It's been a long time since I've posted on here!
If you're in my ward, sorry that you just heard me say most of this in a talk a couple of weeks ago. But, as I was getting ready to speak, I learned a lot from my studying and thought I should share it. Here are some of the things I learned about trials:
Some trials come from our poor choices, but others come for other reasons that may only be fully understood--at least at the time--by our Heavenly Father. Life isn't easy, and I don’t think it was ever supposed to be. But as we pass through trials we have the opportunity to become better and learn important lessons that will help us later.
Everyone has unique circumstances, abilities, and weaknesses. People reading this, including myself, are worrying about school, work, money, family members, friends, dating, marriage, weaknesses, wrong things others have done to them, and lots of other things. I don't know who reads this blog, but if you're reading this and you're going through a hard time right now, please don't give up. Seek God and ask Him for His help. He will help you like He's helped me so many times!
Life’s hard, but we don’t have to--nor should we--face it alone. We need divine help. In my life I've learned that through God’s grace we can overcome or at least learn how to cope with our challenges and trials. However, this requires work and faith and dedication on our part. There are things we need to do in order to faithfully face and overcome our trials.
One that I'm working on it prayer. Prayer is not a passive principle. It takes time and consistent effort to develop a relationship with God through prayer.
One of the leaders of my Church, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe.”
So, sometimes God is just waiting for us to ask for what we need.
Earlier in the year, I was feeling a lot of pressure in my life. I was in an interesting situation that I didn't really understand or know how to feel comfort. I remember praying harder than I had in a long time, and over time, I felt God answer my prayer and help me with the things I needed. I didn't feel an immediate answer to the prayers I had offered, but eventually they came and I was given the help I was looking for.
From that experience, I learned a few things about trials. First, we can’t always expect answers to prayers or solutions to trials to come instantly. God doesn't want us to curl up in a ball and stay in our rooms and wait for our trials to pass us by, although some days that might be tempting. We aren't beings that were created with that intent. He expects us to get up, work hard, pray hard, serve others, and have faith. We all have hope--which is found through the Savior Jesus Christ. We need to keep our focus solely on Him and His Atonement. As we do this, we will be supported through our trials.
Another Church leader, David A. Bednar said, “You and I in a moment of weakness may cry out, ‘No one understands. No one knows.’ No human being, perhaps, knows. But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt and bore our burdens before we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price and bore that burden, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy in so many phases of our life. He can reach out, touch, succor—literally run to us—and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do through relying upon only our own power.”
Jesus Christ understands and can empathize with our trials and weaknesses. If you feel like you’re the only one who is going through a hard time, please know that everyone, no matter how perfect their life may seem, and how many advantages they may seem to have, is on the same journey as you and I, and they face many of the same difficulties that you and I face. I know that the Savior lives and that He will reach out, succor, and heal us as we will let Him into our lives.
Here are where the quotes come from:
Elder Holland: https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland_terror-triumph-wedding-feast/
Elder Bednar: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/bear-up-their-burdens-with-ease?lang=eng
