Faith and Fortitude

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday afternoon session of the April 2012 General Conference.

Mortal life is hard. It is supposed to be, and no one gets through it without challenges. Several speakers in this session spoke to this theme. 

Elder David S. Baxter specifically spoke to single parents.

Although you may at times have asked, why me? it is through the hardships of life that we grow toward godhood as our character is shaped in the crucible of affliction, as the events of life take place while God respects the agency of man.

I have to ask myself if my trials and hardships are hardening me or softening me. Am I more cynical? More jaded? Less patient with others?  Or am I becoming more compassionate? More charitable? More Christlike? Progress isn't a straight line for me, unfortunately; it's more jagged with ups and downs. Hopefully my ups are higher and my downs are too as I climb toward the goal of completeness in Christ.

Elder Quentin L. Cook said, "Please understand that having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and keeping His commandments are and always will be the defining test of mortality." Will I be obedient no matter what hardships befall me? Will I continue faithfully enduring to the end? That is my goal. I want to make it to the promised land.

Elder Richard G. Scott gave this comfort, "Our Heavenly Father did not put us on earth to fail but to succeed gloriously." I have found Him to be endlessly patient with me; endlessly loving and forgiving. He seems to know what my breaking point is and provides relief just before I reach it, allowing me to be stretched and refined just a bit more through this trial or that.

I have many more rough spots to polish off before I'm ready to return home. I'm so grateful for my Savior providing a way to be forgiven and cleansed, comforted and restored through the trials of life.