You are Stronger than You THink: BY Lucy Lybbert

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, once said that our trials upon this earth are difficult but they are a lot easier because Christ our Lord and Savior has borne all of our terrestrial hardships we will face in this life time. In Mosiah it says “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrow, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities… and with his strips we are healed” (Mosiah 14:3-5). Because of the great atoning sacrifice Christ gave for all of us our trails and burdens are lighter. We may be despised and mocked on every principle we believe in but we can find peace in knowing it is only for a short while. We will be freed from this bondage we face upon this earth.

In our lives we will face trials it is a natural part of life. When we feel trapped in bondage ,“ He will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people… and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities” ( Alma 7:11-12).This was Christ’s mission to go forth before his fellow man and to give us a way to return to our heavenly father, and a way to feel of the peace the gospel offers. I know in my life there are times when I can’t take it anymore and when I just feel so broken by whatever it is I may be facing. The one thing that I know will save me is to turn to my savior. On the LDS scripture concordance and also in class I found that Jesus is the Hebrew root for salvation so I find it very appropriate that one of Jesus’ many names be the Savior. In Mosiah after praying for salvation the lord says unto his people “Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage and I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage… I, the Lord God do visit my people in their afflictions” (Mosiah 24: 13-14). We never walk alone in our trials if we allow the savior to help us. My Laurel’s leader shared a story with us once called footprints in the sand.

It reads, One night a man had a dream.He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD.Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him he looked back, at the footprints in the sand.He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints.He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it:"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you,you'd walk with me all the way.But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints.I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."
The LORD replied:"My son, My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you,During your times of trial and suffering,when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

This story always leaves me with a powerful feeling of our savior’s love for us. That when we are at our lowest of lows and saddest moments that he will carry us, that we need not feel rejected by him when we are rejected of man.

He will always come he will always be there to help us and when we place our faith in him knowingly we cannot fall. We are stronger than we think when we have the lord. When I was little and would be upset and crying my daddy would gather me up in his arms and with me in his strong grasp he would carry me into his bedroom , sit down with me in my grandma’s old blue rocking chair and there he would cuddle me, sometime sing until the last tear was dried. Then he would tell me he loved me and tuck me back into bed. A while later down the road of life when I had well out grown my rocking chair days I found myself crying in my room cuddled up in that old blue rocking chair and my daddy heard me. He came into my room took me in his arms again and held me close. Then again once all the tears were dried he took my hand told me he loved me and then he said “ Lucy you are stronger than you think when you have the savior in your life, it won’t make the bad days go away but it will and can make them more bearable”. I am so grateful for my dad’s great testimony of the savior and how it can help us even when we feel as though there is not hope and no direction to run that will make our problems go away.
I know that life gets hard. I understand that we all must face trials but because our savior has prepared a way we do not have to travel this life alone. He suffered the ultimate cost of his life so that we may all have a liter load and so that we may return back home again. When we have the savior we are stronger than all the trials all the rejection and all the criticisms of man. When we have the savior we are stronger than we know. “And now may the peace of God rest upon you” (Alma 7:27). Just like I felt that peace when my dad told me I was strong when I had the Savior in my life. We can all have that peace forever, knowing that by Christ all will be made whole again. Also because I have this knowledge I can’t keep it in, as it says in Mosiah, “They did raise up their voices and give thanks to God” (Mosiah 25: 10). I will praise all my days in my actions, how I choose to live my life making sure that it reflects the gratitude I feel in my heart towards my savior for never leaving me alone to feel despised or rejected of man.

I am so grateful for the gospel I know it to be true. I know that I am a divine daughter of god. And even more basic a child of god. Because I know these things I can live my life with a comfort that my heavenly father loves me, and the he loves me in spite all of my many flaws. I am so grateful to have a family that has raised me in the gospel and loved me enough to give me every opportunity to grow strengthen and bare my testimony. I am grateful for a healthy body that functions on the blessing of modern medicine. I love this wonderful truth that we have. I feel so blessed to have the savior in my life. I cannot deny his power and his love in my life. Without him I would be lost. His is my light my life my redeemer. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Works Cited

Foot steps in the sand- Author Unknown

LDS scripture concordance

The Book of Mormon

Mosiah 14:3-5

Alma 7:11-12

Mosiah 24: 13-14

Alma 7:27

Mosiah 25: 10

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