I had a very interesting experience today that I thought I would share. I was sitting in my kitchen and heard a very quiet knock on my door. My girls were outside playing so I thought maybe it was one of them playing but decided to go investigate anyway. When I oped the door I found two women standing on my door step with scripture in hand. I knew that they were not the LDS missionaries that usually come to the door but the Jehovah's Wittiness missionaries. These women also come to my door often but normally just stop to say hi and share a short message. I don't mind because every time they come, my testimony grows in my own beliefs. When I realize it is them I always say a quick prayer that I might be able to answer their questions with my beliefs (and have them be true and scriptural).
This time was different though, they had their little thought to share and I was very kind and listened. this time was a little different though because they asked me a question. Why do we have trials? I told them that without trials we would not know happiness. (2 Nephi 2:11For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.) For some reason this answer seemed to through them for a loop! They wanted to know who I thought caused the trials, I told them that God allowed the trials for without them we would not grow. They asked why in the scriptures Job was given such trials, I told them that God allowed Satan to give Job his trials so that he might grow and learn from them. One of the women was older, and she was the mother to the younger woman. She had seen my daughters playing in the yard and gave me an example of why God giving us trials didn't make sense. She asked if you had to have a sick child born to understand what a miracle it is to have a healthy child. I laughed because I have had the opportunity to live through both kinds of births. Em born a healthy happy beautiful baby was miraculous to me. To see this perfect healthy child that was mine to love and cherish forever. Then to have Ash born so early, so sick, and in so much need of help that I could not provide her. I again marveled at Em being so healthy and strong but cherished every second that I had with Ash. I knew that she and I were facing the biggest trial of either of our lives and whatever God had planned for us, I knew we had to see it through to the end. We had to endure and whatever He had in store for us, I was willing to accept. When I explained this to the women on my door step, they glanced at each other, took a breath then turned to Geniuses. Now I have to tell you, honestly I do not know my bible as much as I should and I hoped that they wouldn't throw something at me that I couldn't explain to them. They asked me why then did Adam and Eve have to fall? Why did they have to go through those trials? Why couldn't they just live in a world that was perfect and have babies and be wonderful forever. I told them that they could not have babies in the Garden. Both of their mouths literally dropped! I am not kidding. They had never heard this before. I had to keep myself from laughing out loud at what I was seeing. When asked why, I told them that Adam and Eve were as little children, that they didn't even have the knowledge to multiply and replenish. They had to fall before they could obey Gods commandments. I wish that I had had this quote with me, I found it latter when looking up scriptures and thinking about my earlier encounter. "Adam and Even transgressed but did not sin because they did not have a knowledge of good and evil. They had been given a commandment, but could not sin because they were in a state of innocence, just like little kids can transgress the law without sin." I of course knew this, but didn't have the words at that moment to convey it. I think that at this point they were overwhelmed and wanted to get out as soon as possible so they thanked me for my time and got of the porch as fast as they could. I decided to study this thought so more and found some very interesting quotes and scripture that talked some about trials but more about enduring to the end.
"Often we do not know what we can endure until after a trial of our faith. We are also taught by the Lord that we will never be tested beyond that which we can endure."
This thought was always at the front of my mind while I was pregnant with Ash and while she was in the hospital. I knew that I would not be tested beyond my abilities. I always got a sense of peace when I thought about that.
"Our mission in life is much the same. We were not sent by Father in Heaven just to be born. We were sent to endure and return to Him with honor."
My family is not strangers to trials, Ash being born to early, my mom has MS, my father-in-law was killed in a motorcycle accident, my sister having a miscarriage before her beautiful Megann was allowed to come. But we all know that this was the life we chose to live, we all know that before we came to this earth we accepted these trails and couldn't wait to be sent here and be tested so that we could return to Him and be welcomed back into our Heavenly Fathers loving care.
“He that shall [faithfully] endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Mark 13:13) and return with honor to our Heavenly Father."I know that this has been a very long blog, but I thought it was important for me to share. If no one else ever reads it but me, that is fine but I am glad that I researched it some and that I was able to have chance to share a little with others.
Robert D Hales Testimony: There is nothing that we are enduring that Jesus does not understand, and He waits for us to go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. I testify that if we will be obedient and if we are diligent, our prayers will be answered, our problems will diminish, our fears will dissipate, light will come upon us, the darkness of despair will be dispersed, and we will be close to the Lord and feel of His love and of the comfort of the Holy Ghost. It is my prayer that we can find the faith, courage, and strength to endure to the end so that we may feel the joy of faithfully returning to the arms of our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Last changed: Jul 20 2011 at 12:52 PM
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