Hard is Necessary

While listening to the Relief Society General Broadcast this weekend, (check it out here), Sister Burton, the RS General President, shared a quote by Elder Oaks that went along beautifully with the post I did last weekend about pain being part of the process:

"Our needed conversions are often achieved more readily by suffering and adversity than by comfort and tranquillity...Through the justice and mercy of a loving Father in Heaven, the refinement and sanctification possible through such experiences can help us achieve what God desires us to become."

-Elder Dallin H. Oaks "The Challenge to Become" Ensign November 2001

My teacher in my master's program is fond of the phrase "Hard is necessary." She uses it in reference to literacy and education: Reading is hard. Hard is necessary. School is hard. Hard is necessary.

I've been thinking about that in relation to my students and my classroom and it's something that they definitely struggle to understand. I hear multiple times a day that what we're doing is "too hard," which they use as an excuse to not do what I've asked them to do.

I think we often use the same excuse. This trial we've been given is "too hard." It's too hard to love this person. It's too hard to forgive this person. It's too hard to be happy when everything around me is crumbling. It's too hard to find a spouse. It's too hard to keep all of the commandments all of the time. It's too hard to be who God wants us to be. Not so.

Elder Holland said, "Salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?" ("Missionary Work and the Atonement" October 2001) He is our perfect example in all things, including suffering.

The Atonement was hard. Hard is necessary. He didn't use that as an excuse to not follow through with what He knew He had to do, even if it was hard. Neither should we. The outcome will be worth the effort.

Life is hard. Hard is necessary.