After much tribulation....

I came across a scripture while studying the topic of adversity. Act 14:22 "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."   

Life is full of trials. It's full of pains, sickness, heartache...etc. All these things are for our experience and personal growth. When we endure through our hardships and try to make the best of our situation, we recieve great rewards from our loving Heavenly Father. Ultimately the reward for our endurance is eternal life in the kingdom of God and the experiences we have in this life (good and bad) prepare us for our eternal reward.

My companion like to uses an analogy to describe our journey on the path to eternal life. In the scriptures we read about the strait and narrow way that leads to eternal life and the broad and wide way that leads to destruction. (Matt 7:13-14)

The broad way is the easy way. It's like a nice paved highway where you can do what you want with no apparent worries. You just scoot on by.

The strait and narrow way is more difficult. It's rough and rocky. You have to climb and crawl and jump. You get tired, but you keep pushing forward because you know that something better is waiting for you.

Those two path lead to a giant gate. It's the gate that leads to the kingdom of God. The gate is BIG and HEAVY and in order to get in you have to be able to push it open. You have to be strong enough. If you took the easy way down the broad and wide path, you won't have the strength to push open the gate. But if you took the strait and narrow way where you had to climb, and crawl, and jump, you will have built up the necessary strength. The difficulty you experienced prepared you for opening the gate. Now you can enter into the kingdom of God and be free from all your troubles.

There are times when we don't fully understand the purpose of our trials. But if we remember that God is aware of us and that he loves us we can be assured that he will not leave us comfortless. He is always there for us.

D&C 58:3-4 ~"Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.

 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand."