Patience is a Virtue
This article was written by Mary A., one of our guest writers.
I have been studying patience in the scriptures and wanted to share some of my thoughts about it, as well as a few of the scriptures I’ve run across. I am basing my study on the list of scriptures on “Patience” in the Topical Guide.
In your patience possess ye your souls. (Luke 21:19)
What does that mean—to possess our souls in patience? In the context of Luke 21, Jesus is talking about the last days. Also, according to the footnotes, “possess” means “to preserve or win mastery over”—something I am sure will be needful in preparation for the last days, when times are hard.
I love the sound of that verse and I think it applies to all of us, at all times. It takes patience to grow in the gospel and to not be discouraged when we aren’t immediately perfect. And to possess our souls—what a wonderful concept! To master ourselves and live the gospel, whether it is easy or hard, whether it is convenient or not, is a true measure of how much we follow the Savior and do the Father’s will.
Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)
This is another scripture that I find beautiful and encouraging. Paul likens a life of gospel living to a race. He invites us to set aside burdens and sins and endure to the end. We don’t have to finish first, we just have to finish.
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
(James 1:3-5)
We learn from this passage that the trying of our faith works patience, and that we should let patience develop in us that we might be complete. Our trials and afflictions and temptations are truly for our good. Of course, that can be hard to see at the time, when we are in the middle of trials, but if we can keep that eternal perspective we hear so much about, we will be able to see how the strength, courage, patience, and other virtues that we gain benefit our characters.
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:3-8)
What wonderful promises Peter tells us about! He encourages us to develop these virtues and tells us we shall not “be barren nor unfruitful”—without knowledge or good works—if we add these things to our characters.
We are familiar with the word longsuffering in the scriptures—that is another word for patience. God is patient with us and so we must be patient with ourselves and with those around us.
I am far from perfect and impatience is something I battle every day. It even requires patience to overcome impatience! So often, I regret my lack of patience after I have been impatient. Now I must work on feeling that regret, or potential regret, before I am impatient. We are not yet Christlike, but we can be, if we will have the patience to persist and be diligent and endure to the end in righteousness.
October 11th, 2006 13:40
Thank you for this, Mary. I loved your comment that “it even requires patience to over come impatience!”
I also liked the idea that we can work on regret before we make a mistake. I have heard that called “prepentance.” 
October 11th, 2006 15:12
Thanks, Michelle. I write about what I need to work on! I hadn’t heard of “prepentance” before, but I like that word!!
October 12th, 2006 18:05
Great article Mary. I especially like the last six words. THAT takes patience.
October 12th, 2006 18:49
I try to wait at least 4 tenths of a second after the light turns green before honking my horn; in Houston, that’s a sign of patience. lol
October 13th, 2006 04:50
I really like the way you pulled together various scriptures, Mary. Today I was particularly struck by the phrase “let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) It might seem paradoxical to think about running with patience, but in many cases that is exactly what we are doing when we try to follow President Hinckley’s admonition to “do our very best.”
October 13th, 2006 14:31
Thanks for all of your comments! I like to hear what people think, either about the topic or about what I’ve written about the topic! (T.F., four whole tenths of a second?! I’m impressed!)
October 11th, 2007 06:41
I’m studing virtues of godliness and if you have anymore scriptures I would love it. I read A woman after god’s own heart and am trying to apply virtues to my life. Thanks this is a great start.