Imagine that life’s journey is a mountain where financial, emotional or whatever other success you aspire to is at the peak, and we climb through our life towards this final goal. We often measure how well we are doing on our climb against how others are fairing. The further along someone is in a career, marriage, or in building relationships of trust, the higher up they are. Those who have developed gentleness, patience and kindness are closer to the ideal that we are all trying to achieve.

I have found, however, that some people are born far higher on the mountain than the rest of us and it just does not seem fair. I have friends who were born into great wealth and also into great DNA. They have the brains to learn, and the inborn discipline and ordered mind to bring about great success, and loads of cash to make it all happen. I have met musicians that have talent beyond measure that no amount of practicing could duplicate, and the maturity to hone their craft, and the presence of mind to keep first things first. And then I have met others born into great misfortune. Poverty, abuse, addiction, mental illness and sometimes just bad luck.

Some people are born with certain attributes that give them a tremendous advantage. While some have to struggle to quell a seemingly pre-programmed temper, others are naturally calm through no effort of their own. I have learned that it is not so much about how successful you are in life but how successful you are in working with the hand that you’ve been dealt.

I remember using an object lesson where I gave two people pieces of wood and the challenge to make the highest tower possible. One had spheres, the other square blocks. The first was frustrated because, despite all his effort, he could not even stack one on top of the other. The other made an elaborate castle with all sorts of fancy satellite buildings, bridges and guard towers. Once they were done, I asked the group who won. They said the second builder. I repeated the instructions – to build the highest tower possible. They still did not get it. The fact is, the first made the highest one possible. He exerted all his efforts to make even one stack on top of the other and failed so the highest he could go was one. The other could have made his tower several meters high but he wasted his resources by showing off his architectural skills.

Each of us are climbing a mountain, and it is not how close we get to the top, but how far up we travel from our starting point. We are racing against ourselves and no one else. The hiker that is dropped by helicopter a kilometre from the summit should not be compared with the one who started at the bottom. There is a misconception among some theists that if you are faithful, you can accomplish anything, no matter your starting point. This comes from a misunderstanding of biblical passages such as Matthew 17:20 … If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. And Mark 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

The mistake that occurs is taking the reference to the extreme. It we literally accept that ALL things are possible through faith, there would be no blind people at church. News papers would be filled with stories of miraculous recoveries from 3 degree burns, schizophrenia and other insurmountable stumbling blocks. What God can do is help you to be strong enough to carry the burden and to learn how to cope and to succeed in spite of them. This is the greater gift. This is not to say that miracles do not occur, but these miracles are not what Matthew and Mark are referring to here.

In the LDS scripture of the Book of Mormon we find the following often misunderstood passage:

Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

I say this is often misunderstood because some see ‘will I make weaknesses become strengths’ rather than ‘will I make weak things become strong’.

There is a significant difference between a weakness and a weak thing. Low energy is a weakness, a simple act of kindness is a weak thing. In another Book of Mormon passage we find the following: Alma 37:6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. I am of the view that ‘weak things’ is synonymous to ‘simple things’.

We all have limits, and often we do not see the limits of others who appear to be succeeding where we are failing. It breaks my heart when someone feels they have lost favour with God because He has not taken away their anxiety, inattention or bipolar disorder. The promise as I see it is that we will receive all we need to live an abundant life with what we have, and although we have great weaknesses, God does not need the brilliant, the bold or the beautiful to accomplish great things. God will give you simple things so that all things that are necessary will be possible. He works through the simple means of those who are low on the proverbial mountain.

I have learned also that in life there are many different types of mountains and we tend to only notice the mountains we struggle to climb. I have met many a millionaire whose heart is hard and cruel, and many an athlete who have low IQ’s. I have met doctors with severe medical problems, musicians with little to no hearing, farmers with hay fever and accountants who can’t add. Our problems are just different. Life is fair in different ways. A fish cannot compete against a monkey in a tree-climbing competition, nor can a monkey compete against a horse in a load bearing competition.

You may have to take more time to complete your engineering degree if you have a learning disability, or learn more coping mechanisms to become a teacher if you have a fear of public speaking. But small things will come your way such as an understanding mentor, an eye opening article, or the discovery of a market niche most suited to your strengths. And as you work with what life has dealt you, you become a small thing to strengthen someone else who finds them self at the bottom of the mountain.

My life lesson is that you have to just keep climbing the mountain.