One thing my bishop recently counseled me on about trials
and personal pain and suffering; and I feel this was pure inspiration for me...
Heavenly Father lets us experience pain so that we can more become like his Son
and understand His son and the pain he suffered for us. It is a way for us to
get to know the Savior better. Kind of sounds a bit strange, but makes sense. I
never really thought of if this way before, but the way he put it, having
trials, suffering pain, help us understand better how to empathize with others
and also to have empathy for the suffering of the Savior.
He said, God doesn't give trials TO us, he gives trials
FOR us...
In the Book of Mormon, Moroni 7:48
Moroni’s father Mormon is
counseling us to pray to be filled with the pure love of Christ, because “that
when he shall appear WE shall be like HIM, for we shall see him as he is”
If trials help us understand the Savior better and become
more like him, it would be a disservice for Heavenly Father to just instantly
take trials and pain away every time we pray for it. He knows we hurt and he
provides the Comforter for us. But taking the trial away would be like taking
us out of school. We wouldn’t learn what we need to know to be like him and his
son.
