Brigham Young University (BYU) is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often mistakenly called the “Mormon Church.” As part of their undergraduate coursework, BYU students take multiple semesters of spiritually uplifting, stimulating religion classes.
Here, in this column, students enrolled in scripture study classes have shared their thoughts, insights, and reflections on the New Testament and gospel of Jesus Christ in the form of letters to someone they know. In publishing these, we fulfill their desire to witness to all of us of the relevance, power, and beauty of the New Testament, and God’s plan of happiness for each of us. We invite you to take a look at their epiphanies and discoveries as they delve into the scriptures. Let us know how these may help you in your own life. Share them with a friend.
About Mormons: Trials
Written for a Family Home Evening Lesson (Family Home Evening is a setting in which people sit down once a week to discuss gospel topics and spend quality time together)
In my New Testament class this past week, we studied 2 Corinthians. One verse that really struck me was in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 17. It reads: ”For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” As a side note next to that verse, I have written “every trial is essential to salvation.”
Sometimes, it seems like life consists of one problem after another. Sometimes, bad things happen to me, and I just throw my hands up in the air and ask God why. Why can’t life just be easy? Why? Why? Why?! I become so frustrated and angry at the situation, that I sometimes miss the whole point. Life is not easy. Life will never be easy. Bad things will ALWAYS happen, often at the worst times! We each have two choices. We can become bitter and angry and say that it’s just not fair, or we can step back and ask ourselves what the bigger picture is.
There is a reason we experience trials. In fact, trials are a huge reason we came to this earth. We came here to experience mortality, knowing there would be trials, but also knowing they would teach us the lessons we NEEDED to learn. Now we are here, experiencing those trials. They will come, whether we want them to or not. The choice we have to make now is whether or not we’re going to learn the intended lesson. If we choose to face our trials with the bigger picture in mind, we will be strengthened through the experience. Paul assures us that the afflictions we experience, though they seem endless, are really just a small moment, and they help us to become the person we need to be to attain eternal glory.
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