Affliction

Everyone who comes to earth has a life riddled with afflictions because that is what life is supposed to be - because afflictions are the main path to refinement and that is why we came to earth - to be refined. It is important to remember that afflictions are just as necessary as love and miracles and wonder - all do their part to refine us. But afflictions, especially our personal ones - given to us by our unique choices or God's knowledge of us as His child - are all part of His wisdom and plan, for those who cannot endure cannot be sanctified. Most of us live with the subconscious belief that if you are obedient and faithful you will not have affliction, or you will at least only be given the easy ones. But if you truly know the greatness of God you will come to understand affliction better and why even the faithful and obedient must suffer - for the greatness of God comes in the consecration of affliction. It is the ability to give up all the selfish "whys" that come with affliction and turn them over to God so that we may come to truly know Him and His Greatness. The ability to do that is so hard, for afflictions often bring you to the land of forgetfulness - you forget the wonders and goodness and nearness of God which often leads you to darkness, and in the dark it becomes easier to harden your heart, to turn away from God's words and His love, to (strangely) deny access to deliverance. The most common response of any affliction is the same one as the children of Israel - to murmur, and murmuring always leads to bad things(it takes away the power of faith). Affliction is an absence of light/truth - it gives power to Satan unless you turn to your Savior. So what can we do during affliction to turn to our Savior and banish Satan and the darkness? 

The most important thing to do during affliction is to REMEMBER. Remember that you will be supported, not trial-free. Remember, remember, remember Christ and His love for you. Remember that it is His mission to deliver you from afflictions. Remember He knows you and that afflictions are what humble us and help us come to know Him better. Remember that He is close to the broken-hearted, He will visit you and make your burdens light. Remember that He will console you, He will plead your cause, and send justice. Remember that although He delivers you it is not always in the way you imagine but always in a way that is full of wonders(Joseph). Remember to put your house in order, to forgive one another, to go to the Lord's house and stand in His presence so that He will hear you and help you. Remember that all your afflictions shall be but a small moment and will give thee experience and work together for your good and His glory - so don't be afraid but rejoice and give thanks for everything, wait patiently on the Lord, pray(with exceeding faith and sincerity) and sing psalms, be pure in heart and firm in mind(if your mind is firm you can feast on His love forever). Remember the word and the WORD brings comfort in afflictions and gives you "root" in the gospel. Remember to visit those in affliction for that is pure religion and is what Christ did with His time on earth, and if "the word" or Christ is the only thing that brings comfort in affliction, then pure religion is bringing Christ and love to others. Remember you can look for joy in the absence of trials but also you can look for joy in the strength to get you through the trials as well as joy in the Holy Ghost who will help you through the trials. Remember the importance of strength - and have hope that you will one day rest - for rest does not mean affliction is taken away, it means you will have enough strength to match the afflictions (think of Sunday as the Day of Rest/Strength - a day to remember all the things you have to bear your afflictions(faith, hope, love, light). Remember that success in life is having the strength and patience to bear afflictions. Remember that like Nephi, no matter how much anger or doubt or weakness you have - always trust in the Lord and look forward to Him in faith to deliver you from death and hell so that you can gain a remission of your sins. Always remember "I am with thee, even to the end of thy days" and that you will have afflictions all  your life - so stop looking for joy in other things and remember "for in thee is my joy." And remember, remember, always remember that everything good(mercy, repentance, strength, joy, love, hope, eternal life) is only possible because of the affliction Christ went through on earth. So in the end, the one thing that is truly important to remember when faced with afflictions is that you always have two choices: one of them is Christ, and the other one never matters.

*Ex 3:7, Psalms 34:19 - The Lord will ALWAYS deliver you. He knows our afflictions, sorrows, He has come to deliver us - that is His mission.

*2 Chron 20:9 - When evil comes upon you, go to the Lord's house, find a sanctuary, stand in His presence. He will hear you and help you.

*2 Chron 33:10-12 - Affliction often comes because we do not hearken to the Lord - affliction humbles us, brings us to know the Lord is God.

*Psalms 34:19 - The righteous have many afflictions, but the Lord delivers from all. v. 18 - The Lord is close to the broken hearted.

*Psalms 88:12 - "Shall they wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness" Affliction = darkness and forgetfulness(you forget the goodness and nearness of God which brings the darkness), but God brings wonders and righteousness.

