President Henry B. Eyring on confronting tests in life

President Henry B. Eyring (born May 31, 1933) served in the Presiding Bishopric from 1985-1992, as a Seventy from 1992-1995, then was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. He has served in the First Presidency since 2007.

"Knowing why we are tested and what the test is tells us how to get help. We have to go to God. He gives us the commandments. And we will need more than our own strength to keep them.

"Again, the restored gospel makes plain the simple things we need to do. And it gives us confidence that the help we need will come if we do those things early and persistently, long before the moment of crisis.

"The first, the middle, and the last thing to do is to pray....

"Another simple thing to do, which allows God to give us strength, is to feast on the word of God: read and ponder the standard works of the Church and the words of living prophets. There is a promise of help from God that comes with that daily practice. Faithful study of scriptures brings the Holy Ghost to us. The promise is given in the Book of Mormon, but it applies as well to all the words of God that He has given and will give us through His prophets."

- Henry B. Eyring, "In the Strength of the Lord," General Conference, April 2004
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Do we know why we are tested in life? In general terms, we accept the premise that it is for our growth and improvement, as we are guided and molded by a loving Father. But we don't always know the specific reasons at any given time or the lessons we might learn from a challenge we face. It's critical to learn to turn to God, our constant source of strength to keep the commandments and to endure faithfully.

I love his simple comment; in all things, at all times, we must learn to pray in order to survive and thrive in our daily challenges and responsibilities. In addition, as we learn to "feast on the word of God" we also receive sustenance from the Comforter. We need never struggle alone—divine help is always available!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)