"O to grace how great a debtor daily I'm constrained to be! Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above!"
Oh how oft my heart has cried out these words, when my soul was filled with dispair. And oh how oft my prayers have been answered by a loving God. For it is only after we have passed through the refiner's fire and been molded by the Lord's hand that Christ will say "Well done, my good and faithful servant." "Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand." (D&C 58:3-5)
Who am I to demand to know the reason behind my trials? For every trial I must go through will only make me stronger and prepare me for things to come, whether it's to help others through their trials or to prepare me for even greater trials. Let it be known to all that I can and will overcome anything that is flung in my path, with my Savior at my side pulling me along and picking me up as I stumble. For it is only by accepting His help that we can obtain salvation and eternal life in the mansion of our Heavenly Parents.
But woe unto those who have been ensnared by the Deciever, who entices with gold thread and entangles with iron chains. Woe unto those who step on others for their own personal gain, for their happiness shall be but a moment. Woe unto the prideful, the hypocrites, the deniers, and the wolves; for their foundation shall crumble. For they rely on their own strength instead of the Lord's. The path of repentence is long and painful, but the joy at the end surpasses all.What joy the knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ brings to my soul. I feel like shouting Hallelujah when I think of spending all of eternity with those I love. Christ prepared the way for us; all we have to do is step onto the path and hold fast to the rod. Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. He translated the Book of Mormon and gave his life defending what he knew to be true. My hope and prayer is that I can do the same thing when my time comes.
May the Lord bless each of us with the strength to overcome all of our obstacles and may we in turn recognize His hand in all things.
This is exactly what we need to hear when the world is so dark and our trials seem too much to bear. The answer seems almost to simple and wonderful to be true...but i am eternally greatful for my savior and his suffering for me personally that my trials might be overcome and my burden might be lightened!
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