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Enduring With Joy

"7. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance...there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)


We are told in the scriptures to be glad in adversity for all will be for our good. This is easier said than done. However, I have learned recently that when you approach hardship and trials with a mindset of learning, they are always easier to endure. In a conference talk given in General Conference in 2008, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin gave the unforgettable message entitled, "Come What May, and Love It." He said, "Every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don't sing and bells don't ring.Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result...How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can't - at least not in the moment. I don't think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don't think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life. If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness."

Trials are meant to be hard. They have to be, because God wants us to grow - which comes more often than not from those times when we feel we can go no further but do anyway. But He never means for us to be hurt or unhappy. He loves us. His desire for our growth in no way outweighs his desire for our happiness and success. Be that as it may, He can't curb the tide of pain to save us. We must grow. This is our only choice. And since this is our one choice, our attitude towards it should be one of peace and of happiness. Life is infinitely easier when we endure it with joy.

As Elder Wirthlin's mother once told him, "Come what may, and love it." It is a choice. We are given the choice of how we will respond to trials. It is no ones fault but our own if we are weighed down in depression due to seemingly unavoidable hardship. At one point, you must make a choice: will I be endure this with happiness? or will I allow it to overwhelm me? A choice, agency in action, our decision. We must choose happiness in times of trial. God will help you if you choose to be happy. If you ask Him for help to endure in happiness, He will bless you with a greater ability to withstand. Your trial will not be lessened but it will seem so based on your outlook. Enduring our hardship with happiness is a Godly attribute. One of our goals here on earth, as stated by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf is to "endure joyfully to the end - every day of our lives" that one day we can return to God more like him. He loves us. He wants us to do this and because he is our supporter, we can.

"No power in society, no hardship in your condition can depress you, keep you down, in knowledge, power, virtue, influence, but by your own consent" -William Ellery Channing


"We glory in [Godly] tribulation also: knowing that [Godly] tribulation worketh [Godly] patience; and [Godly] patience, [Godly] experience; and [Godly] experience, [Godly] hope: And [Godly] hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Romans 5:3-5)

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