In January of 1994 I was diagnosed with a rare life threatening pulmonary disease. To make matters even worse, there was only one medical treatment available and unfortunately it didn’t work for me.

The Doctor’s inconceivable words “Go home and get your affairs in order” still echo through my mind on occasion. Hard to believe that was 21 years ago and I’m still here! However, it’s been a never-ending and difficult challenge living with this formidable and debilitating companion.

But regardless of whether it’s physical, mental, marital, financial, or one of a myriad other mortal challenges, we all must learn to live with and endure our trials to the end.

In March of 1839, while wrongfully imprisoned in Liberty Jail, the Prophet Joseph––in the midst of intense suffering––cried out to the Lord pleading for divine help and this is the answer he received.

“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; . . .” (D&C 121:7-8).

Not only did God encourage Joseph to be patient and “endure it well” (with the promise of exaltation to follow) but further explains that “All these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good” (D&C 122:7).

Tried, Tested and Proved

The doctrine of refining and perfecting mortal man by subjecting him/her to earthly trials and challenges is also recorded in the Book of Abraham; a plan made known to all “before the world was.”

Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him; We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith . . . and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads forever and ever (Abr. 3: 22-26).

Thus we learn from these ancient records that earth life, man’s second estate, is a proving ground. A place for man to be tested, stretched, honed and sculpted into exalted beings.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell, who was well acquainted with mortal trials, tells us that to go untested and unproven is to remain unaware of all that we are or can become. “Thus the tests given to us here are given not because God is in doubt as to the outcome, but because we need to grow in order to be able to serve with full effectiveness in the eternity to come” (Neal A. Maxwell, All These Things Shall Give Thee Experience).

But God knows just how difficult this experience is and doesn’t expect us to go it alone. He promises that in times of adversity “I will not fail thee nor forsake thee . . . I will not leave you comfortless: I will come unto you” (Joshua 1:5; John14: 18).

One night (not long after receiving my devastating diagnosis) while pondering the Lord’s assurance of help and comfort, it became clear to me that I needed to stop frantically searching for some kind of cure. That what I needed to do was put my faith in my Heavenly Father, and trust in His promise that He would not forsake me in my hour of need.

Once I was able to do this, to trust in God’s will for me (it was a process), I started having ideas come into my mind as to how I could strengthen myself physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The following thoughts are some of those ideas and impressions, along with suggestions from friends and loved ones, which have helped me to endure my trials and improve my life. Hope they will do the same for you.

Serving others will help you bear your own burdens.

Years ago when I was in Kenya I had the privilege of knowing a young boy who was missing his left leg and lived in a special Salvation Army compound for handicapped children. When I would visit the compound I noticed him constantly caring for the other disabled children. When I told him how much I admired him for his loving kindness, he said that taking care of the others “filled his heart with great joy and thanks to God that he was missing only one leg.”

Serving the other severely disabled children was what helped him bear his own burden. His humble and tender care was evidence that you don’t need to perform great acts of service to make a difference in this world. Just take advantage of the small ones that surround you every day. This young boy is one of my life’s greatest examples and heroes. He is the epitome of “enduring well.”

Free yourself from heartache, anger, disappointments and fear through fervent daily prayer.

Unload on the Lord! The Savior tells us to cast our burdens on Him. Holding in the hurt, anger and disappointment we seem destined to encounter in life can be very destructive to our physical, emotional and spiritual health.

Keeping these negative emotions locked up inside is not what God wants us to do. It weakens us and can cause severe and dangerous cracks in our well-being. Instead, He wants us to hand it all over to Him. For He, and only He, is qualified to make the necessary repairs each one of us so desperately needs.

Forgive everyone that has hurt you.

It is through forgiving that you find true peace. It is only when you stop blaming others for your disappointments and failures that you have the power to change things. Love and forgiveness has the power to reshape your soul, . . . to change your life!

The Atonement of Jesus Christ offers the gift of mercy to all, and the Savior expects nothing less from us than mercy for anyone that may have wronged us; thus His commandment to forgive all men if we ourselves expect to be forgiven. Nowhere is there found in a Christ-like life the false and prideful notion of mercy for yourself and justice for everyone else.

Read and search the Holy Scriptures. They hold the answer to all the questions and difficulties of life.

They are the map you need to guide you through this difficult earthly journey. Say a prayer before you begin your scripture study. Ask God to give you personal insight and help you uncover solutions to your problems. Then dig deep as you read, follow the footnotes. Search and scrutinize each verse (peel back the layers of the onion) for the answers that you seek are there and will be revealed to you.

President Spencer W. Kimball counseled us to use the scriptures as our own personal Urim and Thummim; that if we do this Heavenly Father will reveal to us everything we seek to know. “And the Book of Mormon and the Holy Scriptures are given of me for your instruction; and the power of my Spirit quickeneth all things” (D&C 33:16).

Go to Church.

Being in the Lord’s house with good people, and partaking of the Sacrament, the healing emblems of the Savior’s love and sacrifice for us, restores our faith and helps to foster a positive attitude about life and the future. One cannot be constantly bombarded with negativity and expect to feel positive or hopeful in any way.

