My First Sacrament Talk

Adversity Strengthens Faith

Since we have moved here we have been given what seems to be trial after trial. Everyday something new has come into our lives and has changed the way we have looked at things. Our marriage has been tested, our patience has been tested and even our faith in our Saviors Plan has been tested. And it seems that even after all of the adversity one thing is certain: “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things (1 Nephi 11:17).”

2 Nephi 2:11 states “For it needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.” In everyone’s lives there is opposition especially when we are being faithful children to our Father in Heaven. While each person faces their own adversity and their own trials it is important to remember that all of our trials are meant to teach us something. Tommy and I have been praying and praying for months about what we should do to support our family. We have talked about me going back to work and I’ve even applied to over 40 jobs. We’ve paid our tithing diligently, we’ve been praying together as a couple and as a family, and out of all of this we came to the conclusion that we are to put our COMPLETE faith in Christ and if I was meant to go to work then the “right” job would come along and be presented before us when we least expected it. I needed to learn patience. I needed to have this trial to learn immense patience. Much to our surprise I was offered a job at the Garland County Department of Human Services. This is a great blessing to our family. It is an answer to our prayers. But I restate 2 Nephi again, “there is opposition in all things.”

Great I have a new job, now what about daycare? Housing? And what the hannah is a budget? Again with the opposition. Again with frustration and worry. It is at these times that the Adversary starts to plant his seeds in our heads and tells us that it is all hopeless and we will fail. But the awesome thing about the Saviors plan for us is that if we put our complete FAITH in him he will deliver us from our afflictions. So on our knees we went again and as it says in Hebrews “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4: 16).” and again we were given answers to our prayers. In one day I found a daycare and housing for us. I even got back on track with our quasi budget we’d been working on and firmed it up to something that would actually work for us. My goodness we’d even be able to have a savings account This was a huge blessing for us. Everything was set and everything was ready and then adversity has struck again. Two people in San Bernidino California in 2005 and again in 2006 stole Tommy and I’s identies and have been convicted of felonies. Our apartment will no longer rent to us until our names are cleared.

The OLD me would have given up and said maybe this wasn’t meant to be. But again I got on my knees and prayed about this bump in the road. The still small voice of the Lord then whispered to me that all would work itself out in time. I thought maybe this is an intervention and then this scripture came to mind “Nevertheless-whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day (Mosiah 23: 22)”. I believe that without this trial I wouldn’t have know about these people who have done this atrocious thing to us. I would not have been able to alert my new job about this development which could affect my job tremendously. It says in D&C 121: 7-8 “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then if thou endure it well God shall exalt thee on high; thou shall triumph over all thy foes.” This scripture is such a strong statement of faith in times of adversity. I know that in our small branch alone people are undergoing various degrees of trials in their lives. It is important for us to remember that at the end of the day that even though we may not know the meaning of all things that one thing is certain. Heavenly Father loves ALL of his children and will not give us something we can not overcome.

When we do the right things our Father in Heaven pours out his blessings onto us. And it is at these times that the Adversary works hard on us as well. It has occurred to me that the more trials one has while striving to do the right thing is a testament of the truthfulness of the gospel. Satan does not want us to succeed in following our Saviors Plan and tries to intervene in anyway that he can. I truly believe that these road blocks in my life right now are just that road blocks to the eternal path that I am taking with my husband and my children. Each day we must strive to do as directed in Lehi’s dream. Follow the iron rod and achieve eternal glory. We mustn’t let these detours off the path of the rod dissuade us from finding our way back to the rod. In time when we endure our trials we will learn how to never let go of the rod. Each day we pray, pay our tithing, fast, give to others and do all of the things we’ve coventneted with our Father in Heaven to do leads us to a better life- an eternal life with our families.

It is my testimony that without trials we would not be able to fulfil our promise to the Savior. That his work would have been in vain. I am so grateful to our Father in Heaven and know that he knows what best for us. I have a testimony of prayer and tithing. I know that by reading the scriptures the answers to our prayers will be given unto us. I know that we have a true prophet on the Earth that leads and directs us to do what is right. I am grateful to my family. I am grateful those who are members and sometimes more so the family who are not members because without witnessing them I could not have the surety in knowing that this gospel is true.So I say again this time in my own words: I do not know the meaning of all things but I KNOW God loves me.

I say these things in Jesus name----Amen.