Hard Things

I've been attending college in a small town for years. Its Southern charm always gets me. The trees, the food, the mom-and-pop businesses. What I love most about this city, though, is the people - my people. Over the years I've created bonds with so many people. This is my hometown. This is home. I have so much family here. This is where my classmates are, my best friends. This is where I found the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This is where I received my first Book of Mormon, this is where I met the missionaries, this is where I found and nurtured my sprouting testimony, this is where I was baptized. This is my core.

For the past few months, I have felt prompted to move home to be with my family. So I'm listening. But honestly, I'm very nervous. I don't know anyone in my old city. I've never been to the ward (local congregation of members) there, either. I'm starting from scratch. My family doesn't get along as great as we should right now (maybe part of why I need to go back?), so I'm stressed about that. Basically, I'm worried about a lot of things.

However, as I've made these plans, I am remembering to have faith. Faith in what my Heavenly Father is asking me to do, faith in my ability to hear Him, and faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ to give me strength through these hard times. Faith over fear.

Henry B. Eyring said "If you are on the right path, it will always be uphill" (link). I know that we are on this earth to learn and to be tested. If life was always easy, we wouldn't learn. If Heavenly Father only asked us to do easy things, we'd never grow. The things is, God never asks us to do something that we can't do without His help. He might ask us to do something that is beyond our individual capacity, but when He does, He stands ready to help us. Because "in His strength [we] can do all things" (Alma 26:12).

In this life, we will have to deal with hard things, whether they come about due to our own sin, the sin of others, the fact that we live in a fallen world, or Heavenly Father giving them to us. Hard things is the whole point of us being here. But I know that Heavenly Father will not let us be tried above what we can bear. He is there every step of the way, encouraging, sustaining, uplifting us.

I know that He will help me accomplish the thing He's asked me to do (1 Nephi 3:7). Whatever trials you're facing right now, I know He can help you through, too. I know that He will help you if you ask Him. He stands ready to help, just waiting for you to ask. May we all seek His help, for if we seek, we will receive.



(To learn more about why we're here on earth, click here.)