I have wondered at times, as I'm sure many of you have, why a loving God would allow so much suffering in the world and why do we have to have so many trials in life?"

As I have tried to live a Christ-centered life, and by praying and reading the scriptures, I have come to realize that there is a divine purpose in those trials that we must endure. They help us to grow and learn, but only if we allow them to. They cause us to look inside ourselves, and depend on our Father in heaven through our Saviors name, even Jesus Christ to help us and provide the answers we need. I believe that it is only through humility that the spirit of the Lord can be with us and teach us. What better way is there than the trials of life to remind us of our dependency upon our God.

Trials can be great blessings to us because we learn our best lessons through adversity. When times are tough and when our burdens are so heavy it feels as though there is no way out, we can turn to our Heavenly Father and He will be there. I know this to be true. I have been through many situations in my life when, in hind sight, have realized the hardships were times that the Lord provided a lesson to be learned in whatever I needed at the time, mainly patience, empathy and understanding.

He will not always remove the trial, but He will provide us extra strength to endure them. He will send the peaceful spirit of our Savior Jesus Christ to help us feel that quiet joy. Many times we must endure the strong winds of adversity, until the storm blows over and we feel the calm again. And it will come, I promise.

Here are some great scriptures that can help in those times of need:

John 16:33 33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (Christ really has overcome the world. He suffered so much while he was on this earth... but he overcame all of that for us. He can help us.)

Psalm 34:19 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Sometimes we have no idea how much we can endure until after we have had our faith sorely tried. The Lord teaches us that we will never be tested beyond that which we can endure.

1 Cor. 10:13 13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

"Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days" (Doctrine & Covenants 24:8).

Doctrine and Covenants section 122:7,8 7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. 8 The Son of Man (Christ) hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

Service to others with charity and love is a great way to overcome your trials. It helps you focus on others needs instead of your own.

Matthew 25:35,36 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

As you go through life, depend on God. One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 3:5-6 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Trust in him. He knows you personally. He knows you better than you know yourself. He is allowing you to go through life with certain challenges and if endured well, He will welcome you home with the arms of a loving parent.

If we do the best we can, in humility, we will have the confidence to accept those loving arms knowing we did our best. And with Christ's Atonement, we will have the justification to hear those welcoming words from the Lord himself, "Well done thou good and faithfull servant", and we will know that we are once again, home with our Father in heaven.

Donny

Now, as you may know, Bev Qualheim helps me with my Beliefs pages and I thought it would be nice to have her put a few words here as well.

"I have been through many trials in my life, as we all have, from emotional, and spiritual deprivation and confusion, to the death of family members and close friends. From physical ailments to near death experiences of my own and financial loss and deep sorrows that only the Lord and I know.

I cannot express the tenderness of how my heart ached like it was being ripped apart, as I cared for my dying mother when I was a new mother. I now have a form of MS which limits my physical body some days, and I rarely know which ones. But through any trial I have been in or remain in, my spirit is strengthened and enlightened by knowing that Jesus Christ is my Savior and He has been through all of the same trials, and He overcame them for me. I know that I have a loving Father in Heaven who is always listening if I will but speak with Him and share my heartfelt sorrows. He comprehends me better than I do, and He shows me which paths I need to follow in order to become the person He knows I am. He allows adversity to enter my life so that I can struggle and grow and learn.

I can honestly say that I learn the most as I strive to endure and plow my way through those thorn filled fields in my life. I learn much more than just how to survive those trials. My trials have taught me to be patient with others, and to empathize and help them since I have been down a similar road.

I have become more grateful for each day when I am able to get out of bed and I feel well. Those have become great days to me! I have never been so thankful for the people in my life, or for being able to walk without my cane or without pain most days.

I have been humbled by these experiences, and while they seem never ending some days, and I am not sure I will make it, I always have. Heavenly Father has never failed to be there if I reach for Him. Many times I sense that He has reached for me too, and lifted me up when I was too 'beaten' to ask.