As I write this we still haven't found a job. I've been forced to re-evaluate my food storage, our current spending and our savings. What can we do without? I've realized that the counsel by our prophets to have a good food storage doesn't necessarily mean that we'd need it during a natural disaster or of a similar situation. We might just need it because we've lost our job. I feel so blessed that I've tried to be diligent in this counsel and have built up a pretty good food storage.
Paul's ankle has now healed and that's been a blessing that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. I had surgery on my ear and when I woke up I was very dizzy, disoriented, nauseous, and couldn't walk straight because of no balance. I didn't know that this wasn't normal so finally after about 5 days of not being able to get out of bed, I called my doctor. He saw me in his office and explained that I had pretty severe Vertigo which is very rare after this procedure. He said he had only seen it twice in the 12 years he's been an ENT. I also have to no taste on the right side of my mouth. Another rarity with this procedure. He prescribed me 3 different medications to take and explained that it probably wouldn't go away until after my ear had completely healed in another 4-6 weeks. This was horrible news! How could I do my day to day responsibilities and how could Paul find a job? Once we got home, I asked our dear friend if he would help Paul give me a priesthood blessing. 3 days later the Vertigo was completely gone. I've been so blessed to be able to get back to my day to day responsibilities and that Paul has been able to get back on track to finding a job to support our family. I've really tried to look at all the blessings to come from these trials. Here are a few I've recognized.
#1. We're blessed that we don't have to work for such a dishonest company anymore. We weren't comfortable working under their circumstances so now I guess we won't have to!
#2. Paul sprained his ankle after we had already lost our job so he didn't have to take time off of work because of it.
#3. I had my surgery after we'd already lost our job so Paul, again, didn't have to take time off of work to take care of the children and I.
#4. We have enough savings to get us by for a while and to pay the co-pays and deductibles from my surgery and post-ops.
#5. We have our tax returns coming soon to supplement our income for a couple months.
#6. We have a good food storage to get us by.
#7. We're all healthy. We have each other.
It's been hard to come up with the blessings of these trials but it's imperative that I do! I know that trials make us stronger and that the Lord promised that "after the trial of our faith cometh the blessings." Well, I'm trying to see some of those blessings while we're going through these trials. It's what is strengthening me and getting me through them. I have such a strong testimony of priesthood blessings! I know the Lord blessed the Vertigo to go away so I could continue with the things I needed to do. I know that if we endure these trials to the end, the Lord will bless us with the righteous desires of our hearts! We will find the means to provide for our family. We will be stronger for what we're going through. I know the Lord is there and that he loves us and is watching out for us! I know that I need to be strong and to be a good example to my children that with each other, with our combined prayers, with attending the temple, with our faith, we will be blessed!
Trials and Adversity Lesson 15
Understanding the Purpose of Trials and Adversity
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1. Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?
In the name of Christ, our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favor
As a shield today?[Chorus]
Oh, how praying rests the weary!
Prayer will change the night to day.
So, when life gets dark and dreary,
Don’t forget to pray.2. When your heart was filled with anger,
Did you think to pray?
Did you plead for grace, my brother,
That you might forgive another
Who had crossed your way?3. When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was full of sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow
At the gates of day?
Elder Robert E. Wells shared the following experience that helped him gain a new perspective on the purpose of trials and adversity: “I have been flying many kinds of aircraft for the last 30 years, both in the United States and in Latin American countries. Not too long ago when I had returned to the [United] States after an absence of some years, a very dear friend offered me the use of his new [airplane]. …
“We discussed my qualifications of being covered under his insurance policy, and it turned out that I needed a check ride with a qualified inspector as it had been some time since I had flown that particular type of plane.
“The arrangements were made, and I met the inspector at the side of the airplane at the appointed hour with my licenses from the USA, Argentina, Paraguay, and Ecuador, and logbooks showing flights in Cessna 310s across jungles, mountains, deserts, international boundaries, etc. He smiled calmly but was unimpressed and said, ‘I’ve heard about you, and I have no doubt about how much flying you have done, but I have to assume that those flights were when nothing went wrong. Now let’s fire up this bird and see how well you fly it when everything goes wrong!’
