Take Up The Cross

I remember several years ago wondering what this phrase meant. I had a really great scripture study that led me to the answer and I was able find it through a good search and mark it in my scriptures and I remember understanding it. I'm learning fast the saying, "The fadest ink is stronger than the brightest memory" is true. Which explains that I had some trouble remembering what it meant--even if I remembered finding the answer--because I never wrote it down. This is from the D&C Student Manuel.

D&C 23:6. What Does It Mean to Take Up the
Cross?
“The term take up your cross is found in both ancient
and modern scripture, including at least three
references in the Doctrine and Covenants (23:6; 56:2;
112:14). In Matthew 16:24 the Savior says, ‘If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me.’ The [Joseph Smith
Translation] of the Bible provides the meaning of
this term as given by Jesus Christ himself: ‘And now
for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself all
ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my
commandments.’ (Matt. 16:25–26.)” (Ludlow,
Companion, 2:56.)

Elder James E. Talmage wrote: “The cross to
be taken up may be heavy, perhaps to be dragged
because too burdensome to be borne. We are apt to
assume that self-denial is the sole material of our
cross; but this is true only as we regard self-denial
in its broadest sense, comprising both positive and
negative aspects. One man’s cross may consist mostly
in refraining from doings to which he is inclined,
another’s in doing what he would fain escape. One’s
besetting sin is evil indulgence; his neighbor’s a lazy
inattention to the activities required by the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, coupled perchance with puritanical rigor
in other observances.” (Vitality of Mormonism, p. 339;
see also Notes and Commentary on D&C 56:2.)

Quick thoughts: We all know that a question everyone asks at one point in life is why bad things happen to good people. Bad things do happen. They will happen. We live in an imperfect world and we're imperfect people, how can we expect a perfect life? Jesus, even told us that life would be hard. That we would have to occasionally "take up the cross". I think when things go wrong, we usually react in an "ungodly" or "natural man" sort of way. How the world would react, think, say, do. But to "deny ourselves of all ungodliness" (Moroni 10:32) is what we should remember. Everyone's way of being "ungodly" is different--from what Elder Talmage wrote. Part of returning to Heavenly Father is enduring to the end, which includes a lot. It includes denying ourselves of the weaknesses we indulge ourselves with. It's by doing what we can with what we're given. And always, always keeping our hearts and minds on the Savior. "For a man to take up his cross is to deny himself of all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my commandments". Of course, we know the help we'll receive to do those things and the reward, in itself, includes much more mercy than just satisfying the demands of justice. But God can do that, because of the Atonement and his love for us.