Softened By Hardship

At the end of the great war between the Nephites and the Lamanites, Mormon told us this: “Because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened…; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility” (Alma 62:41).  So why do trials like this cause some to harden their hearts, and others to turn in humility towards God?  We have a lot of examples of the latter in the scriptures.  Paul suffered immensely as a missionary for years and years—he was stoned, imprisoned, bound, smitten, shipwrecked, and ultimately became a martyr—and yet he never became bitter.  In his last known letter before his death he spoke of preaching “with all longsuffering” and humbly said, “I am ready to be offered” (2 Timothy 4:2, 6).  Those were the words of someone who had indeed been softened through hardship.  Mormon himself is another who comes to mind.  Despite the depravity of his people as evidenced through their desire for murder and other abominations, Moroni did not give way to bitterness.  He witnessed their entire destruction because of their wickedness after he had spent his whole life in their service—seemingly in vain—and yet he gave us one of the most powerful discourses on love in the scriptures, encouraging all of the followers of Christ to “pray to the Father with all the energy of heart” to be filled with the pure love of Christ.  Those were certainly not the words of someone who had become bitter by great trials.  Of course, Christ was the perfect example of this.  After suffering more than mortal man can suffer, He was still able to show compassion to the two thieves on the cross, express forgiveness to the Roman soldiers, and reach out in love to His mother while painfully enduring the slow death of crucifixion.  Indeed, He did not let the bitter cup make Him bitter, and to live like that is for us a quest of a lifetime.  I don’t know exactly what made the difference in Nephite society between those who were hardened by the war and those who were humbled before God, but we have enough examples in the scriptures to show us that, if we choose, we can in fact stay true to our faith in the midst of immense hardship