Why is life so difficult sometimes?
Most of us, I think, try to do everything in our power to avoid adding more obstacles to our lives.
And yet, still they come.
On Monday I shared one reason why I feel like we sometimes have to suffer through “pointless” trials.
And today I want to talk about the other reason.
My heart gets so heavy every time I read this scripture:
“I have heard their prayers, and will accept their offering; and it is expedient in me that they should be brought thus far for a trial of their faith.” D&C 105:19
This group of saints had just marched from Ohio to Missouri.
They had hoped to relieve their brothers and sisters from their suffering. They wished for a big battle with God on their side. They had suffered quite a bit on their own while making the journey.
And now… they were being sent back home without any final ending to their march with the insight that this had all been for a “trial of their faith”.
What trials has your faith had to endure?
It can be easy to sit in a nice church with people who are our friends and say that we believe in God and Jesus.
It can be a lot more difficult to do that when you don’t feel like you have any friends.
When you are suffering physically and emotionally.
When you feel like you aren’t doing anything important.
When someone you love is taken from you.
Does your faith stay?
Was it really rooted in nice people and pleasant experiences?
Or is it faith that seems to say, “Come what may!”
God knows how deep our faith really is.
So then why do we have to experience a trial of our faith sometimes?
I think WE need to know just how far our faith will carry us.
I think we are the ones who need to see what it’s really like to actively choose faith every day, even when it’s difficult.
The trial of our faith is for our benefit, to give us more knowledge about what we really believe, deep down.
What do you think? Have you experienced trials you felt were meant to just try your faith?
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
6 Responses
Over the years I’ve heard a recurring theme from people who’ve gone through really hard trials that as they turned to the Savior they got to know Him and learned important truths like they might not of in other ways. I’ve experienced that myself too. Trials have motivated me to dig deeper into the scriptures, pray with more real intent, pay attention more to the words of our living prophets, and truly seek what Jesus would have me do
We really can learn so much from our trials, especially when we involve the Savior! Thanks for sharing!
Trials of faith. I’ve had my share and sometimes they seem pointless at the time but days, months, and years later I learn why I needed that trial.
Life to me is like going through one tunnel after another. You finally get to the light and you go around another bend and back in another tunnel. I grew up think that if I always do my best I would be okay. I mistakenly thought it meant no trials. So not true, but after every trial now I can see where the Lord was there guiding me to the light. The Lord loves us and wants us to be happy. I am slowly learning that I can be happy during a trial, as long as I’m willing to learn.
Thanks for your thoughts
I love that, thank you for sharing!
When I think about the trials of our faith I think about Abraham God already knew what kind of a man Abraham was. But he needed Abraham to know what kind of a man he was. I look at the trials that I go through as the same thing. I have learned that I am stronger and more spiritually prepared than I realize. Probably losing my 19 year old son was one of the biggest trials I’ve gone through and yet not once did I doubt God nor his goodness. Instead, I embraced the gospel more fully realizing that my Savior knew that his daughter could handle this trial and that it would bring her even closer to Him.
Thank you for sharing! It takes so much strength not to doubt our Heavenly Father through such tough trials like you’ve experienced.