Recently I have been reminiscing on the past and the trials that have gotten the best of me, and I've also been looking at others who have let themselves become powerless to their trials. Trials are amazing things, in that they bring us closer to our faith in God and the Savior, but sometimes we don't fully see our trials for what they are when we are in the brunt of the brewing storm which is life. You will struggle and you will have pain and you will have trouble recognizing your problems as the potential blessing that they are!
I have been reading The Work and The Glory books as of recently, and let me tell you they are life changing books, and I have only just begun them. Today (Just 30 minutes ago actually) I was reading and it was about how all the Mormons wanted to do was hold Baptisms for people who wanted to join the church and have their normal Sabbath meetings, but the people from town were so determined to harass them and stop them from doing just those things. the people of town accused Joseph of crimes and he was taken to court twice within two days, and the trials were long and trying on everyone, especially Joseph, but in the end Joseph was let off without any charges against him, and as him, Nathan Steed, David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery and Newel Knight trekked home after days of sleeplessness and stress Nathan broke down, he couldn't believe all of these things were happening and why the Lord wasn't intervening and helping through all of their troubles, he didn't understand how God could let this happen to them, his final question was "Why Joseph? why doesn't God intervene in your behalf?" and Joseph was taken aback at first by all the words Nathan had said, but his answer to all of the things which Nathan had said really resonated in me, insomuch that I felt that it was something everyone should, and needed to hear, Joseph replied with the following words: "I don't have all the answers, Nathan. And believe me, I've asked myself those questions many times, but whenever i get to feeling real down about these kinds of things, I remembered the Savior's counsel to his Apostles the night before his death. He warned them of the coming trouble. He spoke not only of his own death, but of the future when they would face similar trials, 'If the world hates you,' the Savior told them, 'don't be surprised, for it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you. But you are not of the world. You have been chosen out of the world, and so the world hates you too.' Then he finished saying, 'In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
These things that were written were really amazing to me, because it really tells you exactly how you should view your trials. For Nathan these words really effected him also, he knew that he had stopped thinking of the Savior altogether because he was so caught up in his own troubles and weariness! He realized where his thoughts and priorities should lie in his times of need.
In our hours of need you must try and make a conscience effort to direct your thoughts to the Savior, he will help you get through your hard times. coping with stress, death, sickness, or any manner of pain you may feel will never be particularly easy, physically emotionally or spiritually, but the Savior can help ease that pain. The one thing I always try to remember when I am struggling is the fact that God will never give us anything we cannot handle, I try and tell myself this time and time again and it seems to ease my mind.
The mind set that we get stuck in, of "I can't deal with this, I don't know how this will ever get easy," is the strongest signals of a Malevolent influence in your life (Satan in simple terms.) He wants you to think things will never get better, but you can't give into that feeling because things will ALWAYS get better if you let yourself believe they will, a good mindset coupled with prayer and the Saviors love in your life can get you through anything!
I've been in down this road a million times and it is never easy, but give yourself to fervent prayer and think oft of the Savior & Heavenly Fathers love for you and I promise your trouble will feel lighter and your future will look brighter (had to put the little rhyme in there :p) NOTHING is impossible to over come.
REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU STAND FOR (:
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