It's been said that God rewrites the book of Genesis every spring.¹ "In the beginning" takes on special meaning each year as we witness the renewed life, the rebirth, and the new beginnings that seem to be built in to earth’s cycle of seasons. It’s as if nature itself is trying to tell us that whatever we are going through, things can change—things can get better. No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. The days will become a little brighter, the weather a little warmer, and life will be restored. Ultimately, it’s a reminder of the hope expressed by Robert Browning: "God’s in his heaven—all’s right with the world!"²


We need that reassurance from time to time, especially in moments when life gets hard and all doesn't seem right with the world. When the fire of truth and faith has been extinguished, we need to know that it can be rekindled and burn again in our souls. When hearts have been broken and dreams shattered, we need to be reminded that they can be mended and rebuilt over time. Just as surely as brown grass, battered shrubs, and leafless trees can become green and blooming once again, we can believe in the promise of new life and renewed beginnings.

In that spirit, a poet once observed:
"I wonder if the Daffodil
Shrinks from the touch of frost,
And when her veins grow stiff and still
She dreams that life is lost?
Ah, if she does, how sweet a thing
Her resurrection day in spring!"³


That is the hope of this season. It is the assurance that nothing is ever permanently lost, that no one is forever gone. Indeed, heartbreak, discouragement—even death itself is not final, as long as we have hope in that "resurrection day in spring." This is why we sing, "Hail the day that sees [us] rise"—from doubt to devotion, from fear to faith, from death to life!⁴

1. See Austin O’Malley, Keystones of Thought, 5th ed.(1920), 91.
2. Pippa Passes (1841), act 2, lines 215-22.
3. Emma C. Dowd, “Daffodil and Crocus,” in Country Life in America, Apr. 1902, 218.
4. Charles Wesley, “Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise” (1742).

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At the start of a new semester, the president of a large university advised his students: "We will all fail. More than once. Every day." Not exactly the inspiring pep talk they may have expected. But then he added: "My plea for you today is to learn how to fail successfully."¹

He recounted a failure from his own background as a young lawyer, when a partner at his firm pointed out errors in a document he had carefully prepared. The criticism hurt, but he reworked the document and solved the problem. The law partner then shared this wise counsel: "Good judgment comes from experience. And experience comes from bad judgment."²

Of course, no one seeks out failure, but no one can completely avoid it either. So we may as well learn from it. In fact, it could be said that if we're not failing from time to time, we're not learning all that we can. A child who doesn't fall—a lot—never learns how to walk. A dancer, athlete, writer, or singer who never stumbles or makes mistakes never improves and never achieves greatness.

The key is the way we react to our setbacks and failures. Instead of becoming frustrated, ashamed, or discouraged, we can choose to go forward with new experience, broader perspective, better judgment, and renewed determination. We may continue to fail, but we can ensure that when we do, we fail forward.

The road of life is not a smooth highway paved with happiness and success. Potholes and detours along the way are meant to teach us and enrich our experience, if we are willing to learn from them. This is what it means to fail successfully—to not let life's failures set us back but propel us forward.

1. Kevin J. Worthen, in Valerie Johnson, "Learn to Fail Successfully, BYU President Tells Students," LDS.org Church News, Jan. 13, 2015, http://www.lds.org/church/news/learn-to-fail-successfully-byu-president-tells-students.
2. In Valerie Johnson, "Learn to Fail Successfully."

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