The Psalmist thousands of years ago cried, “Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble” (Ps. 31:9). He then spoke of problems, some of which sound strangely familiar to a modern ear. This very hour in our troubled world, calamity and destruction, fear, starvation, and conflict beleaguer the earth; afflictions and adversities […]
Admittedly, most of us would rather learn the hard lessons of life in the secure comfort of a Sunday School class or in the radiant warmth of a fireplace during a family home evening. But, may I point out, it was from the cold, dark corners of Liberty Jail that came some of the most […]
At a time of enormous suffering, the Lord told the Prophet Joseph, “All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.”16 How can painful wounds be for our good? In the crucible of earthly trials, patiently move forward, and the Savior’s healing power will bring you light, understanding, peace, and hope.17 – […]
The Lord’s hand in our lives is often clearest in hindsight. As Christian philosopher Søren Kierkegaard put it: “Life must be understood backward. But … it must be lived forward.”9 – Gerrit W. Gong, “Always Remember Him,” Ensign (CR) May 2016
Each of us has a personal lens through which we view the world. Our lens gives its special tint to all we see. It can suppress some features and emphasize others. It can also reveal things otherwise invisible. Through the lens of spirituality, we can know “the things of God” by “the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor. 2:11.) […]
As we ponder the importance of learning by our own experience, we sense all the more that in our first estate we were told things now forgotten and we saw things with a wider perspective. We, at that point, had not had the personally validating experiences. Without these our determination to support divine standards would […]
Life’s experiences can range from humorous to heart-wrenching, from grim to glorious. Each experience helps us understand more about our Father’s encompassing love and our capacity to change through the Savior’s gift of grace. Keeping our covenants allows the Savior’s power to cleanse us as we learn through experience—whether it is a minor misjudgment or […]
The Apostle Paul taught an interesting lesson only a few years before the Saints in Rome were to face some of the most violent persecution of any Christian era. Paul reminded the Saints that “all things work together for good to them that love God.”2 Our Heavenly Father, who loves us completely and perfectly, permits […]
Frequently, our first reaction to hard things is “Why me?” Asking why, however, never takes away the hard thing. The Lord requires that we overcome challenges, and He has indicated “that all these things shall give [us] experience, and shall be for [our] good.”1 – M. Joseph Brough, “Lift Up Your Head and Rejoice,” Ensign […]
Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can’t see the Lord’s hand in our lives until long after trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation […]