By Krista Ralston Oakes

“In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

One morning I opened the scriptures and turned to the Topical Guide. I looked up Happiness/Happy, Cheer, Cheerful/Cheerfulness and Joy, and marveled at the number of scripture references listed under each of these topics. Our Heavenly Father has designed a great plan for our happiness. (Alma 42:8, 16) It is the very purpose of our lives: “Men are that they might have joy.” (2 Nephi 2:25)

Consequence of Obedience

There are many promised blessings of happiness as a consequence of obedience to the commandments. There are eleven admonitions by the Lord to “be of good cheer.”

The Prophet Joseph Smith declared: “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it.” (History of the Church, 5:134.)

We are to have joy. The Lord wants us to be happy, even though we walk through mortality, which is subject to all manner of adversity. However, without “opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11) we wouldn’t appreciate the contrasting joy and happiness that is available to us. Without the trials of mortality we would be less apt to humble ourselves and call upon the Lord and learn to trust in him.

Lessons of Adversity

Years ago, when I was facing a difficult challenge, my visiting teacher was going through a divorce. As we talked together about how we were doing, I appreciated her positive example of endurance and faith. As she would close each visit with a prayer, she would always pray that we might “quickly learn what we need to learn” from these experiences. Perhaps this is one way that our Heavenly Father will “consecrate our afflictions” for our gain. (2 Ne. 2:2.)

“I have overcome the world”

During times of mortal affliction, we are ever more dependent upon our Savior, Jesus Christ. He suffered all things and overcame all things – even death. The prophet Alma tells us, “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.” (Alma 7:11) His mission was perfectly accomplished, thereby making temporary all of the pains of mortality.

As we take full advantage of the Atonement of our Savior, we are ultimately relieved of anything that could harm us in mortality. He can truly save us in every way that is needful. To borrow the words of Mormon, “May Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death…mercy…and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.” (Moroni 9:25)

Trust in Him

When my niece Madison was a baby, she had to have a chest x-ray to diagnose some respiratory problems. She was very claustrophobic, and the x-ray procedure required her to be in a tight metal tube with her arms sticking up over her head. It was very uncomfortable and frightening for her. As my brother relayed this experience to me over the phone, he told me how hard it was to watch her go through this traumatic experience.

She would look at him with a pitiful expression on her face, as if to say, “I thought you were my daddy and you loved me! Why are you letting this happen to me?” My brother’s heart was broken, because he knew at her age there was no way to help her understand why this procedure was necessary. She had no way of understanding that this was an act of love, not torture! He loved her so much, and hoped that she would still love him and trust him.

Sometimes we are required to go through necessary experiences, including those that are uncomfortable and frightening. Sometimes we cry out to our Heavenly Father, pleading, ‘I thought you were my Father and you loved me! Why are you letting this happen to me?’ And perhaps his heart is broken, because he knows that we may not be able to understand why this experience is necessary, and why it is of a loving design. But he loves us so much and hopes that we will still love him and trust him.

Editor’s note: Krista Oakes has learned these lessons through personal trials. She is the author of Fertile in Our Faith, on infertility and adoption issues, and has brain cancer. She wrote the book while recovering from neurosurgery. She is also full of “good cheer.” Visit her at www.onkristasmind.blogspot.com.