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	<title>LDS Blogs &#187; Overcoming Adversity</title>
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		<title>Mary Fielding Smith: Mormon Pioneer</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The captain didn't believe a woman--especially one of small means--could make the long pioneer journey without a husband. Mary Fielding Smith set out to prove him wrong.]]></description>
		<link>http://adversity.ldsblogs.com/7021/mary-fielding-smith-mormon-pioneer</link>
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		<title>Why Does God Give Some People More Than Others?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Why don't some people have trials? Does God love them more than He loves us?]]></description>
		<link>http://adversity.ldsblogs.com/4526/why-does-god-give-some-people-more-than-others</link>
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		<title>O Lord, I Beseech Thee</title>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant&#8221; (Nehemiah 1:11) How many times have we felt as the Old Testament prophet Nehemiah and were found on our knees &#8220;beseeching&#8221; the Lord in prayer? The word &#8220;beseech&#8221; means to beg eagerly for or to make an urgent appeal. No one makes it through this life without some degree of sorrow and some seem to have more than others. Sometimes we feel strong as we bear our burdens but other times we feel weak and desperately seek relief. The only true source of relief comes through our loving Heavenly Father. However, sometimes our pleadings to the Lord seem to go unanswered. Why are some prayers answered to the immense relief and joy of the supplicant while others are left to wade through their trials? Why are some prayers answered immediately and others take time? Why is it that as I struggle to do what is right I see others prospering and living a life of relative ease while ignoring the councils of God? Wouldn’t life be better without trials and tribulations? Why me? Feeling like I needed more understanding on this matter I looked to the Lord. After my own beseeching I turned to the scriptures. In the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, I found a man named Amulek who was teaching a group of people about prayer.  He taught them, &#8220;humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him…ye must pour out your souls in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://adversity.ldsblogs.com/1230/o-lord-i-beseech-thee</link>
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		<title>Be Still, and Know That I Am God</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It is reported that Brigham Young (1801-1877), the second president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormons, once said, &#8220;we should pray as if everything depended on the Lord, then work as if it all depended on us.&#8221; (Dorothy M. Hellberg, “‘Well Worn, Minus Rough Edges’,” Ensign, Feb 1984, 63) Most of us go through life with this belief and try very hard.  However, sometimes we are faced with insurmountable odds.  We start to feel the hopelessness and despair that comes from not knowing any possible way out. When there isn’t anything else we know of to do it is time to turn to the Lord.  We read in Psalms 46:10, &#8220;Be still, and know that I am God&#8221;. We hear the exact phrase again in more modern scripture. Early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were mercilessly persecuted for their belief.  In December of 1833 they had been driven from their homes time and time again by mobs.  The loss of homes, personal property, and crops weighed heavily on them and they were faced with seemingly insurmountable odds.  The Lord comforted them by saying, &#8220;let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know that I am God.&#8221; (Doctrine and Covenants 101:16) It all boils down to faith.  Faith that Heavenly Father is in charge and knows what is best for us.  Faith that &#8220;with God all things are possible&#8221;. (Matthew 19:26)  Since faith [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://adversity.ldsblogs.com/1229/be-still-and-know-that-i-am-god</link>
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		<title>Thy Sister&#8217;s Keeper</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Into every life there come the painful, despairing days of adversity and buffeting. There seems to be a full measure of anguish, sorrow, and often heartbreak for everyone, including those who earnestly seek to do right and be faithful. The thorns that prick, that stick in the flesh, that hurt, often change lives which seem robbed of significance and hope. This change comes about through a refining process which often seems cruel and hard. In this way the soul can become like soft clay in the hands of the Master in building lives of faith, usefulness, beauty, and strength. For some, the refiner’s fire causes a loss of belief and faith in God, but those with eternal perspective understand that such refining is part of the perfection process. (President James E. Faust) Adversity is a given in life. We will all experience it. It is for this very reason that we are here in this mortal journey – to prove ourselves through our trials and tribulations. During times of adversity, some choose to abandon faith in the Lord. Others choose to remain steadfast and true. They choose to hold fast to their faith and continue to serve the Lord and their fellowmen. Service is a big part of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We may be asked to teach Sunday school, conduct music, teach small children, lead the congregation, teach early morning Seminary, help with the Sunday bulletin, or be a visiting teacher. It really doesn’t matter where [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://adversity.ldsblogs.com/1227/my-sister-s-keeper</link>
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		<title>When They Fall</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Mistakes! We’ve all made them. Some mistakes are easily corrected, others can take quite a lot of time and effort to fix. I’ve made my share of mistakes. I will probably make a few more before my time on this earth is through. Big or small, I can honestly say that I’ve learned from my mistakes. They’ve made me a better person, a better mother and wife. My mistakes and my journey to overcome those mistakes are as much a part of me as any other attribute that makes me – me. But what happens when our children make mistakes? Are we as patient or as understanding? Do we forgive? Do we look at it as an opportunity for them to grow, or do we only see the looks that we imagine our neighbors and friends are giving us? Do we view it as a reflection of our abilities (or lack thereof) as parents? Are we somehow threatened by our children’s mistakes because of the way it might make us look? One of the hardest things a parent has to do is watch their children make mistakes. It is hard to stand by and watch your child make bad choices. It’s even harder to watch them suffer the consequences of those poor choices. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are taught that each of us is given the gift of agency. Agency is the ability and privilege God gives us to choose and to act for ourselves. Our Heavenly [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://adversity.ldsblogs.com/1223/when-they-fall</link>
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		<title>The Words We Speak and Write</title>
		<description><![CDATA[“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Remember this nursery rhyme? Does anyone out there really believe that words can’t hurt us? Words do hurt! Words can leave wounds and scars that linger long after broken bones are healed. Words can maim for life! I’d never heard about American Idol, let alone watch it, until March of this year. Well, the big American Idol finale was last night. Two very talented singers went head to head. From all appearances, the two were both worthy of the title. Both are extremely gifted singers. Both appear to be humble young men from families that love them very much. Last night, one very deserving young man was crowned the victor. The other, just as deserving and just as talented, is rightly proud of the fact that he gave it his all and did his best. It’s been interesting to watch the frenzy that surrounded this show, especially on the Internet. Actually, I don’t think “interesting” is quite the word I want. I believe the one I want is “disheartening.” That’s the one that comes the closest to describing how I feel. I found it absolutely disheartening to read some of the unkind things that were written about the contestants, especially the young “Mormon kid” from Utah. It was especially disheartening to realize that some of the meanest things written about him were written not by teenagers but by adults. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we know [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://adversity.ldsblogs.com/1225/the-words-we-speak-or-write</link>
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		<title>A Silver Lining</title>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s been raining here all day. Rain, rain, rain! So much for our plans for the day. Now, we have to postpone them for tomorrow which means tomorrow&#8217;s agenda has to be pushed off for another day. Ordinarily, postponing tasks for another day isn&#8217;t such a big deal but we are moving in a couple of weeks. We need to get our stuff packed, shampoo the carpets, clean the windows, paint a couple of walls, and so on. In short, we&#8217;ve got a ton of stuff to do and could have used a nice sunny day. Instead, we got rain, lots and lots of rain! Have you ever had days like that? Sometimes, does it feel as if things, events, and even people are conspiring to make your life miserable, or at the very least, harder than it should be? Well, I sure felt that way today. Fortunately, that didn&#8217;t last very long. Today was supposed to be &#8216;cleaning the windows&#8217; day. It was one of the rare days when the older boys were both available to help with the tall windows so it was a perfect plan. Or so I thought! Apparently, we were meant to do something else today. Something more important. Something that we will all treasure for a very long time. We didn&#8217;t clean windows. We made memories instead. One of the boys came up with the idea. He thought it would be neat if they made a recording of their favorite times with their dad. They wanted to present this [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://adversity.ldsblogs.com/1224/a-silver-lining</link>
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		<title>Helping in the Midst of Such Great Suffering</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The world has been overflowing with grief in the past few weeks. It’s made me stop and think about my part in all of this. I don’t live near any of the recent disasters, either inside or outside of the United States, but still my heart weeps right along with these people. I’m so far away and I have no idea what I could possibly do to help ease their tremendous suffering. I’m just one person, one person who can not transport herself there to wipe a tear or help with the physical labor or relief efforts. I went looking for answers in the one place I trust the most: my faith and my religion. Though it still doesn’t feel like enough— I doubt anything any of us could do, would ever be enough. Still, I did find a few things. I found the following articles most helpful. “The Latter-day Saint Humanitarian Center,” Ensign, Mar 2001, 60. Neil K. Newell, “‘Anxious to Bless the Whole Human Race’,” Ensign, Apr 1999, 24–31. Neil K. Newell and Lloyd D. Newell, “The Power of Compassion,” Ensign, Dec 2002, 21. For me, I think the most important things I can do are: never lose my empathy, pray and prepare. As bad as things may get, I should never find myself shrugging off the latest news of a hurting world. Yes, it’s discouraging and depressing so I don’t read or listen to very much, but I try to watch the main headlines so I can be aware of my fellowman. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://adversity.ldsblogs.com/1525/helping-in-the-midst-of-such-great-suffe</link>
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		<title>Choose Not To Take Offense</title>
		<description><![CDATA[We had the most wonderful surprise yesterday. Yesterday, a dear man chose to come worship with us. I watched as this brother was embraced and welcomed. One by one, people came over and spoke with him. From where I was sitting, it looked as if expressions of brotherly love were given and received on both sides. The miracle of this event is that this brother had withdrawn from our fellowship a few years ago. He had taken offense over some small matter and would not forgive even when apologies were extended his way. Yesterday, all that appeared forgotten and forgiven. There was only joy! I&#8217;m sure that most of us have taken offense at one point or another in our lives. Justified or not, taking offense can sometimes lead to decisions that hurt us far more than the original words or actions that caused us to be offended in the first place. Often times, when we don&#8217;t or can&#8217;t forgive these offenses, we end up with years of sorrow and regret. One of my dearest friends shared her story with me. She was the oldest daughter so she felt like a second mother to her younger siblings. As can happen with siblings, disagreements over trivial and unimportant things are sometimes blown out of proportion. This is exactly what happened between my friend and a younger sister. Things came to a head, bitter words were exchanged, and the sisters walked away angry and unforgiving. For over a year, my friend and her sister didn&#8217;t speak. They [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://adversity.ldsblogs.com/1521/choose-lignot-l-igto-take-offense</link>
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