At some point in your life you will be faced with trials. In fact there is rarely a time in your life, when you will not have some type of trial to overcome. It may not always be a big trial, but rather smaller ones that you struggle with on a day to day basis. It may be that the trials you are facing are a result of poor choices that you have made in the past, or it may be that you are faced with trials through no fault of your own. No matter what trial you are facing, you do not need to face it alone. The Savior is there to help you through your trials and will help you to bear it up.
When I think of trials, I love to recall the story in the book of Mosiah about the people who were followers of Alma. They had fled the persecution of King Noah, and had begun building a new city in the wilderness. One day the Lamanites found them, along with the wicked priests of King Noah. The wicked priests were put in charge of the people, and began to persecute the people. The people prayed for help, and then they were not allowed to pray. The people then prayed in their hearts. We find the Lord’s answer in Mosiah 24:13-14:
“And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
“And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.”
The Lord then lifted the burdens, so they could not feel them as they carried them. He did not remove their burdens immediately, but showed them that they could carry them with His help. The Lord did help the people to escape eventually.
It is important to realize that while we may be praying to have a trial lifted from us, that we might be praying for the wrong thing. Trials give us the opportunity to grow and develop. In many ways they can be seen as blessings in disguise. Instead of praying for trials to be lifted, perhaps we need to be praying for the strength to endure or the understanding to continue. It may be that all you can pray for is the comfort of the Lord as you face the hardship that you are going through. It will come as you seek it.
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