'Men ought always to pray, and not to faint'

The parable of the unjust judge and the widow (Luke 18:2-5) sometimes is told to teach that one should pray unceasingly.

In Jesus the Christ, Elder James E. Talmage noted that the judge, at first, denied justice to the widow. He eventually decided to avenge her, not because he had a desire to mete out justice but out of a desire to be rid of the widow's pleadings.

"The Lord's purpose in giving the parable is specifically stated; it was 'to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.'" (Luke 18:1.)

At the October 1989 general conference, Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve said, "Communication with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It is based on unchanging principles. When we receive help from our Father in Heaven, it is in response to faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.

"It is a mistake to assume that every prayer we offer will be answered immediately. Some prayers require considerable effort on our part. True, sometimes impressions come when we have not specifically sought them. They generally concern something we need to know and are not otherwise able to find out.

"We are here on earth to gain experience we can obtain in no other way. We are given the opportunity to grow, to develop, and to gain spiritual maturity. To do that, we must learn to apply truth. How we face challenges and resolve difficult problems is crucially important to our happiness."

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