days, she called the bishop and told him she couldn't accept the calling.

 

She honestly believes that her salvation is in jeopardy because she didn't fill a calling as asked. She says that's part of enduring to the end, and she failed. 

 

I'm glad beefche brought up the distorted thought patterns that occur with depression. I probably didn't pick that up (duh) because I'm still in that place a bit, too. I'm not sure we'll ever stop being sad that he's gone. 

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

One dictionary definition of "endure" is suffer patiently.  So I think of "endure to the end," as a gentle reminder and warning that this life is not easy, it wasn't meant to be.  It is a time of learning and hopefully growth.  The scriptures are full of examples of good people who suffered.  And yet, we have a tendency to ask, "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people."  Endure to the end, reminds me that pain is part of the plan, which might sound pessimistic, but I actually find it quite comforting because "to the end" means that beyond this life there is something better....if we just hold on.

 

I'm sorry about your mom's definition (which I completely disagree with).  Have you tried talking to her about Pres. Uchtdorf's talk about grace from the last conference?  

[james12]

In the gospels there is a beautiful teaching of Jesus, it is the parable of the Pharisee and Publican:

 

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I posses. And the publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (Luke 18:9-14)

Now days immediately when we hear "Pharisee" with think "wicked" and our bias spills over into the parable because we assume the pharisee is lying when he lists all the commandments he has kept. But the Savior gives us no reason to suppose he is a liar. It appears he does keep all the commandments. But the real point is the publican. He who would "not lift so much as his eyes to heaven" was justified before the Lord while the pharisee was not.

 

Like the publican, God wants our hearts. If we are humble and willing, he can work with anyone, including us. But he cannot do anything with the person full of pride, full of self-righteousness. At baptism we entered into a covenant to be willing to serve him. This covenant is renewed every sacrament meeting when we recommit to be willing to follow him. It is this covenant and this attitude that keeps us in the kingdom of God. To me this is the meaning of endure to end.

[cdowis]

I think of never giving up ....and as President Hinckley always said .... Things will get better ....you'll see

 

 "endure to the end"  -->> enjoy it now while you can, because it's going to get worse.

 

(cdowis "It only gets better after you are dead")

Edited August 26, 2015 by cdowis

[David13]

To me it means, one day at a time.

And keep busy.  Trust God but do the footwork.

Take any calling.  Find a way to do it. 

Keeping busy takes the mind off the pain of losing a loved one or of stage 4 cancer.

Staying active in the church is a big part of it for me.  The church is so much more than just Sacrament meeting.

dc

[blueskye]

I see enduring to the end as a fundamental attitude of a Christian. Tied to the Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity. Our hope is not of the kind that is a wish, such as wishing for snow on Christmas, but unsure that it will occur. But a certain hope, of the type one has, for say, a returning loved one, that will arrive on a specified day. Christian Hope, has a name: Jesus Christ. Our hope is sure.

Knowing how to wait, while patiently enduring trials, is necessary for the believer to be able to receive what is promised. Eternal life, in the presence of God. It is a lived hope, based on a life that comprehends and is based on certain Hope. "God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control." Love, being central to, if not the cause, of the Christian virtues of faith, hope, and charity (caritas).

God's charity towards us, who are neither worthy or merit His gifts, when recognized, is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Turning from despair, to hope. From enmity, to charity. From doubt, to faith. So it is, we do not endure alone, but with Jesus, who endured all for us. But more personalized, for me. For you. For everyone.

Endure to the end. Accept the suffering that comes our way, not in an attitude of defeat, but of Hope.

[Ironhold]

It's not about how many times you go down. 

 

It's about how many times you get back up. 

[Blackmarch]

I had a conversation with my sweet grieving mom yesterday, and figured out that she has a really hardline and somewhat hopeless understanding of what "endure to the end" means. I'm trying to find ways to teach her that the Gospel really is Good News, and enduring isn't about doing everything, and doing it perfectly all the time.

So, what does "endure to the end" mean to you?

Getting back up after life has run you over with a bus.

[Vort]

"...let us know, our indiscretion sometime serves us well 

When our deep plots do pall; and that should learn us 

There's a divinity that shapes our ends, 

Rough-hew them how we will..." (Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2)

 

Ask the English gardener what he is doing to the rosebushes with those garden shears, and he will respond that he is "shaping their ends". I suspect that to "endure to the end" means to last or bear out until the goal is reached, until our ends are shaped by that divinity Hamlet invokes. To quote more Shakespeare:

 

"Love's not time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come.

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,

But bears it out e'en to the edge of doom." (Sonnet CXVI)

[Traveler]

I am inclined to believe that enduring to the end means being happy that G-d loves us and enjoying the company of anyone that comforts us in life's joureny. And if and whenever we have a chance - showing apprication for those we care about and are close to us.

[Sojourn]

I decided a long time ago that I don’t like the words endure to the end.  It struck me as if to say I hope I die before I screw up.  I like the words be joyfully engaged in a good cause and stretch your character a bit every week until at length you look back and see a mighty change has taken place in your heart over time.

[Vort]

"'Hang in there' is not a gospel principle."

 

(Or words to that effect from the latest General Conference)

[Guest]

I've decided that loss/grief are the hardest parts of this life. I also know how very aware Heavenly Father is of the pain that comes from separation, however temporary. Losing a husband of 57 years, beloved Dad, best grandpa in the world. . . it has an enormous impact that has rippled through the whole of our family. 

 

So a few weeks after asking this question, and after some answers that are too sacred to share specifically, here's what I think: Enduring such a thing well means leaning on the One who can give us comfort. It's turning to Heavenly Father, not away from Him, even though we don't understand why Dad was taken (he was supposed to be on a new "miracle" drug for his disease, but it killed him instead of making him better). I think that's what it is, at least for now. Counting on Grace to get us through this, because we certainly can't ourselves. ..  I'm seeing that with the family members who have turned away from their faith. 

 

It's been ten months today. It's excruciating even to write that. Sometimes I have to remind myself that he isn't just a 20 minute drive away. I never imagined I would miss my dad so much. It's just that much worse for my mom. 

[Vort]

I dreamed last night that I was talking about my dad, and I kept being so stricken by grief that I couldn't talk. Interestingly, my dream conversation was with my aunt who died earlier this year. The human brain is an amazing thing, and if we could understand our dreams, I'm sure we could understand ourselves a lot better.

[Guest]

I seem to deal with things a lot in dreams.