There's a quote that goes around--
"I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.”
The quote is sometimes attributed to the Savior, and it's often on a picture of the Lord.
It's good if people feel inspired or motivated by the quote, but I bristle inside when people believe it's scripture.
The quote is NOT from scripture. It's attributed to Mae West, who was an actress, playwright, screenwriter, and sex symbol who lived from August 17, 1893 to October 22, 1980.
There is truth in the quote. Things that are worthwhile require effort. They require us to do something. We cannot acquire that which is worthwhile simply be sitting around wishing for it. We have to do, to act in faith.
However, despite what some variations of the quote state--"God never said it would be easy, he just promised it would be worth it"--I have yet to find anywhere in any Christian book of scripture where God said that.
In fact, I've read the opposite.
In the book of Matthew, chapter 11 verses 28 through 30, state:
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Did you catch that?
The Lord invites us to come unto him. We're supposed to cast our burdens at his feet and be yoked with him. His yoke is easy and his burden is light.
Where does that say it's not easy? It does require effort. We have to do.
If we truly give up our natural tendencies and seek to do the will of the Father, if we really follow the Lord, that path is easy. But, there isn't anything complicated about doing it.
We make it hard. We make it complicated.
We say we want to follow the Savior, but we don't want to give up the ways of the natural man. We don't want to give up some sin or vice or even just a habit that keeps us from becoming a little better.
We want the blessings of following the Lord, while we continue to live and pursue the ways of Babylon.
That's where it's not easy. There's a conflict between trying to follow God's commandments and living after the manner of the world. Most people will default to the ways of the world, usually because even though we know there isn't long-term happiness we get a little jolt of pleasure.
Most want the magic pill. Take one and your done. Virtually no effort and no change on our part, where we can keep doing what we want to do.
And, yes, following the Gospel is not magic pill easy.
Following the Lord requires discipline, persistence, and diligence. But what the Lord asks us to do isn't hard, it just requires consistent, regular effort on our parts. And because of the ease, it's also easy to let things slide. Soon we may realize we're off the path and we have to work to get back. And if we've become too careless and slothful, it can be a challenge to put ourselves back on the path.
The prophet Alma gave counsel to his son Helaman and taught him about the ease of the Lord's way. He compared it to the Liahona (Alma 37:38), the compass the Lehi and his family used to get through the wilderness.
If Lehi and his family had faith in God, and believed the spindles of the Liahona would point the way, it would show them the path to take (Alma 37:40). But because it was easy, they were often slothful and didn't exercise faith and diligence (Alma 37:41) they didn't travel in a direct course (Alma 37:42) . As a result they were also afflicted with greater afflictions.
Then Alma compares the Liahona with following the word of Christ.
"For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land." - Alma 37:44
And he counsels his son in verse 46:
"O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever." - Alma 37:46
Nowhere do the scriptures state that when you follow the Lord your troubles will be gone, that life will be free of problems or difficulties. Most true Christians will recognize that following the Lord will bring more adversities and trials.
However, few recognize that facing these adversities and trials can be easier when our heart has real intent, when we put our faith in the Lord. It's can be enabling and empowering. But most are slothful and don't do what we need to do to have the strength and guidance we should have. And what I've observed and experienced is many of difficulties are results of bad choices we make, of our failure to do the things we know we should be doing, or of us doing what we shouldn't be doing.
Anyway, if you think easy is living as you want and all you need to do is take a salvation pill to be saved, then you're right, living the Gospel is not that kind of easy.
Following the Lord is a way of life, a way to have a better life not just in the eternal perspective but also for our mortal life. Because it is a way of life (and not just a Sunday activity) there are things that we need to consistently be doing. Following the Gospel is growing and becoming better, and that requires dedicated and persistent effort. The only thing hard about the Gospel is when we don't want to give up those things that are holding us back. It's like trying to drive while keeping the emergency brake on; we don't go very far or very fast and we end up causing unnecessary problems with the vehicle.
So, if you want don't want to become a new creature in Christ, and you want to hold on to some or all of your old ways and beliefs, then, yes, following the Lord will be challenging. And if you care more about what other people think about you, even though it really isn't our business what others think about us, then following after the Savior is not easy.
Here's the link the Alma chapter 37
