Why do we have adversity? Plan of Salvation (Feb)
Object lesson:
(Idea taken from here)
Does anyone know how chocolate is made?
*We are going to start from when the coco beans arrive at the factory
*There the coco beans are cleaned, sorted & weighed.
*The beans are then roasted- This helps bring out the flavor & aroma.
*Shell is removed leaving crushed & broken pieces of beans, called “nibs”.
*The nib is then ground down into powder
Pass around cocoa powder to taste
*Cocoa powder is then mixed w sugar & other’s individual formula ingredients
*There is continued refinement through heat, agitation, tempering & blending depending on the type of chocolate.
*The process can last from a few hours to a few days
*Once this is done it can then be sent to others to use in dairies, or bakeries or sold directly to public as chocolate bars.
Pass around chocolate bar to taste
What is the difference between the cocoa & the chocolate?
Cocoa powder is bitter
Chocolate is sweet
Even though cocoa powder is bitter & less desirable, the chocolate cannot be made without it.
Just like life requires adversity (which is the bitter cocoa powder) to grow spiritually & progress (which is the sweet chocolate).
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(not sure where I found this)
As part of Heavenly Father’s plan of redemption, all people experience adversity during their lifetime. Trials, disappointments, sadness, sickness, and heartache are a difficult part of life, but with the help of the Lord they CAN lead to spiritual growth, refinement, and progress. (Adversity CAN help us grow. It did not say Adversity WILL help us grow. Just because we have trials does not mean that we will learn from those experiences.)
Each person’s success and happiness, both now and in the eternities, depend largely on his or her responses to the difficulties of life.
Adversity comes from different sources. Trials may come as a consequence of a person’s own pride and disobedience. These trials can be avoided through righteous living. Other trials are simply a natural part of life and may come at times when people are living righteously. For example, people may experience trials in times of sickness or uncertainty or at the deaths of loved ones. Adversity may sometimes come because of others’ poor choices and hurtful words and actions. Suffering may also come through a loving Heavenly Father as a tutoring experience.
When some people face adversity, they complain and become bitter. They ask questions like “Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this now? What have I done to deserve this?” But these questions have the power to dominate their thoughts. Such questions can overtake their vision, absorb their energy, and deprive them of the experiences the Lord wants them to receive. Rather than responding in this way, people should consider asking questions such as, “What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial?”
Different kinds of adversity require different responses. For example, people who are stricken with illness may simply need to be patient and faithful. People who suffer because of others’ words or actions should work toward forgiving those who have offended them. Victims of abuse should seek help immediately. If a person’s trials come because of disobedience, he or she should correct the behavior and humbly seek forgiveness.
Although some of the responses to adversity will vary, one response should be constant—trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The prophet Alma taught, “Whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day” (Alma 36:3).
When you trust in the Father and the Son, you are confident that They love you perfectly—that They want you to be happy and that They will help you grow spiritually. You keep the commandments. You seek to know Their will, and you do what They require even when you desire something else. Your prayers for relief are accompanied by the understanding that Heavenly Father will not resolve all matters immediately—that He may allow you to wait so you can continue to learn and grow. Through it all, you find comfort in the assurance that the Savior understands your trials perfectly. As part of His infinite Atonement, He took upon Himself “the pains and the sicknesses of his people.” He took upon Himself “their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:11–12). Because He has experienced your pain, He knows how to help you. If you look to Him in faith, He will strengthen you to withstand any trial you experience.
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What does this analogy teach about adversity? Search the talk, look for counsel that will help you withstand spiritual whirlwinds.
Excerpts from Spiritual Whirlwinds By Elder Neil L. Andersen
My young friends, the world will not glide calmly toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The scriptures declare that “all things shall be in commotion.”1 Brigham Young said, “It was revealed to me in the commencement of this Church, that the Church would spread, prosper, grow and extend, and that in proportion to the spread of the Gospel among the nations of the earth, so would the power of Satan rise.”2
More concerning than the prophesied earthquakes and wars3 are the spiritual whirlwinds that can uproot you from your spiritual foundations and land your spirit in places you never imagined possible, sometimes with your barely noticing that you have been moved.
The worst whirlwinds are the temptations of the adversary. Sin has always been part of the world, but it has never been so accessible, insatiable, and acceptable. There is, of course, a powerful force that will subdue the whirlwinds of sin. It is called repentance.
Not all the whirlwinds in life are of your own making. Some come because of the wrong choices of others, and some come just because this is mortality. As a young boy, President Boyd K. Packer suffered from the crippling disease of polio. When Elder Dallin H. Oaks was seven years old, his father died suddenly. When Sister Carol F. McConkie of the Young Women general presidency was a teenager, her parents divorced. Challenges will come to you, but as you trust in God, they will strengthen your faith
In nature, trees that grow up in a windy environment become stronger. As winds whip around a young sapling, forces inside the tree do two things. First, they stimulate the roots to grow faster and spread farther. Second, the forces in the tree start creating cell structures that actually make the trunk and branches thicker and more flexible to the pressure of the wind. These stronger roots and branches protect the tree from winds that are sure to return.4
You are infinitely more precious to God than a tree. You are His son or His daughter. He made your spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life. The whirlwinds in your youth, like the wind against a young tree, can increase your spiritual strength, preparing you for the years ahead.
How do you prepare for your whirlwinds? “Remember … it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, … his shafts in the whirlwind, … when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power … to drag you down … because of the rock upon which ye are built.”5 This is your safety in the whirlwind.
