Bearing Burdens with Christ

BY: Kristyn Morgan

Have you ever been humming along happily on the highway of life and then suddenly, out of nowhere, you get hit by a semi truck?   Recently we’ve experienced some trials at the Morgan household, but I guess I better back up and introduce myself…

My name is Kristyn and I am the mom to six fantastic kids—5 boys and a girl.  We were so surprised when our daughter was born that I actually looked at the doctor and asked him if she came with an instruction manual.  (Note—she did not.)  I’m married to my husband Dave who is honestly, my best friend in the world and we have been blessed tremendously over the years.  I can say that, by and large for the last 20 or so years, life has gone merrily along.  This past year our household has gone through some challenges and while it’s probably not appropriate to air all of the Morgan’s dirty laundry here, it’s enough to know that I felt like I not only got hit by that previously mentioned semi—I was run over and squished flat.

But I’ve discovered a few things about trials:  First, they have the opportunity to bless us in ways we couldn’t possibly have imagined prior to going through them.  I firmly believe that the Lord knows us perfectly and knows exactly what we need to become better people.  Secondly, He gives us trials that we have the capacity to not only endure, but to endure well. And finally, the Lord is able to ease our burdens so that we can bear them not just with patience but with cheerfulness.

In "The Book of Mormon" in Mosiah 24:14-15 it states:

“And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs…And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.”

I testify that this is true.  I have seen and felt it in my own life.  One night, after weeks of being anxious, upset, and distraught over our particular situation, I knelt down and asked the Lord for help.  I told him that I needed to feel better—that I had six kids and a husband who needed me and I could no longer feel incapacitated by worry.  After pouring out my heart, I waited.  And I waited some more.  Frankly, I was hoping for an overwhelming feeling of peace or a voice in my ear saying “everything will be alright.”  Nothing happened, and so I climbed into bed and went to sleep with the hope that relief would come.  The next morning, when I got up, something had changed.  My trial was still right there, but I knew that I could handle it and I knew there would be light at the end of this very long tunnel.  Every day that light grows brighter and along the way I’ve become a better person.

I testify that the Lord knows us.  He loves us and through the atonement of Jesus Christ we ARE able to bear our burdens and endure them well.