Tough times abound, and while you are in them, they are allencompassing. In order to overcome these tough times, it becomes necessary to realize and trust in the fact that tough times never last forever and always yield results that are worth the pain:
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (2 Corinthians 4:17)
7 ...peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. (D&C 121)
There exist many situations here so brutal that the only way you can endure them is by trusting that God would only subject you to them for your benefit.
There exist many situations here so intense that the only way you can make it through them is by trusting that God will always make everything work out for your benefit.
There exist many situations here so murky in purpose that trust in the power and knowledge of God is the only way to see them as precisely engineered circumstances for your benefit.
This perspective is empowering.
No one looks at a marvelous building and imagines the extensiveness of the scaffolds used during construction. After trials have served their purpose, they go away. When they do, you retain everything you have learned and receive everything you are now prepared for.
The almost universal reaction to afflictions is to avoid them rather than learn what is revealed through them. This is why most people who suffer awful tragedies never reach the point where they see the value in their experience. Instead, by seeking to avoid what the experience reveals about life, about people, and about themselves, they ensure that their only protection against what they lack is their ability to forget the situation. Only by learning the lessons exposed by the experience can you come to the point where you truly overcome it and benefit from it.
When you cast metal, you make a mold out of sand. Mold making can take a long time if it is an intricate design. Once the mold is made, you pour in the molten metal. Then you break the mold apart and blow away the sand, and all that is left is the metal object. It was formed by the shape of the sand, but after you are done, all the sand goes away.
This is how tough times are in life—provided, of course, that you learn what they are meant to teach you. Once you've learned what they are trying to teach you, the sand blows away and you are left with the prize, which is the joy available to all those who know that thing.
The positive benefits of what we suffer extend far beyond the immediate effects. Suffering makes joyous moments prolonged and much deeper. By teaching us what we lack, it helps us appreciate what has value, and we retain that valuation long after the suffering ends.
Our transient memories shorten the duration of the benefits of contrast provided by cycles of suffering and joy.
Imagine if, after a workout, the endorphin rush never faded. When you die, you will have a perfect memory of what it was like to go through what you did. You get to keep the gratitude of it being over. You will retain the benefits of contrast. To an extent, you can learn to feel this way in life as well (as will be covered in the chapter “All things before you continually”).