He had seemed to have everything: a family with seven sons and three daughters, unsurpassed stature and prestige, a large and prosperous business in the east with numerous workers and enormous capital. Moreover, he enjoyed the peace and joy that come from exemplary conduct and obedience to God's commandments.

In an incredible confluence of events, he suddenly lost it all. On the day his business failed, all his sons and daughters, together at the home of the eldest son, perished in a natural disaster that destroyed the house.To compound his misfortune, he soon was beset with a debilitating and painful disease.

In a misguided effort to comfort him, some of his friends intimated that he had caused his own problems through unrighteousness. The suggestion was unjustified, as his behavior before and since his misfortune had been unblemished.

At one point, his wife asserted that his faith apparently had done him no good, and he may as well renounce it. This he refused to do, although he did express the wish that he had never been born and that now, in the midst of his despair, death would bring him the relief he longed for.

But he drew strength from his fervent testimony of the Redeemer and the reality of the Resurrection. He pondered the plan of salvation, and his knowledge that he had lived with God before his mortal existence, that he would live again after death, that God is all-powerful and all-knowing, that some time and somehow he would be blessed according to his faithfulness in affliction.

In the end, he was blessed abundantly. His brothers, sisters and friends gave him moral and monetary support. From that base he built a business twice as large the one before, he again received seven sons and three daughters, and lived to see his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The above scenario is true. It could have occurred in recent times; the fact is that it happened hundreds of years before Christ. The man in the scenario was Job.

His experience is instructive to Latter-day Saints. The Book of Job makes it clear that suffering is not necessarily the result of sin, that even the righteous must endure adversity from time to time. It tells the reader that God knows the end from the beginning, and it affirms the doctrine revealed to Joseph Smith while the prophet was imprisoned in Liberty Jail:

"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." (D&C 121:7-8.)

In times of hardship it can be helpful to remember that a loving Father wants His children to be happy.

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence," Joseph Smith wrote, "and will be the end thereof if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 255-256.)

That being the case, it is puzzling to some that faithful people experience unhappiness through adversity. This can be explained to some extent in the context of scriptural concepts of moral agency and the need for opposition in all things. (See, for example, 2 Ne. 2:11, 16 and 27; and Elder M. Russell Ballard, Conference Report, April 1-2, 1995, pp. 29-30.)

Striving to view matters in an eternal context, as Job did, can aid understanding. Ultimately, one must have faith that God governs in the affairs of His children, and that momentary pain will, if endured faithfully, result at some point in greater joy than could otherwise be experienced.

Through such faith, one can find a measure of joy in the expectation of untold blessings that will follow the patient endurance of adversity.

James expressed the point in these words: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into many afflictions;

"Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

"But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

"Blessed is the man that resisteth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (JST James 1:2-4, 14.)

Meanwhile, immersing oneself in the doctrines of the gospel can help in getting through the rough times.

One Church member was depressed and downcast from three events that happened at once: the loss of a loved one through death, a major disappointment in life, and a milestone birthday that brought stark awareness that time was passing and he had yet to achieve some cherished goals and expectations.

Conscious of the potential for the scriptures to be an instrument for personal revelation (See Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "Scripture Reading and Revelation," Ensign, January 1995, pp. 6-9), he let his quadruple combination fall open at random, trusting he would find solace and guidance in a particular passage of scripture. His eyes fell on D&C 88:124-126, which reads: "Cease to be idle; cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.

"And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.

"Pray always that ye may not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself. Amen."

Puzzled at first as to the application of those verses to his circumstances, the man soon understood the connection clearly. Here was a prescription for overcoming his depression: Be virtuous, stay active and practice sound principles of health and physical fitness, pray constantly and cultivate an attitude of forgiveness, tolerance, charity and service.

It was hard medicine at first, as he was inclined to withdraw into a shell of resentment and self-pity and find escape in sleep. But he found the more he practiced the counsel in those Doctrine and Covenants verses, the better he felt. Over time, he found the meaning of many scriptures being unfolded to his understanding so he could apply them in giving advice to others experiencing difficulty.

President Ezra Taft Benson, while president of the Quorum of the Twelve, gave some practical advice at October 1974 general conference.

"To lift our spirit and send us on our way rejoicing," he said, "the devil's designs of despair, discouragement, depression and despondency can be defeated in a dozen ways, namely: repentance, prayer, service, work, health, reading, blessings, fasting, friends, music, endurance and goals."