Satan wants us to feel overwhelmed, hopeless and discouraged. Yes times are hard, and evil is running amuck. But as powerful as the darkness that is spreading across the earth . . . the light of Christ is growing just as fast!

God, knowing that the war between good and evil would become fierce and raging as His Son’s time to return drew near, instructed His prophet President Thomas S. Monson to increase His royal army; which at this very moment is filling the earth with light and truth.

So don’t miss out on a much-needed weekly infusion of hope and renewal. Go to Church! Life will be easier to endure.

Watch all sessions of General Conference when possible. There is something about not only “hearing the words” of God’s prophets and chosen leaders, but also partaking of their powerful spiritual countenance.

As you watch and listen you will hear a message specifically for you in one of the talks. Something will be said that will renew your determination to press forward, give you guidance, hope and peace; help you see things a little clearer, enabling you to better navigate the troubled waters in your life.

These talks, given by God’s chosen leaders, are inspired of Him and meant to help His children through the challenges of mortality. Seize this opportunity for Divine assistance.

Count your blessings and be grateful no matter what your circumstances.

Counting your blessings may be the last thing you feel like doing when everything seems overwhelming, unbearable and hopeless. But I have learned that it’s during those dark and discouraging times that an attitude of gratitude becomes a life raft . . . your rescuer.

If when you least feel like counting your blessings you stop and recognize each and every gift with which God has blessed you, in spite of your trials and sufferings, you will see His hand in your life, that He is with you, and find the strength you need to endure and carry on. 

Don’t dwell on the negative in your life.

Think about what’s going right for you; the positive things, however small and insignificant they may seem.

Think about the endless possibilities and blessings available to you if you just put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ . . . Master of the Universe, Creator of all things. “Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore let us be faithful to him” (1Nephi 7:12).

And remember, whatever you dwell on––positive or negative––will expand, so focus on the positive. The sun will shine brighter and the sky will look bluer.

Use your good china.

This might sound shallow but it isn’t. Stop saving your best for special occasions when you could be enjoying it now. This applies to anything and everything that you are “saving” for later. Forget about later and make today that special occasion . . . because it is! Each and everyday that we are blessed to be upon this beautiful earth with our loved ones is a gift. Practicing this philosophy will greatly enrich and enhance your life as well as the lives of those around you.

Don’t try and go it alone … you weren’t meant to. You only make your journey harder.

I love the photo of the marathon runners that heads this article! It portrays both the helper and someone in need of help. I believe that Heavenly Father intended for us to have both these experiences while here in mortality . . . one just as important as the other.

However, for me it’s much easier, more “comfortable,” to serve or help, rather than be served or be helped. I believe that’s the case with many of us.

But a loving and wise friend once taught me a very important lesson about service. One day after having continually turned down her offer to help, she asked me with emotion in her voice, “Why won’t you let me earn the blessings I so desperately need in my life by serving you? It’s very clear that you need my help!

Realizing that my constant refusal had hurt her, I asked her to forgive me for being so prideful and told her I would really appreciate any help she could give me. Her service became a lifesaver to me and brought me through a very difficult time. I thanked Heavenly Father every day for her love, perseverance and forthrightness.

So don’t refuse help in your time of need! Allow others the blessings of ministering to you. None of us can be strong 100% of the time even though some of us might pretend we are. Don’t deny someone else that wonderful feeling of the spirit that fills ones soul when serving.

Even the Savior himself, the Lord, Master and Creator of the Universe, needed and accepted the tender comfort from Heavenly servants in His time of need. “Behold, angels came and ministered unto him” (Matthew 4:11).

Angels are all around us.

There is no doubt in my mind as to the truthfulness of this statement and that God has given His angels charge over us. There are countless testimonies of people who have witnessed angels and received of their help.

I love the powerful testimony of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland regarding earthly angelic activity.

One of the things that will become more important in our lives the longer we live is the reality of angels, their work and their ministry. I refer here not alone to the angel Moroni but also to those more personal ministering angels who are with us and around us, empowered to help us and who do exactly that (“For a Wise Purpose,” Ensign, Jan.1996, 16-17).

Dear President Monson has also assured us on many occasions that in our time of trouble, we do not walk alone. “The Lord has promised you: ‘I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up’” (“The Ministry of Angels,” Ensign, Nov. 2008, 31).

So rest assured you are not alone in this mortal journey. You might not see or hear these beautiful servants but in the words of President Boyd K. Packer, “Should an angel converse with you, neither you nor he would be confined to corporeal sight or sound in order to communicate.”

Enduring to the end … crossing the finish line.

This life is a hard journey and we need all the help we can get to see it through . . . to endure to the end . . . to cross the finish line. Therefore we need to make sure we draw upon all the resources God has given us to help us finish the race.

We also need to remind ourselves when times get hard that The Plan of Salvation, God’s plan to help us become exalted beings, was designed for us to experience both joy and sorrow.

So when trials darken our door, which they will, let us not grow faint but place our faith and trust in God our Heavenly Father, who’s work and glory is to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life. In Him and His empowering love, we will find the strength we need to endure to the end (See Moses 1:39).