I re-read Elder Eyring's talk from April Conference.
Recently I have been feeling bad for someone. This person is a faithful member of the Church, but I knew about a trial she had gone through and I wondered if she could honestly be happy. I actually thought that even if she did a decent job of holding herself together on the outside, she must be really sad on the inside. I was busy feeling bad for her this morning, when it dawned on me--maybe she really is happy. Is that possible? I say that I believe the Atonement of Jesus Christ has the power to heal people, so why can't I believe that it has done so for this woman, who appears to be pretty happy most of the time? If I believe she cannot truly be as happy as she seems, aren't I denying the full power of the Atonement?
These questions led me to Elder Eyring's talk, "Mountains to Climb." A talk about trials. As I read, I realized that we can either be fearful of trials, living defensively in hopes of warding off the insurmountable challenges. Or, we can be faithful, believing that any trials we receive will, in fact, be for our good and that we can handle them with help from Jesus. My faith in the Savior was renewed, and I realized that I do believe He can heal us. I'm sure I have yet to experience more of that in my life, as tougher trials come my way.
Elder Eyring instructs on how to lay "an unshakable foundation of faith."
-Choose the right consistently. This prepares the ground for our foundation.
-The gospel of Jesus Christ, along with its convenants, ordinances, and principles, forms the metal framework for our "foundation."
-Allow for appropriate "curing" time. When a foundation for a building is laid, it takes a good bit of time for the materials to set properly. Our foundation is set as we serve God and others persistently.
-Finally, trouble itself can be a way to gain unshakable faith. (I like that it is not the only way to gain faith. We can gain faith by serving, choosing the right, and living the gospel.) Of course, our trials can be exactly what we need to make our faith what it needs to be.
Great talk, great ideas.