“For the next hour he made everything go wrong! He simulated every emergency he could think of. He turned things off that should have been on. He turned things on that should have been off. He tried to create disorientation or panic. He really wanted to know how well I could fly when everything did go wrong! In the end he climbed out, signed my logbook, and announced, ‘You’re okay. …’
“One of the purposes of this life is to be tested, tried, and proven to see how well we will serve the Lord. The Prophet Joseph [Smith] said that we would be tested to see if we would serve and remain faithful through all hazards. We knew before we came that there would be many adverse circumstances to test us: accidents, sickness, and disease to prove us; temptations and distractions to try us; disappointments, discouragements, reverses, failures, and all kinds of situations to determine our character. …
“The question still is: How well can you fly it when everything goes wrong? How well can you live when every test, every trial, every proof of your faithfulness is exacted of you?” (Robert E. Wells, “How Well Can You Fly It When Everything Goes Wrong?” New Era, June 1978, 4–6).
It is evident that we will all face trials and adversity, regardless of how righteous we are. President John Taylor commented: “I heard the Prophet Joseph say, in speaking to the Twelve on one occasion: ‘You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and (said he) God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God’” (in Deseret News [Weekly], 29 Aug. 1883, 498).
Coping with Adversity
Sister Stella Oaks, mother of Elder Dallin H. Oaks, told the following story of some of her trials and testing and how she learned to cope:
“To find one’s own personal relationship with Heavenly Father, to never doubt that he guides the details of our lives, to be able in life’s conflict to say, ‘Thy will be done,’ is the attaining of the ability to walk by faith. This ability is something that each soul must find in his own way through the creative living-out of any and all trying experiences that may come along. My proving ground came in learning to be obedient to a frightening command—that of accepting the imminent death of my husband after only eleven years of marriage and accepting the challenge of being a mother and woman alone in the world.
“I had watched Lloyd [my husband] become weaker and lose ground from day to day. …
“One June night I knelt alone in prayer, utterly spent, wondering at that midnight hour how humble one had to be to receive an answer to one’s pleading. It was just at that moment that I felt an envelopment of the spirit of peace, a profound assurance that God is over all and that it was his will that was in command and not mine. I could finally say, ‘Thy will be done,’ and feel the peace. … I relaxed in my faith and discovered that I had a new trust in the Lord.
“But even though this sweet peace enveloped me I still could not sleep, and once more I turned on the light. As I reached for the Doctrine and Covenants, … it fell open to a section where [a message was given to me]. … I was given to know that the Lord loved me and that I would be made equal to my mission. I felt an encircling love that has sustained me ever since that great moment of change in my life. I have had continual hardships and challenges but always the sure knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, our Redeemer, and that he sustains us through the opposition that must arise in all things” (“Thy Will Be Done,” in Leon Hartshorn, comp., Remarkable Stories from the Lives of Latter-day Saint Women, 2 vols. [1973–75], 2:183–84).
- What did Sister Oaks learn through her trials? What are some lessons you have learned through adversity that you could appropriately share with the class?
Why is it important that we learn to accept the will of the Lord?
As Sister Oaks exercised faith and prayer, gained strength and assurance from the scriptures, and leaned on Jesus Christ, she discovered that she could deal with her trials. The same holds true for each of us.
Faith in Our Savior
Jesus Christ will help us bear our burdens if we seek Him.
- Read Matthew 11:28–30. What blessing is promised to those who come to Jesus Christ?
Elder Richard G. Scott said: “To exercise faith is to trust that the Lord knows what He is doing with you and that He can accomplish it for your eternal good even though you cannot understand how He can possibly do it. We are like infants in our understanding of eternal matters and their impact on us here in mortality. Yet at times we act as if we knew it all. When you pass through trials for His purposes, as you trust Him, exercise faith in Him, He will help you. That support will generally come step by step, a portion at a time. While you are passing through each phase, the pain and difficulty that come from being enlarged will continue. If all matters were immediately resolved at your first petition, you could not grow. Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 19; or Ensign, Nov. 1995, 17).
Prayer and Fasting
“Prayer in the hour of need is a great boon. From simple trials to our Gethsemanes, prayer can put us in touch with God, our greatest source of comfort and counsel” (Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, 91; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, 66).
When we need special help from the Lord, we should remember that strength can come from fasting. As we accompany our prayers with fasting, we can feel the Spirit and learn the Father’s will for us. (See lesson 6, “Fasting,” in The Latter-day Saint Woman, Part A.)
