Re-posted from May 18, 2019. . . . and from his book ‘To Draw Closer to God,’ Elder Henry B. Eyring teaches:
“Now be careful when anybody tells you about certainty in this world, because it’s a very uncertain life. In fact, most of us are so worried about the fact that we don’t know what’s coming that we’re easy prey for those who claim to be able to tell us exactly what’s going to happen to us. Do you remember a man named Nehor in the Book of Mormon? He wanted to become popular and wealthy, so he preached a message that he knew the people would like. He essentially said, “I’ll tell you something about the future that’s certain, and I’ll make it very attractive.” The scriptures record that he “testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear or tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; the Lord had created all men, and also had redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life. (Alma 1:4) And many of the people believed him. If they had searched the scriptures and prayed about his message, they would have known it was a lie, But he told them a pleasant lie—don’t worry, all will go well—and they believed him.
I remind you of that story for two reasons. One is that as you read this discussion about what I say is certain in your future, you need to have the Holy Ghost tell you that what I’m saying is true. The other is that you need to read the scriptures I’ll share with you, study them in their full context, and see if they confirm what I’m going to tell you.
Now, what I’m going to do is suggest three things that are certain to happen to you in the future. First, it is an absolute certainty that you will go through trials of your faith. For some it will be physical or perhaps a financial problem. For others it may not be anything an outsider would see as a trial. But the real trial of your faith is not necessarily that moment when disaster obviously strikes you; in fact, you may go through a lifetime with little or almost none of that. The real trial of your faith is anything that would divert you from doing what God would have you do.
I’m thinking of a young man I spoke with a few years ago in a city in California. I was meeting with him because he and his wife were having great difficulties. At first, I couldn’t sense what the problem was, but later he told me he thought it grew out of his employment. He was working in a law enforcement activity that required him to do some things that kept him both away from his family and away from his church work. He saw no way he could do anything other than that, and yet he quietly said to me that he knew there had been a change in his life. By not being able to do the little things that God had asked of him, he felt a lessening of his faith.
You can be absolutely assured that in one form of another there will come a trial of your faith. And I would hope you wouldn’t be surprised. The Apostle Peter said, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. (1 Peter 4: 12-13.)
One of the reasons why you will be tried is that opposition is always part of being a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You should expect that great difficulties will come to you in the pursuit of doing what the Lord would have you do. But you should also feel that these trials are a blessing, because “faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore dispute not because you see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” (Ether 12:6) ~Elder Henry B. Eyring, “To Draw Closer to God,” Deseret Book, 1997 pg 82-84