*Psalms 119:50 - The word will bring you comfort in affliction. The word = Christ

*Isa 48:10, 1 Ne 20:10 - Affliction = Refinement

*Hosea 5:15 - In affliction, we seek God early, when do we seek Him in joy?

*Jonah 2 - When you cry to the Lord in affliction, He hears you, even from the belly of hell. Your prayer reaches into His Holy Temple (v. 7)

*Matt 5:10 - When you're persecuted for righteousness sake, "the kingdom of heaven" is yours.

*Mark 4:17 - If you don't have "root" you won't last through affliction.

*Mark 13:19 - You ain't seen nothin yet.

*John 16:33 - In Christ you will find peace - He has overcome the world.

*Acts 7:10 - God delivered Joseph from all his afflictions - maybe not the way Joseph imagined - but in a way full of wonders.

*1 Thes 1:6 - Receive the word of affliction, receive it with joy in the Holy Ghost.

*James 1:27 - Visiting those in affliction is pure religion, which is what Christ did with His time on earth. And if "the word" or Christ is the only thing that brings comfort in affliction, then pure religion is bringing Christ and love to others.

*James 5:13 - Are you afflicted? Pray. Are you merry? Sing psalms. 

*2 Ne 2:2 - If you know the greatness of God, you will understand affliction better. Greatness of God = consecration of affliction. To give up all the selfish "whys" that come with afflictions and turn them over to God is to find and know His Greatness.

*2 Ne 4:17-35 - Even Nephi, when faced with afflictions, experiences doubt, anger, weakness. But his saving attribute is to always trust in the Lord.

*Jacob 3:1 - Be pure in heart, firm in mind, pray with exceeding faith - He will console you in your afflictions, He will plead your cause, and send justice. (If your mind is firm, you can feast on His love forever.)

*Mosiah 24:14 - He will visit you in affliction, make your burden light.

*Alma 4:12-15 - What will help you get through affliction? Looking forward with faith to Christ delivering us from death and hell - we'll gain a remission of our sins.

*Alma 26:27 - When you're depressed, the Lord will comfort you. Be patient in your afflictions and you will have success.

*Alma 31:33 - The comfort of Christ brings strength to bear afflictions which is the success of life.

*D&C 24:8 - Be patient in afflictions, you will have many, BUT "I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days."

*Alma 33:11 - God hears prayers of affliction given in sincerity. Ashley, you will have afflictions all your life, stop looking for joy in other things, remember "for in thee is my joy" and REMEMBER that everything good is because of the Son(and the affliction He went through): mercy, repentance, strength, joy.

*Alma 34:40-41 - Be patient, have hope you will one day rest (rest does not mean taken away, it means strength Alma 31:33) (You should think of Sunday as the Day of Rest/Strength)

*Alma 36:3 - You will be supported, not trial-free

*Alma 60:13 - Sometimes the righteous suffer for wise purposes in God. (Afflictions = the wisdom of God)

*Hel 12:3 - The Lord chastens us so that we will remember Him

*D&C 93:42 - Cause of affliction = no light or truth, gives evil one power over you. Solution: set your house in order - D&C 88:119

*D&C 98:1-3 - All your afflictions shall work together for your good and His glory - don't be afraid, rejoice, give thanks for everything, pray, wait patiently on the Lord.

*D&C 121:7 - Afflictions are but a small moment

*D&C 122:7 - All things give thee experience for your good

*Neh 9:9 - Remember afflictions of children of Israel - how they handled them - ugh. Don't handle your afflictions like them.

*Isa 63:9 - Christ suffered for our afflictions, we are redeemed through His love and pity, He bares us and carries us.

*1 Ne 16:35 - When you murmur during afflictions it leads to bad things.

*Mosiah 1:17 - You will not prosper or progress if you are unfaithful. Sometimes afflictions come because you need to remember your duty.

*Alma 7:11 - Christ took on all afflictions

*Alma 53:13 - The Nephites took on the afflictions of the people of Ammon.

*Alma 62: 41 - You always have two choices when given afflictions - become hardened or become softened - even to the depths of humility, 3 Ne 6:13 - You always have 2 choices.

*D&C 30:6 - When in affliction, ever lift up your heart in prayer and faith for deliverance.

*D&C 31:9 - Be patient and steadfast.

*D&C 64:8 - If you do not forgive one another, you will be visited with sore afflictions.

*D&C 101:2 - The Lord allows afflictions to come because of transgressions, but He will take them and make them His own, we all need to be tried like Abraham. Those who cannot endure cannot be sanctified.