Life is hard. Faith makes it easier.
In Elder Rex D. Pinegar’s October 1982 general conference address, “Faith—The Force of Life,” he shares an experience when his daughter was departing for college and was just now understanding the extent of the responsibilities lying ahead of her. After considering them all, as Elder Pinegar put it, “she was beginning to realize life was hard.”
I myself made the same discovery. Difficult emotions like stress, anxiety, sorrow, and confusion cloud most of my memories from my first year at university. I, too, had moments where I realized that life is hard. My only comfort was my belief in luck. Surely, I thought back then, as time passed, my luck would change and I’d overcome my trials.
Photo by Andrew Beatson
Well, time passed, and my difficulties only grew. So I turned away from luck and towards what I really needed: faith. In my most difficult moments, all I could do was hope that things would improve, and that I’d learn far more than I felt I had lost.
Unsurprisingly, faith worked miracles. Things improved—not overnight, but they did.
Faith is now my first response. That doesn’t mean overcoming one’s challenges doesn’t require effort (faith is active, after all). Instead, I turn to the Savior first and other options second.
And yes, life is still hard. But faith is more than enough to carry us through.
Learn more about how faith strengthens us throughout our lives by reading Elder Rex D. Pinegar’s talk “Faith—The Force of Life.”
Source: www.churchofjesuschrist.org
—Kelly Pratt, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY THELESTER
Find more insights
Read “Seek Learning by Faith” from Elder David A. Bednar to learn how to turn faith into action.
Watch “The Will of God” to learn more about how challenges shape God’s unique plan for our lives.