Blessings from Adversity and Sadness

We all chose to come to this earth to gain a body and to become more like our Heavenly Father. In fact, this was God’s work and glory, “to bring to past the Immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1 39). To progress as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father we had to choose to come to earth, and to experience the joys and sorrows of this earth, and to choose the Lord again.

The hard part of this journey though is suffering the despair and sadness that can plague the inhabitants of the earth. Sadness can be like a dark storm in which we can feel lost, hopeless, and discouraged. The journey through this life will never be easy, and sadness is inevitable. "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" (D&C 24:8). We knew before we came to this earth that there would be much sadness, but without sadness we could not know joy. And without joy we could not be like our Heavenly Father.

Sorrow can cause us to lose hope in our Heavenly Father; it can cause us to remember our Heavenly Father; and it can be a catalyst for blessings from the Lord. I would encourage you to try and use adversity, sorrow and discouragement as a catalyst for the blessings that the lord has in store for you. Lord Byron said, "Adversity is the first path to truth"

Heavenly Father told Joseph Smith, during his time of trials, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” Joseph Smith endured many things, and through his trials, and his commitment to following the Lord, he will be blessed by the Lord in the life to come. The Lord works in mysterious ways, ways, higher than our ways, and so his blessings can come many differnet ways and many different times. Never the less, they are all blessings of joy and happiness. In Mosiah it says that the Lord, “doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you.” Do the Lords will always even in times of sadness and he will bless you and raise you up to be mighty in faith and action, and bless you with strength beyond what you feel you have. Joseph Smith had many many times of sadness but because he did the Lords will, he found much joy, and was blessed beyond most.

As you prepare to do the Lords will, you may find that adversity and sadness become more than you feel you can handle. As a soon to be missionary, I can say first hand that there can be many hard and unexpected trials, and sufferings that will face those who are preparing to do the Lords work. There will be things that might discourage you from serving a mission. It is vital that you have the right intentions for serving a mission, and that you remember why you are serving a mission. As the Lord and his prophets have mentioned countless times throughout the earth’s existence, “O remember, remember.” It is so easy to forget through the hustle and bustle of life why we are striving to do what’s right. It is because the Lord has commanded it, and through those commandments we are promised blessings. It says many times in the scriptures, and in many different ways, “assist to bring forth my work, according to my commandments, and you shall be blessed.” (D&C 6:9) The Lord also says “Behold, blessed are you for this thing, and for speaking my words which I have given you according to my commandments.” (D&C 15:5) “For, behold, I will bless all those who labor in my vineyard with a mighty blessing, and they shall believe on his words, which are given him through me by the Comforter, which manifesteth that Jesus was crucified by sinful men for the sins of the world, yea, for the remission of sins unto the contrite heart.” (D&C 21:9). It is obvious in these scriptures that the Lord will bless those missionaries that decide to put off their own will, and to do the will of their Savior our Redeemer. Satan will temp you with a hundred reasons why not to go on a mission, but the Savior will bless you with a thousand blessings for doing his great and marvelous work. “O remember, remember,” when your heart aches for the love of a daughter of God, or when issues in your family come up than make it difficult to leave, or when you feel inadequate because of Satan’s temptations. I have faith in my words that the lord will give back a thousand times more than what we give to the Him.

Trust in the Lord to do his will for he tells us “I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say ye have no promise.” (D&C 82:10) If we do our duty to our God he is obligated to do as he tells us, and to bless us, or else he ceases to be a God. “Yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.” (Helamen 12:1). Richard G Scott says “Your joy in life depends upon your trust in Heavenly Father and His holy Son, your conviction that their plan of happiness truly can bring you joy.”

And now, my son, I trust that I shall have great joy in you, because of your steadiness and your faithfulness unto God; for as you have commenced in your youth to look to the Lord your God, even so I hope that you will continue in keeping his commandments; for blessed is he that endureth to the end. (Alma 38:2). I know that life is hard and that challenges will come, especially when we strive to do the will of the Lord, that is when Satan is most active in discouraging us, but endure to the end, and follow the will of the Lord, and he will bless you. This I do have Great Faith in, which is one of many reasons I have chosen to serve the Lord for two years on my mission in Chile. I have faced hardships and sorrows like I haven’t suffered before in my life, but I know that the blessings will be so worth both the two years of service and the sorrows that come along with leaving your old life behind. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.