President Harold B. Lee said: “The only safety we have as members of this church is to … learn to give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through His prophet. … There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes. … It may contradict your political views … your social views … interfere with … your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, … ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you … and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you …’ (D&C 21:6).”16
Another powerful protection from the whirlwinds of life is the Book of Mormon.
“[It] is the most powerful written testimony we have that Jesus is the Christ.”19
The Lord has given you another way to stand firm, a spiritual gift more powerful than the whirlwinds of the adversary! He said, “Stand … in holy places, and be not moved.”20
When I was a teenager, there were only 13 temples in the Church. Now there are 142. Eighty-five percent of Church members live within 200 miles (320 km) of a temple. The Lord has given your generation greater access to His holy temples than any other generation in the history of the world.
Have you ever stood in the temple, dressed in white, waiting to do baptisms? How did you feel? There is a tangible feeling of holiness in the temple. The peace of the Savior subdues the swirling whirlwinds of the world.
The way you feel in the temple is a pattern for how you want to feel in your life.21
Later in the temple you will learn more about the Creation of the world, about the patterns in the lives of Adam and Eve, and most importantly, about our Savior, Jesus Christ.
My young brothers and sisters, how we love you, admire you, and pray for you. Don’t let the whirlwinds drag you down. These are your days—to stand strong as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.24
Build more firmly your foundation upon the rock of your Redeemer.
Treasure more completely His incomparable life and teachings.
Follow more diligently His example and His commandments.
Embrace more deeply His love, His mercy and grace, and the powerful gifts of His Atonement.
As you do, I promise you that you will see the whirlwinds for what they are—tests, temptations, distractions, or challenges to help you grow. And as you live righteously year after year, I assure you that your experiences will confirm to you again and again that Jesus is the Christ. The spiritual rock under your feet will be solid and secure. You will rejoice that God has placed you here to be a part of the final preparations for Christ’s glorious return.
The Savior said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”25 This is His promise to you. I know this promise is real. I know that He lives, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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Go through the hymnbook & find hymns that could help you when you are going through trials.
*Count your Blessings 241
*Did you think to Pray? 140
*How firm a foundation 85
*Let us all press on 243
*Secret Prayer 144
*Sweet Hour of Prayer 142
*The Iron Rod 274
*Where can I Turn for Peace? 129
*As Zion’s Youth in Latter Days 256
*Be Still, My Soul 124
*Cast thy Burden upon the Lord 110
*Come, come Ye Saints 30
*For all the Saints 82
*Nearer, My God, to Thee 100
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How to tackle adversity like an oyster
(found here)
Have you ever been on a hike or run & gotten a very small rock or piece of debris in your shoe?
How did it feel? An irritant.
Did you know that that is how a pearl starts?
A very valuable pear starts as nothing more than a foreign substance that finds it’s way between an oyster’s mantle & shell.
The mantle secretes layers upon layers of nacre to cover the irritant particle.
As the layers of nacre cover each other, a pearl is eventually formed.
From the Oyster & the Pearl we can learn 3 lessons about adversity.
#1 Even with a “shell”, no one is invulnerable.
Oysters have shells which shield them from the threats in the external environment, but foreign objects can still seep through the gaps between the shells.
EVERYONE has adversity. It is part of Heavenly Fathers plan.
Even if you could be perfect & avoid adversity brought on by yourself, you still have adversity caused by others & the natural adversity caused by mortality.
#2When adversity hits, it’s your response that matters.
When a foreign particle intrudes into the internal regions of the oyster, the oyster responds by secreting nacre onto it to prevent its sharp edges from damaging it’s soft tissue.
When adversity hits you, you also have a choice. You can be ignorant & let it damage & bother you continuously, or you can embrace it & deal with it in a positive & constructive way. Learn & grow from adversity. Don’t let it make you angry, bitter & stop your progression.
#3 Learn to generate value out of adversity
After the accumulation of consecutive layers of nacre, what was once a piece of intruding particle is now a valuable & sought after pearl.
It is important to recognize & to seize the treasure within the adversity. Each hardship, failure, setback or resistance has the capacity to toughen & sharpen our character each time we encounter & embrace them. We have a choice. We can allow adversity to pass us by without learning much from it, or we can deliberately choose to make the best use of adverse situations- embracing them, learning from them & sharing those lessons with others.
What is your choice?
What is your pearl?
Life is hard.
There have been or will be days where all you want to do is cry because it is so hard.
Sometimes you'll amaze yourself that you can get out of bed.
BUT life is supposed to be hard.
That is how we grow.
There is no other way!
There is a purpose and reason for each and every challenge you encounter in your life.
Remember that.
I know it's hard when these challenges come through no fault of our own especially.
Remember though, God has a great purpose for you and this is all part of his plan.
President Hunter said “Our detours & disappointments are the straight & narrow path to Him.”
Even more important:
remember that you don't have to face these challenges alone.
We are here to help each other out.
We have families to help us, Bishops, and most important of all, the Savior. Rely on the Savior when it seems you can't take another step.
Let Him help carry your load.
Turn to the Savior and let Him be apart of your life.
You can handle it all with the Savior.
Back to the chocolate analogy:
There are different types of chocolate (milk, semi-sweet, dark)
There are different types of adversity (natural causes, our own choices, choices of others)
Chocolate has its own taste, texture & use.
Adversity has its uses for refinement, growth, & spiritual progress.
Chocolate bars need cocoa powder to be chocolaty.
Life needs adversity as part of Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation, redemption & atonement.
James E Faust: “We must partake of the bitter with the sweet. There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day. They prepare, they purge, they purify, and this they bless.”
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