Sometimes life is like wandering through a lush garden. Sometimes God blesses us with so much we feel overwhelmed. And sometimes God leads us out to walk in the wilderness. But as I’ve been studying the Bible and Book of Mormon, I have realized that the wildernesses and hard times of life are some of the most powerful times in our lives for learning to trust in the Lord.
God brought Lehi and his family to the promised land.
There are many examples of people the Lord has led out into the wilderness. Lehi, an ancient prophet from the Book of Mormon, and his family wandered in a wilderness for eight years. Moses and the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. And Adam and Eve lived in their wilderness for the rest of their lives. Their experiences were much the same. The wilderness was no piece of cake. They got hungry. They got sick. I can only imagine they missed the comfort of their previous life. Through these difficult times, they learned that God was the only one they could truly rely on. And when they had faith in the power of the Lord, the Lord showed them mighty miracles. He brought forth water from a rock and sent manna and quail to the children of Israel (Exodus 16 and). He safely brought Lehi and his family across the ocean (1 Nephi 18). He showed Adam and Eve how to come back to his presence through the atonement. And these groups of people learned to trust in the Lord. They became stronger in their faith, and more like Christ. And, as it says in Isaiah 51:3, “For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found within, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.” God doesn’t abandon us when we hit hard times. He will guide us through them, and teach us to trust in His plan for us.
Praying shows God we are relying on Him
I learned this recently. Up until a week ago, life was a posy of roses. I was taking great classes at BYU, had just joined the women’s rugby team, and felt on top of the world. Then I injured my knee in rugby practice—perhaps seriously. All of a sudden, things got hard. I was led out into my own wilderness. I asked God what He wanted me to do, and why He had led me out into such trials. I felt that He had things to teach me and to show me through this trial, and that if I just trusted in Him, He would lead me safely back to Him.
I am still at the beginning of this wilderness. But I have already been greatly blessed by the Lord, and I can feel His love surrounding me, lifting me up when I feel like I can’t go any farther. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I know that as I trust in Him, God will teach me to become more like Christ, and will eventually lead me back to His presence.
By Alexandria B.
Additional Resources:
Learn more about how trials prove our faith by a Mormon general authority
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