Thoughts on the interview with Elder and Sister Bowen

Recently, I listened to an episode of "Converations" on The Mormon Channel with Elder and Sister Bowen. You might remember his talk from conference last year on the death of his little boy who swallowed the chalk. In my own words, here's a brief summary of what he said as he spoke about that experience in the interview.

Where doubt and fear exist, faith can't exist. The adversary uses experiences like losing a child to crush faith and embitter us. We need to remember that everyone is fighting a hard battle and that some trials are more visible than others, so be kind to everyone.  The pain won't get better right away, but it can become sweet as you turn to the Lord. The only thing that's important in this life is our covenants, that's where the peace comes. Remember that sometimes you just have to cry. Keep an eternal perspective and remember that we have everything. There are things more terrible than physical death. It has no sting because of the Atonement of Christ.

This last part, however, is what really struck me. Elder Bowen said,

"Spiritual death is what will bring the sting and that's what we have to protect against. Satan would take the physical things that happen and try and destroy testimony and destroy hope."

I know that statement may seem elemental, but the profundity for me, in that moment, was powerful. Such a simple truth and yet it can be one of the most difficult things to remember in the midst of a trial that assaults our physical senses. I think that as an intelligent, capable, strong, but "natural" woman, I default to responding to difficulty with my physical resources. Unfortunately, my own emotional, physical and mental resources (a pittance in comparison to what God has to offer) are quickly depleted in the face of intense trial. I begin to suffer spiritually because invariably as I try-in vain-to do things on my own, I'm turning away from the Savior. The harder I try, the farther I feel from God. I believe this is generally when, from the depths of humility we turn back to Heavenly Father and physically and spiritually surrender our load, or Satan delivers the fatal blow to hope and testimony.

Final thought by Elder Wirthlin from his iconic conference talk, Come What May, and Love It.

"Sometimes the very moments that seem to overcome us with suffering are those that will ultimately suffer us to overcome."