Natural disaster. Death. Divorce.
Everyone has gone or will go through serious trials in their life, and Adam M. McBride taught Education Week youth how to deal with those challenges Wednesday.
“We have these terrible trials,” McBride said. “They don’t have to be that way, but they’re very hard. Peace will come, and very difficult lessons are to be learned.”
He had the youth share some of their own trials that came from personal choices. Then he taught about the Atonement and saving grace of Jesus Christ.
“Not only did the Savior take upon Himself our sin but our infirmities, death, illnesses and pains,” McBride said. “Everything we experience in mortality, the Savior has experienced. He suffered for them as if He were responsible for them.”
He explained how opposition in all things in this life is required, but with Christ, they can withstand those trials.
“The Savior is going to stand by us through every trial,” McBride said. “He wants us to come to Him.”
He referred to President Gordon B. Hinckley’s use of this quote by Jenkins Lloyd James: “The fact is that most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough … Life is like an old-time rail journey – delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.”
McBride kept the youth laughing and interested throughout his class, and McKay Chamberlain from Salt Lake City said he felt McBride’s class was applicable for him and other youth.
“I really enjoyed it,” Chamberlain said. “There are some areas that I could actually relate to because when he’s talking about adversity, some things that happen are because of people’s choices.”
McBride told the story of Rebecca Toone and Rachael Toone, two young girls from northern Utah who died from pesticide poisoning on their front lawn. McBride talked about how well Nathan Toone, the father of the girls, handled the devastating situation.
McBride quoted Toone saying, “Many have questioned, ‘How can they bear it? How can they go on?’ We testify that the atoning sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ, is sufficient to overcome our deepest sorrows and heaviest burdens.”
Chamberlain said he learned the most from McBride’s story about the Toone family.
“I liked the part about the two daughters,” Chamberlain said. “It was a big loss, but they had the strength to carry on.”
McBride said the family was able to cope with the adversity because of the daily preparations they had been utilizing in the gospel.
“As we experience these great challenges in mortality, we can rejoice because we can prepare for it with the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” McBride said. “We can pray daily, so when these challenges come, we will not be praying to someone we don’t know.”
He finished by reminding the class of Christ’s constant support and loyalty to each person who turns to Him.
“I just want to testify to you that the Savior stands ready to help, and others are ready to help,” McBride said. “We can access the Atonement and should on a daily basis to help us through these trials.”
