This is the talk I gave in church yesterday and some people wanted to read it. The best way for me to share this was posting it to my blog that I haven't been to in over a year!
When writing this talk, I knew we were assigned this topic strictly for our own personal gain. But I had at least a dozen people at church yesterday tell me that this talk was just for them and how much they appreciated my boldness. I hope it sincerely helped them and hopefully you can get something out of it as well! Enjoy!
So getting started, we were asked to speak on
Adversity. The very simple definition of
adversity is difficulties or misfortune. Each person's success and happiness,
both now and in the eternities, largely depend on his or her responses to the
difficulties in there life.
Adversity can
be categorized 3 different ways. Some may be caused by our own actions and sins.
But Sadly, Not all adversity can be controlled. Adversity may sometimes come
because of someone else’s poor choices and hurtful words and actions. Suffering
may also come through a loving Heavenly Father as a growing and learning
experience.
For each trial requires a different response.
For example, people who are stricken with
illness may simply need to be patient and faithful. People who suffer because
of others' words or actions should work toward forgiving those who have
offended them.
If a person's trials come because of
disobedience, he or she should correct the behavior and humbly seek
forgiveness. These trials can be avoided through righteous living. Other trials are simply a natural part of life
and may come at times when people are living righteously.
When adversity comes
as a result of the acts of others, we often can’t do anything to change it. But
that doesn’t mean there is no solution. The commandment to forgive the offenses
of others was given as much for the welfare of the injured party as for the
benefit of the person being forgiven. Anger, bitterness, and vengefulness are
more hurtful to the person harboring them than to the person who did the
hurting. Unfortunately, some members of the Church have allowed their
testimonies of the gospel to be shaken by the painful, adverse experiences of
life. But the example of Christ makes several things clear.
First,
since Christ was perfect and committed no sin—but still suffered. it is clear
that adversity and
suffering are not always the result of our own sins. Through
his crucifixion was grossly unjust and completely unjustified, Christ’s
attitude toward his tormentors was, “Father, forgive them; for they know not
what they do.” (Luke 23:34.)
When some people face adversity, it can be
easy to complain and become bitter. It
can overtake their vision, absorb their energy, and deprive them of the
experiences the Lord wants them to receive. Realizing that adversity can
include suffering, destitution, affliction, calamity, or disaster, how can we
best use it as an opportunity for personal growth and development? Those who
yield to adversity become weaker. To the valiant it is a stepping-stone to
increased power.
The
prophet Alma taught, “Whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported
in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted
up at the last day” (Alma
Adversity will surface in some form in every life. How we
prepare for it, how we meet it, makes the difference. We can be broken by
adversity, or we can become stronger. The final result is up to the individual.
Henry Fielding said: “Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man
hardly knows whether he is honest or not.”
Difficulties can be a valuable tool in our
pursuit for perfection. Adversity need have no necessary connection with failure.
Proper self-management and self-discipline in all of our trials brings
strength. If we are prepared, we can meet life’s challenges victoriously. We
become His disciples when we continue faithfully under all
circumstances—including suffering and tragedy.
Usually there are no easy answers to most of
our problems. Each individual must think, plan, work, and pray to find the help
he needs and the courage he must have to conquer his problem or carry his
cross. Winners set achievable goals day by day. Their plans consist of things
that can be done, not what can’t be done. They remember that God has not given
us the spirit of fear, but the power of love and of a sound mind.
I mentioned earlier in my introduction that I
moved here because I was running away from home. When I was 19 I met this man
and we were married in the Temple
One day, a friend of mine said she was moving
to Arizona
When I decided to go back to church, the Lord
opened doors for me. I eventually met my husband, who was teaching Sunday
school in my ward. I also gained a stronger testimony of my Savior through
studying the scriptures and attending the temple. I felt the Spirit in my life
in a way that I had never had before. The adversity I faced was difficult, but
as I relied on the Lord, the blessings I received made the trials seem so small
in comparison. While I can’t say my life has been perfect, it has been filled
with joy and peace. I would not trade that peace for anything.
*** closing
Christ’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane
Scripture, history, and personal experience all confirm that adversity is a part of life. Apparently it is an
important and useful part, because few people escape it, and God makes no
excuses or apologies for it. Fortunately we are not asked to understand,
justify, or explain it, We are only asked to endure it and learn from it.
If adversity comes
as a natural consequence of our own actions, with the Savior’s help, we are
able to correct it through a process of repentance. If it comes through the
action of others, we may not have any control over it, but a Christ like
attitude of forgiveness can help to soften its emotional toll. If it comes
about as an unavoidable, natural occurrence, it is important to recognize that
no one is to blame, to accept it as a part of life’s experience, and to try to
learn and grow from it.
Individually, we should thank God for the
examples of those around us who battle and conquer daily challenges that are
intense, real, and continuing. There are some people who may seem to have more
than their share of trouble, but with God’s help they are made strong.
Satan wants us to feel unequal to our
worldly tasks. If we turn to God, He will take us by the hand and lead us through
our darkest hours.
To these truths I leave my testimony of
the healing power of the atonement, the unconditional love from my Heavenly
Father, and that this is the true gospel on this earth. In 1 Nephi 11:17 it states
“And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children: nevertheless, I do
not know the meaning of all things.”. I know there will be adversity and hurt
in my life but through this gospel I can have eternal happiness if I rely on my
faith and the love of my Heavenly Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
