Focus on Jesus Christ leads to spiritual lessons
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
Spiritual lessons can be learned through life's suffering for those with a focus on Jesus Christ, said Elder Keith R. Edwards of the Seventy during the Sunday afternoon conference session.
He told of a personal experience several years ago when his son, at about age 1, had his finger severely injured when it was smashed in a door. At the hospital, Elder Edwards had to leave the room while his son went through delicate surgery to repair the finger. But Elder Edwards kept peeking around the corner to see how things were going with his son.
"On one of those occasions, as I saw him with his arm pinned out from his side, his head arched searching for his father, the thought came to my mind of another Son, His arms stretched out nailed to a cross, searching for His Father and to my mind came the words, 'My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? (See Matthew 27:46.) What was a very traumatic moment in my life suddenly became very sacred."
Elder Edwards spoke of men and women from the scriptures who remained focused on the Savior in suffering, emphasizing Nephi's devotion to God even while suffering afflictions inflicted by his brothers aboard the ship traveling to the promised land. He also noted the suffering of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail when the Savior Himself spoke comforting words to him.
"As we are called upon to endure suffering, sometimes inflicted upon us intentionally or negligently, we are put in a unique position — if we choose, we may be allowed to have new awareness of the suffering of the Son of God," Elder Edwards said. "While Alma tells us that Christ suffered all that any of us will ever have to suffer that He might know how to succor us (see Alma 7:11-12), the reverse may also be true; that our suffering may allow us insight into the depth and magnitude of His atoning sacrifice."
