In the past, you may have prayed to be spared all trials. Today, as a new member of the church, you may want to consider offering thanks for your trials. Dallin H. Oaks said, “Our needed conversions are often achieved more readily by suffering and adversity than by comfort and tranquility…”
Think of a time when you found yourself being stronger than you ever imagined, or doing something you never thought possible. Think of a time when you became more than you thought you could become. Nearly always, these times grew out of trials. of our comfort zone and require us to do or become what we would never bother to become on an ordinary, easy day. A mother who could never before learn a language learns sign language because her child is born deaf. It isn’t easier to learn, but she is motivated to push beyond previous limitations. A teenager who is shy reaches out to comfort another teen at the death of a mutual friend. She’s no less shy, but her own grief and compassion enable her to move beyond herself. A father facing unemployment and a nearly empty bank account struggles to hang on to his faith and emerges with a testimony greater than any he held previously.
I was once taught that my trials, which had been great, were to make it possible for me to serve others who faced the same trials. I was instructed to share with others what my trials had taught me, so their own testimonies could be strengthened. This taught me to watch for the lesson in the trials. What could I learn? How could I grow? And finally, when my own testimony was strengthened, how could I pass along my learning to others now facing those trials?
Over time, this led me to feel grateful for those past trials. Without them, I recognized that much of who I am today would not exist. My faith would be weaker, because I would never have been pushed to find out if my testimony could withstand the darker days of life. 2 Nephi 2:2, in the Book of Mormon, says “Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.”
I’ve always found Nephi to be a great example of this type of faith. His brothers repeatedly tried to kill him, and yet he used these experiences to become stronger. If he became discouraged, he reached deep inside for more faith, and all this led to his extraordinary skills as a prophet in his adult years. When I’m struggling with trials, I like to turn to Nephi, who despite the amazing number of terrible trials he faced, was still able to say that he had been blessed all the days of his life. He knew, better than most, that trials bring testimony when handled with faith.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
