Mountains to Climb

For the article this week I don't have a lot to say, I simply encourage each of you to read this talk in full. In the most recent General Conference, President Henry B. Eyring, apostle and counselor to the prophet, gave a talk entitled, "Mountains to Climb," in which he spoke about trials and how we can and should build a foundation of faith in order to endure well the trials of this life. President Eyring taught, "the ground must be carefully prepared for our foundation of faith to withstand the storms that will come into every life.

"Our choosing the right consistently whenever the choice is placed before us creates the solid ground under our faith. It can begin in childhood since every soul is born with the free gift of the Spirit of Christ. With that Spirit we can know when we have done what is right before God and when we have done wrong in His sight.

"Those choices, hundreds in most days, prepare the solid ground on which our edifice of faith is built. The metal framework around which the substance of our faith is poured is the gospel of Jesus Christ, with all its covenants, ordinances, and principles."

 Life is hard and full of challenges and trials. Some trials are the result of our own poor choices but some trials are simply a result of living in this mortal and fallen world. These trials are essential in our development in this life and our preparation to return to our Father in heaven. As we seek to do His will and live as He directs-if we have faith in Jesus Christ- "the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing."

Remember that the Savior suffered all and knows personally and intimately what each of us is going through at any given moment. President Eyring said, "There seems to me no better answer to the question of why trials come and what we are to do than the words of the Lord Himself, who passed through trials for us more terrible than we can imagine.

"You remember His words when He counseled that we should, out of faith in Him, repent:

"'For behold I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent;

"'But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

"'Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—

"'Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men' (Doctrine and Covenants 19:15-19)."

I conclude with the words of President Eyring, "You and I have faith that the way to rise through and above trials is to believe that there is a 'balm in Gilead' (Jeremiah 8:22) and that the Lord has promised, 'I will not . . . forsake thee' (Joshua 1:5)."

Jeremy