Elder Schmutz gave a beautiful sermon about how faith in Christ can help us overcome our trials and challenges in life. I especially loved his discussion of the life of Paul the Apostle:

The Apostle Paul, himself no stranger to affliction, drew from his own experience to teach with depth and beauty the eternal perspective that comes when we endure well and with patience. He said, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” In other words, we can know in the midst of our afflictions that God has provided an eternal compensating reward.

Paul’s ability to speak of the trials, persecutions, and sorrows of his life as “light” afflictions belies the severity of his suffering, which was for him swallowed up by the eternal perspective of the gospel. Paul’s faith in Jesus Christ made all things bearable. Five times he was beaten with stripes, thrice with rods; once he was stoned; thrice he suffered shipwreck; often he was put in peril of death by drowning, by robbers, and even by false brethren; he suffered weariness and pain, hunger and thirst, and was imprisoned in the cold and in nakedness.

If Paul could endure so much heartache and suffering, and yet look on hisafflictions as light, then that says a lot about the kind of faith he had. He knew and understood that in Christ all of the hardship in life shall be made right. No trials or sorrow can endure or overcome the power of his Atonement.

I am so grateful for my knowledge of Christ and his atonement. It helps me so much. It helps me to gain eternal perspective and to overcome sorrow and tragedy. I have faith that every tear will be dried and every wound will be healed. 



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