Adversity

Hello Everyone,

This week was a really good week. Something that I have been thinking about a lot this week is the topic of adversity. Adversity comes to everyone. A question that I have gotten from people on chat multiple times is the classic question "Why do bad things happen to good people?" This is a very good question. The answer I give is that our trials help us to grow stronger and to become more like Christ if we use them in a positive way.

Victoria got baptized!

Something that Lynn G. Robbins said in this last conference was, “Success,” it has been said, “isn’t the absence of failure, but going from failure to failure without any loss of enthusiasm.” Something else that Henry B. Eyring said was, "No one is destined to fail." And we don't have to! God is with us, He loves us, and through our trials is cheering us on.

Victoria with the local missionaries

I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that through our afflictions we can be made stronger, and with the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can return back to our Heavenly Father. I have seen the love of the Savior in my life and I know that He can help you immensely. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

One more from Victoria's Baptism

• Victoria got baptized on Thursday. She was so happy and I know that Victoria is going to become more and more faithful as time goes on. She has grown a lot during the time that I have taught her. Although I was unable to Skype into her baptism, the fact that she was baptized brings me great joy.
• We talked with Tiffany this week and she is doing so well. She loves to read The Book of Mormon and gets excited about it whenever she talks about it. She also attended church with her two children! Those lessons are something that I always look forward to.
• Today we went bowling as a district and it was so fun. Everyone cheered for each other both when we got nothing but gutter balls and when we hit the pins no matter how many. It was a good time to bond as a district.

I hope that you all have a great rest of your week and a good upcoming one!

Love,

Elder Stevenson