If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard

This weekend while I was at home I found a book by Sheri Dew titled "If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard." I am not even through the first chapter and I have already learned so much. 

1. Without trials we wouldn't go as far as we're capable of going. In other words, without something continuously challenging us and making us want to be better  we would be content with where we are and never excel to our full potential. 

2. The gospel requires work. "...surely we couldn't expect to inherit the gift of eternal life or to receive ongoing bestowals of charity or to be taught the mystery of godliness or to learn to communicate clearly with the heavens without making a diligent, consistent effort--in other words, without it requiring a lot of spiritual work."

3. This life was designed to be a test to determine if we WANT to be a part of the kingdom of God more than we want anything else. I was so blessed to be born into this gospel, just like many of you. We need to stick with it and not take advantage of it. ITS TRUE. 

4. Do we demonstrate our faith by our choices and priorities, by how we live out lives? God didn't send us here to earth to spend hours on FaceBook or even Blogging. A little of it is okay, but just watch yourself; I know I need to. Make every decision as if God was standing there with you--BECAUSE HE IS. Would you chose to sit on your butt all day or watch that inappropriate movie or spread that gossip if God was there? 

5. The gospel requires sacrifice. If you never had to prove your faith and beliefs they would be hard to keep. Be constantly finding ways to share your testimony. 

6. If we seek the Lord "we shall be the richest of all people, for [we] shall have the riches of eternity" (D&C 38:39). Can I just say I love the word "eternity"? 

7. Life is an open-book test. We have so many sources available to us each and everyday. We just have to do the work (because the gospel requires work) to learn the answers. 

8. Don't just work harder at the difficult situation your in. Work harder to involve Heavenly Father in the situation. When things get difficult don't ever ease up. Don't ease up on your efforts to seek after Him, to communicate with Him, to learn of Him. Because that is what will get you through. 

9. We don't really know if we care about being virtuous men and women until our virtue is tested by some glaring temptation right in front of us. 

10. Sometimes things happen that test our faith and make us ask ourselves, Okay Ali, do you believe it, or don't you? 

Study the scriptures, pray daily, and grow near to your Heavenly Father in a way so that when that day comes when you're tested you can tell yourself, YES, I BELIEVE.