Life Is Hard

            Life is hard. Every day is a battle. Every day we are pushed down then forced to get back up. Life is a war; not only between good and evil generally, but a personal war between the right and wrong choices. One of the greatest gifts that each of us has been given is the freedom to make choices. If we couldn’t choose right, we wouldn’t know right. Liberty of selection allows us to grow, learn, and become more and more like God. Choosing the right is often hard, and maybe that’s why life is hard. However, the war will always be won by the righteous side, and in the end, success cannot come from failing to get back up when we are pushed down.

            It becomes evident to the observant of the past that those who succeed have been pushed down countless times. For example, Thomas Edison got pushed down an innumerable amount of times, but he always got back up. In the end, he succeeded because of the initiative that he showed to choose the right way. Moses attempted to change Pharaoh’s mind in ancient times, but Pharaoh would not give up ground. In the end, because of his persistence, patience, and reliance and faith in God, Moses was able to free the Israelite people and deliver them to the Promised Land. Another great example of someone who has been pushed down so many times is Job. In the Bible, Job had everything taken away from him, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. Job lost his seven sons and three daughters, his wife, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, and thousands of other animals and possessions. Job was afflicted physically with boils. He was despised and abandoned by his friends, but he never lost hope in the Lord, always praising Him. In the end, once again, Job was redeemed and blessed by God.

            As we have seen from the story of Job (and many other stories of many other people), when hard times come, there are two reasons for them: either the individual is being punished by God for a sin they have committed or the individual is being tried by God in order to help them grow and make them a better person. One circumstance that falls into this category is a trial that comes because of the poor decisions of another. At this point, there are really only two choices that we can make: we can be angry towards God because of our afflictions or we can embrace our afflictions and try our best to learn from them. In life, we must find the reason for our trials and act accordingly. If we are being punished, it would be very profitable for us to choose to repent and change as soon as possible. If we are being tried by God, we must do just as Job did: put our trust in Him. God knows everything. He created you, so He knows you better than you know yourself. By having patience and faith in the Lord, we can overcome our weaknesses and become better people because of it. Another great example of somebody being persistent and putting their trust in the Lord is found in the book of Mosiah in The Book of Mormon.

Life is hard, but we must keep moving forward

            Alma has escaped from the wicked King Noah, and has fled from the waters of Mormon. He is currently presiding over his people in the land of Helam, and everything is going and working splendidly. The people are prosperous. God loves and wants to bless His people, so He gives them the privilege of going through hard times and becoming better individuals. “Nevertheless, the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith,” (See Mosiah 23:21). As the people were living and working in the land of Helam, the Lamanites came upon them and began overtaking their city. The people of Alma were now in bondage under the Lamanites and one especially wicked Lamanite, a former priest of King Noah himself, Amulon. Amulon and the Lamanites persecute Alma and his people repeatedly, but from the start, Alma has faith in God. He knows that his people have done nothing wrong; therefore he knows that he and his people are being tried. Alma comforts his people and tells them to pray to the Lord that He would deliver them. When the Lamanites ban prayer, the people of Alma continue to pour out their hearts to God. The Lord is merciful and remembers His covenants, and He eases the burdens of the people of Alma. The people of Alma are still in bondage, but they continue to trust the Lord their God. In the end, the Lord sees how great their patience and faith are, and His voice comes unto them and says, “Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage,” (See Mosiah 24:16). The Lord then delivers his people, and they rejoice and became better because of it.

            I encourage all people everywhere who are going through hard times to keep going. You will be stronger in the end, and it will be worth it. Be persistent and do not give up. Do your best and rely on God. I know that if these things can be done during trials, then great effects will come to pass. Keep going. Life is hard, but it is meant to be hard. In the end when it’s all over, a better person you will be. You will get pushed down, but you must get up. The only way that this war can be won is through winning small everyday battles, and those battles can only be won through endurance. Put your feet in the right place and endure to the end.