Happiness Through Trials

There is a blessing found in every trial we face.

Today I taught my Sunday School kids about staying faithful and recognizing blessings through trials. This is a skill that’s incredibly hard to develop, but when you do, you find greater happiness, grow closer to Christ, and lead a stronger, more meaningful life.

We Are Still Learning and Growing

This lesson comes from D&C 78:17-18:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.”

We are called little children in these verses. What does that mean? To me, it means that we are still learning. If we had learned everything, we wouldn’t see hardships the same way — they wouldn’t feel like trials at all. No matter our age, we always have more to learn. And we can gain so much wisdom if we choose to view our trials with Christlike eyes.

God Teaches Us Little by Little

One part I love in this scripture is how it reminds us that we don’t fully understand yet how great our Heavenly Father’s blessings really are. Sometimes, our minds just can’t grasp it — like trying to comprehend eternity or infinity.

It actually reminds me of the Disney movie Soul. When Joe dies and enters another realm, there are “spiritual guides” — technically “dynamic energies” — but they appear in simple, 2D human forms so the souls can understand them. It’s the same with us: God teaches us through small and simple things, so our hearts and minds can gradually comprehend His bigger plan and deeper truths.

He Knows Our Limits and Helps Us Grow

Another part I love is when He says we cannot bear all things now. He knows our limits! And yet He tells us to be of good cheer, because He’s here to help us. He doesn’t hand us our trials and abandon us — He gives us space to grow, just like a loving parent does, but He never leaves us alone.

Sure, sometimes He lets us struggle a little so we learn. But when we get stuck, He’s ready to guide us. No matter what, He’s always there.

Trials Are Meant to Strengthen, Not Punish

It’s also important to see that He asks us to be of good cheer. Our trials aren’t punishments from a harsh God. Yes, there are consequences for our actions, but trials themselves aren’t condemnation — they are tools to make us stronger, wiser, and closer to Him.

Think of it like working out. Sore muscles mean growth. Trials can feel painful, too, but they build spiritual muscle — if we let them.

Finding Blessings in Our Hardships

In my lesson, I did a small activity with my Sunday School kids (ages 12–14). I gave them each slips of paper and asked them to write down a trial on each one, fold it up, and drop it in a bowl. To help them feel comfortable, I said it didn’t have to be a personal trial. Examples of things that were written down were deeper things like “I find it really hard to fast” (yes, that was written by me lol), to silly things like “I can’t wear mascara.” We had a pretty wide range on trials, which was perfect for this activity.

Then we took turns pulling out a paper, reading the trial aloud, and naming one or two blessings that could come from it. Some took more thinking, but there wasn’t a single trial where we couldn’t find at least one blessing.

The goal was simple: to train ourselves to look for blessings inside our trials. My hope is that each of these kids (and my husband and I), when they face something hard, will remember this activity and search for the hidden good.

The Habit of Seeing Hidden Blessings

This lesson changed my perspective, too. I used to hear the word trial and think of hardship, sorrow, or the adversary at work. But now I see trials as good. They’re especially hard sometimes but they’re also great learning opportunities, they bring deep joy afterward, and they’re given to us by a loving Heavenly Father for our growth.

I hope that from now on, whenever you face a trial — big or small — you’ll remember this little activity. Try to find the hidden blessing. You may have to dig deep, and sometimes the blessing comes much later, but it’s always there.

And remember: you’re never alone in facing it.

Tell me in the comments below!

If you’d be willing to share, what is a blessing you saw come from a trial you had? I’d love to hear your experiences!