Spiritual thought...

This is the talk that I gave in Sacrament Meeting this last Sunday:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", timeless words written by Charles Dickens. Theses words note the significance of "opposition in all things."

Elder Neal A Maxwell said, "The sharp, side-by-side contrast of the sweet and the bitter is essential until the very end of this brief, mortal experience."

I am reminded of a prank played on me as a child by one of my uncles. At a restaurant, waiting for our food, I suppose trying to pass the time, my uncle would have me first try the white sugar packet, then the blue "sugar" packet. The clear contrast of the bitter and the sweet was apparent by the pucker on my face!

Today, I'm going to talk about the "bitter" part of life. There are four types of trials: 1-Trials of our faith given by a loving Heavenly Father to teach us. 2-Trials that are a natural part of life and come even when one is righteous. 3-Trials that come as a result of ones own sin. 4-Trials
put upon the innocent as a result of another's sin.

There is not a single person who has ever walked the Earth that has not had trials. It is how we react to, and learn from our trials that set us apart.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh taught, "I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness, and the willingness to remain vulnerable"

Our trials teach us; they shape us.

The Prophet Joseph Smith said, "I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, ... knocking off a corner here and a corner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty."

One of the most important things that we can learn from our trials is empathy.

A year after my Mom died of cancer, one of the younger girls in my Young Women's class lost her mother to cancer. Because of what I had gone through, I was able to help her through her pain. Similarly, a few weeks ago when I visited family in Utah, my aunt sat my sister and me down for a serious conversation. She is in charge of Activity Days in her ward and one of her girl's mother had just died of cancer. My aunt wanted to know the best way to handle the situation. My sister and I were able to give her some advice. While my pain is not the same as these other girls', I have immense empathy for them because of the trial I had gone through at that age.

We often hear people ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" I'd like to put this question into perspective by asking this, "Why did the worst things happen to the best person?"

The Savior suffered everything for us. "Though sinless Himself, He bore the sins of billions." (unknown quote) He bore the pains, heartache and grief of all of us. If we ever find ourselves thinking we are alone, remember there is one whose empathy is infinite because He went through it, too.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.