Scriptures
The scriptures contain many passages that can enlighten, encourage, and comfort. We can find answers to our questions in the scriptures. The words of the living prophets can give direction. When we face our problems, strengthened with the messages of the scriptures, we will find new courage and direction.
Priesthood Blessings
We have the privilege of receiving blessings through the priesthood. These blessings can be given for many reasons, including sickness, distress, and trial. (See lesson 12, “Priesthood Ordinances,” in The Latter-day Saint Woman, Part A.)
President Ezra Taft Benson explained some of the times when we could ask for a blessing: “In a particularly stressful time, or in the anticipation of a critical event, one can seek for a blessing under the hands of the priesthood. Even the Prophet Joseph Smith sought and received a blessing under the hands of Brigham Young and received solace and direction for his soul” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1974, 92; or Ensign, Nov. 1974, 66).
Our patriarchal blessing can also give us insight and help us find direction. Often we can find answers to our problems or concerns through studying this special blessing.
Service and Work
As we become involved in helping others, our thoughts are lifted from our own personal problems. President Lorenzo Snow said, “When you find yourselves a little gloomy, look around you and find somebody that is in a worse plight than yourself; go to him and find out what the trouble is, then try to remove it with the wisdom which the Lord bestows upon you; and the first thing you know, your gloom is gone, you feel light, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you, and everything seems illuminated” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1899, 2–3).
Strength from Others
True friends who can listen to our problems and give us counsel and encouragement are a great help in times of stress. The Prophet Joseph Smith wrote of the joy of friends: “How sweet the voice of a friend is; one token of friendship from any source whatever awakens and calls into action every sympathetic feeling” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 134).
Our greatest friendships should begin in our homes and extend from there. We can help our friends bear their burdens, and they should help us bear ours.
- Mosiah 18:8–9.
8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are adesirous to come into the bfold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are awilling to mourn with those that bmourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as cwitnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the dfirst resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
Enduring Our Burdens Well
While the Prophet Joseph Smith was illegally jailed in Liberty, Missouri, he received a revelation in answer to his petition to the Lord. This revelation is found in Doctrine and Covenants 121 and contains information about the blessings we can receive if we endure afflictions well.
- Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–8.
- 7 My son, apeace be unto thy soul; thine badversity and thine afflictions shall be but a csmall moment;
8 And then, if thou aendure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy bfoes.
- What blessings were promised to Joseph Smith if he endured well?
George A. Smith recalled the following counsel given by Joseph Smith: “He [Joseph] told me I should never get discouraged whatever difficulties might surround me. If I was sunk in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged but hang on, exercise faith and keep up good courage and I should come out on the top of the heap” (quoted in My Errand from the Lord: A Personal Study Guide for Melchizedek Priesthood Quorums, 1976–77, 175–76).
To help us endure our afflictions in the manner suggested, we might ask ourselves, “How can I make this experience a blessing in my life? What can I learn from this experience?”
Elder Robert E. Wells said: “Sometimes we go many years with no problems, and then they seem to come all at once, and the burdens seem to be more than we can bear. But through it all, we have two main strengths to rely on: (1) We knew before we came that it would be like this, yet we wanted to come because the blessings of remaining faithful to the end would earn us eternal exaltation. (2) We will never be tempted beyond our ability to resist” (New Era, June 1978, 5).
- 1 Corinthians 10:13.
- 13 There hath no temptation ataken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be btempted above that ye are able; but will with the ctemptation also make a way to descape, that ye may be able to ebear it.
- How does the Lord help us bear our trials?
Blessings after Tribulation
- John 16:33. The Lord reassures us that we can have peace even though we have tribulation.
Job, who faced great tribulation, received his blessings after he had endured. The Lord accepted Job and gave him “twice as much as he had before. … The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” (Job 42:10, 12).
- Doctrine and Covenants 58:2–4. Why must we remain faithful even in times of trial?
3 Ye cannot behold with your natural aeyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the bglory which shall follow after much tribulation.
4 For after much atribulation come the bblessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be ccrowned with much dglory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.
Even as Jesus Christ received His glory after He endured all things, so may we. “He that remaineth steadfast and is not overcome, the same shall be saved” (Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:11).
Conclusion
In this life we will face much adversity. The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that he would suffer great afflictions. Also he partly explained why: “Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” (D&C 122:7). This comforting assurance enabled Joseph to endure his afflictions well. The promises given to him apply to us also: “Therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever” (D&C 122:9).
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