Lessons from Abraham and Sarah: How Suffering Can Help Us Be Happy

Keywords

faith through adversity, Abraham and Sarah, spiritual growth

Abstract

We all have difficult, challenging, painful experiences in life. Though never pleasant, these experiences can teach us perspective, love, humility, endurance, patience, and ultimately how to be more like God.

Consider the story of Abraham and Sarah. These two faithful individuals endured what seemed like never-ending setbacks and suffering. God sent Abraham away from his homeland to a new promised land. What was the result? Abraham and Sarah discovered a land languishing in famine. Abraham and Sarah moved on to Egypt, only to have Sarah kidnapped. In the very chapter (Genesis 12) where God had promised Abraham and Sarah land and posterity, they seemed to lose both their promised land and their promised posterity. Why would God challenge and test Abraham and Sarah like this, especially when they had done their best to show diligent obedience to God?

Original Publication Citation

Why Suffering Is Good for Us and How it Can Make Us Happy: Or, The More Depth, the Greater the Joy, LDS Living, January 17, 2018.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2018

Publisher

LDS Living

Language

English

College

Marriott School of Business

Department

Marketing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

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