Overcoming Adversity

No lies right now, things aren't exactly going well for me at this time in life. There's a lot of stuff going on, not necessarily good, and the new semester is very rapidly approaching. The mix of all of this together has gotten me down in the dumps more than a few times over the last little while, but I've managed to press forward.

Along the way however, there have been a number of scriptures that have crossed my mind that might be helpful for insight. I don't know, I'm just kind of tying here whatever comes to mind and hoping that I can illustrate my thoughts effectively:

1. Doctrine and Covenants 121: 7-10; Doctrine and Covenants 122:8-9

The first set of scriptures is the first response from the Lord to Joseph's "rebuke" for his trials while imprisoned. As the Lord effectively does, he responds by telling Joseph that the trials that he is encountering at that time are to be but a small piece of his life, and that he still has friends, and the he needs to keep his eye on the reward that awaits him for his faithful endurance.

The second set of scriptures in this passage is almost a rebuke of the Lord's own toward Joseph - emphatically posing the question: "The Son of Man hath descended below them all, art thou greater than He?" Then the Lord very tenderly reminds Joseph that his problems are known and that he has been given the blessings of the Priesthood in his life to assist him through his trials.

2. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Yes, I had to throw a Seminary scripture in here somewhere along the way. I like this scripture because of the insight that it gives us, but not the insight which most individuals interpret it as being presented. The common interpretation of this scripture is that the the Lord promises us that if we stay by His side that we will be able to be rid of all of our problems and trials...not true.

Instead, the scripture plainly states that God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Nowhere in there are we promised that our trials will be taken away from us. We are promised escape from our trials, but more importantly, we are promised that if we are faithful that the Lord will make the trial bearable - or in other words - if we enter into the Lord's rest, we will find peace unto our souls.

3. 2 Nephi 31:20

I will quote this one because its good;

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

What does this all mean? The key to this is to have a "perfect brightness of hope." What does that mean? To have a perfect brightness of hope is to desire Celestial blessings in our life. Thus, when we hope for Celestial blessings, we are hoping for those things that come with it - family, spouse, health, strength, covenant, learning, knowledge, etc.


These three passages have been on my mind a lot as of late. They are the small things that I am holding on to right now as I go through the trials before me. I'm hopeful that the Lord will bless me accordingly for my endurance and allow me to see the bigger picture in things!