Today’s Reading: 2 Nephi 2:1-7
2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.
Sometimes faith is kindled in the midst of affliction because we need to trust in the Lord. Other times, “Faith is kindled by hearing the testimony of those who have faith” [i] Such was the case for me when a member on my mission told me of her greatest affliction. In a quiet moment, this sweet sister told me that her son had passed away unexpectedly years before. She told me that it was the hardest thing that she, her husband, or her children had ever been through. It was a tragic loss. Although it felt like their hearts had been torn apart, it didn’t tear their family apart. In fact, it unified them.
At the time of her son’s death, most of her children were headed down the wrong path and there was a great deal of contention in the family. I’m sure she prayed for them and did what she could to persuade them back to the path of righteousness, but they would not be persuaded. It was only when her son–their brother–was taken from them that their hearts were broken, softened, and turned toward their Savior and each other.
Through humility and repentance, anger and sin melted away, leaving faith, love, and hope. From that point her family became stronger than she could even imagine. I felt the Spirit as she shared her beautiful story. But then the real learning came for me. This meek, humble woman told me in effect that although it was hard, she felt it was a blessing that her son had passed away because of all the good that came as a result.
At that moment, my faith grew in the principle Lehi taught:
“. . .thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain” (2 Nephi 2:2).
Like everyone, I have had my afflictions. However, I feel as though my fiery trials are yet to come. When they do, I hope I can have the faith of this sister and remember Heavenly Father lets us have trials to bring greater blessings.
Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass. We know that there are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were—better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before. -Thomas S. Monson, I Will Not Fail Thee Nor Forsake Thee
After growing up in the bitter cold of Alberta Canada and serving a mission in the scalding heat of Tucson Arizona, I finally settled for the “moderate” climate of Utah. I met my best friend and love of my life at BYU where I received my degree in Marriage and Family Studies. I stay at home with my two little girls, teach marriage classes with my husband, and run an alumni Facebook group. I love to write, bake, travel, teach, and feast upon the words of Christ, but my favorite happy thought of all is going on weekly dates with my husband!