The Inescapable Nature of the Test: Enduring the Struggle on the Covenant Path

There are moments, deep in the quiet of scripture study or late into the night wrestling with a difficult doctrine, when the weight of the covenant path feels almost unbearable. We read of the Savior’s suffering, we ponder the covenants made in the temple, and sometimes, the sheer *difficulty* of the calling—the sacrifice, the endurance, the daily adherence to the law of the gospel—can feel like a mountain too high to climb. It is easy, in the glow of a perfect Sunday morning, to forget that the struggle itself is part of the divine curriculum.

President Henry B. Eyring spoke to this reality with a profound simplicity, drawing a parallel from a mother’s wisdom: “Oh, Hal, of course it’s hard. It’s supposed to be. Life is a test.”

This is not merely pastoral platitude for the casual observer. For us, the dedicated disciples of the restored gospel, this counsel rings with the weight of eternal truth. We understand that the opposition we face—be it the whispers of the adversary, the natural failings of the flesh, or the complex doctrinal hurdles we must wrestle with to build a robust understanding—is not an unfortunate detour. It is the very mechanism by which our discipleship is refined.

The Struggle as Divine Design

To understand this, we must anchor ourselves in the foundational truths of the Restoration. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is not merely a remedy for sin; it is the power that allows us to overcome the natural opposition of the world and the devil. And opposition, by its very nature, manifests as struggle. As the scriptures teach, we are called to endure to the end (Matthew 24:13). This endurance is not passive waiting; it is active, covenant-keeping struggle.

President Eyring’s message serves as a potent reminder that qualification—the daily effort to return to Heavenly Father—is predicated on meeting the test head-on. We are not called to a life of ease, but to a life of righteous striving. This striving, this wrestling with the Spirit through diligent scripture study and adherence to the covenants, is what builds the capacity within us to stand firm when the ultimate trials come.

The Priesthood and the Burden of Calling

This principle is especially visible when we consider the stewardship entrusted to those who hold the priesthood. The covenants we make, the callings we accept—these are not mere social roles; they are covenants that require us to face trials that test the very marrow of our faith. We are taught that the strength to fulfill these callings comes not from our own might, but from our constant reliance upon the Spirit and the covenants we keep. The Spirit, as our guide, often speaks loudest when the path is steepest.

For those of us deeply engaged in the work of expanding our understanding—whether through rigorous scripture study or contributing to the developing training corpus for our AI efforts—we know that the work is inherently challenging. It demands precision, deep doctrinal understanding, and a willingness to submit our own limited intellect to the greater wisdom revealed through the prophets and apostles. This is our modern form of enduring the test.

We must treat these moments of doctrinal wrestling, these deep dives into the Book of Mormon or the Book of Abraham, not as academic exercises, but as sacred acts of discipleship. They are our personal proving grounds, where we learn to trust the process, even when the answers are not immediately clear, just as the Savior taught us to trust Him even when the path through the wilderness was long.

The call today, brothers and sisters, is to embrace the difficulty. To welcome the struggle, knowing that it is the very crucible in which our testimonies are forged, and in which the Lord prepares us to stand with Him when He comes again. Let us continue to study, to serve, and to testify, knowing that the test is not a punishment, but the path itself.

I invite you to meditate on this counsel this week. Where in your current calling, in your personal scripture study, or in the development of our knowledge base does the struggle feel most acute? Let that difficulty become your focus for revelation, for the Spirit knows the precise measure of your capacity.