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In 1839 Joseph Smith was incarcerated in Liberty Jail based on false allegations. During his time in jail he petitioned the judge for release but his pleas were met with no relief. He also petitioned the Lord for help, “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries? Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them? O Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven, earth, and seas, and of all things that in them are, and who controllest and subjectest the devil, and the dark and benighted dominion of Sheol—stretch forth thy hand; let thine eye pierce; let thy pavilion be taken up; let thy hiding place no longer be covered; let thine ear be inclined; let thine heart be softened, and thy bowels moved with compassion toward us. Let thine anger be kindled against our enemies; and, in the fury of thine heart, with thy sword avenge us of our wrongs. Remember thy suffering saints, O our God; and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever.” (D&C 121: 1-6)

The Lord gave the following response, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands. Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job. And they who do charge thee with transgression, their hope shall be blasted, and their prospects shall melt away as the hoar frost melteth before the burning rays of the rising sun;”(D&C 121: 7-11) He went on further to say, “The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage against thee; While the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous, shall seek counsel, and authority, and blessings constantly from under thy hand. And thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony of traitors. And although their influence shall cast thee into trouble, and into bars and walls, thou shalt be had in honor; and but for a small moment and thy voice shall be more terrible in the midst of thine enemies than the fierce lion, because of thy righteousness; and thy God shall stand by thee forever and ever. If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea; If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can’t you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb; And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.” (D&C 122: 1-9)

I thought it was important to quote the entire interaction because of how powerful these verses really are, in a time where people want their suffering relieved and they cry unto the Lord for relief it is important to realize that there is purpose in our suffering and that to have it taken from us could frustrate the plans of God. Don’t get me wrong, often times our suffering is brought on by ourselves yet even this type of suffering can serve a purpose if we let it. I think the most poignant scripture is when God tells Joseph, “The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?” I can imagine that this counsel from the Lord would humble Joseph. I know it does me. He reminded Joseph of Christ’s role and that if Jesus who was “the only begotten of the Father,” could suffer as much as he did that Joseph too could suffer. But I think it is important to note that all suffering regardless of the reasons can and should be for our good. Certainly Heavenly Father does not enjoy inflicting pain or suffering on his children, but as a loving caring father who can see from eternity to eternity, he knows that our greatest growth and chances for growth come through adversity. It is in those quiet moments of desperation that we too can call out to our Heavenly Father and he will answer us. Although he may not take away the pain or sorrow, he will certainly give us the strength and courage to endure life’s trials and tribulations. In the midst of our suffering we may not see the purpose, however often times hindsight gives us the clarity to see the divinity in our suffering.

It is very much like the refiners fire that is used to take the impurities out of precious metals, making them more pure and more valuable. We know that one of the most precious stones in this life is the diamond. The diamond is merely carbon (which we are too) that has had the heat and pressure of the earth pushing on it for hundreds if not thousands of years. It is valuable because it is rare. Our lives can be compared to that of the precious metal or the diamond. We can only reach our true potential through enduring what we are called to endure. This does not mean that we should simply endure for the sake of enduring. We must learn how to endure life “well” for without this we simply exist, which will certainly profit us little or nothing. No one certainly can tell another individual what is enduring well, because each of us is our own measuring stick. We are not measured by the impossible; we are measured with the possible: becoming our best self. I often have to remind myself that if I am better today than I was yesterday then I am progressing. It does not matter the speed at which I progress so much as that I am progressing.

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