Opposition and the Atonement

     Why do I have to experience bad days? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why can't life be easy? How come life is so unfair? Why cant I ever get a break? These are all questions I have asked myself along with many others. The answer I might suggest is opposition, and the solution is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Now let me explain using two scriptures, in the Book of Mormon, that have helped me to understand this principle.
     The first states, "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one;" (2 Nephi 2:11.) If every day was happy and perfect then that would be "normal." There would be no pleasure behind happiness because there is no reason for there to be. It would just be what we expect, with nothing special about it. How lame would that be! In order to really have a good day, sometimes we are going to have bad days. In order to really appreciate our health we need to experience sickness. There must be opposition so we can understand the difference.
     The second states, "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind... He will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people... He will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12.) The word "succor" more or less means to run to the aid. So, this scripture is telling us that Christ not only suffered to redeem us from our sins, but He suffered so that He could be there for us as we go through the hard times in life. He did it so that He could run to our aid when we are struggling. He did it because He loves us and wants us to find happiness in life.
     I know that my Father in Heaven knows and loves me and will not let me go through anything that I can't handle, at least not on my own. In a time of need my Savior is there waiting and ready to help me along as I feel I can't go any further. So, when you are going through a hard time, just remember, someone has been there before and is ready to help you through it. "All that seems unfair in life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ..." (The Plan of Salvation.) I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

"Five Scriptures That Will Help You Get through Almost Anything"

     I cam across an article called, "Five Scriptures That Will Help You Get through Almost Anything." It is an awesome article that shares with us how to get though hard times, like it says in the title.
     One of the greatest questions in all of life is, Why do bad things happen, even to good people? Thanks to the scriptures we can answer that question. The first scripture, 1 Nephi 11:17, tells us we don’t have all the answers to explain all the tragedies in the world. "However, we know, we are sure, that God loves His children." So, instead of thinking, "Why did this happen to me?" think, “Well, I know God loves me; I know that. So what can I learn from this experience?”
     The next scripture, Moses 7:26–33, tells us that sometimes our trials are a direct result of someone using their agency to do evil. "Everyone on earth has agency, and sometimes those who misuse it have an impact on many innocent people." He asks a great question that really changes my perspective of tragedies. "Sometimes we see things on the news and ask, 'How could God allow this to happen?' Could it be that one day we’ll discover that God prevented much more than He allowed?"
     Scripture three, Alma 14:10–13, tells us not to let a tragedy define how we live. "You still have your own mission. Like Alma and Amulek, perhaps you were spared because your work is not finished!...Needless to say, Alma and Amulek witnessed an awful scene. I wonder if they were ever able to forget what they saw. How did they survive?"
     Scripture four, Alma 7:11–12, answers that question. "The words “sin” or “sins” do not appear anywhere in those two verses." However, it does say that, "Jesus took upon him: pains, afflictions, temptations, sicknesses, and infirmities." So, let the atonement help you through your personal tragedies.
     The last scripture, D&C 101:32–36, tells us that we might never get our questions answered in this life, but one day the Lord will return and answer all of our questions.
     The Ultimate answer is not that the scriptures can get us through hard times, it is that Jesus Christ can get us through them. He is the only one who will help us get through everything. And with Jesus we can get rid of the "almost" in the title.

     "We know that God loves His children. We know that part of His plan is to allow evil to exist in the world. We know that if we’re still alive, we have a work to accomplish. We know that the Savior suffered not only for our sins, but also for our pains and afflictions, and we know that one day He will conquer the evil one, answer all our questions, and bless us with a fullness of joy."