I Asked God Again—and Again

Kaitlyn E., Illinois, USA

It was a normal day until later in the evening, when I started getting stomach pains. I’ve had stomach pain all my life, so it seemed like one of those “stomachaches” that I could pretend wasn’t there until it went away.

But then the pain worsened. I lay in bed, sweaty and in increasing pain, and prayed that God would help lift my burden.

There was no answer. I asked God again. And again.

And there was still no answer.

When my mother came in to check on me, I asked her, “Why isn’t God answering my prayers?”

She replied, “It might seem like God isn’t listening, but sometimes you have to endure trials.”

By this point the pain was lighting every nerve on fire. The night felt as if it dragged on for days. Somehow, I was able to eventually fall asleep.

When I woke up, the pain had dulled. But I still didn’t understand why God hadn’t helped me.

One day, I read a talk by Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles entitled “Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time” (Oct. 2008 general conference). One certain part stood out, quoted from Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–8: “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.” When I read that quote, I remembered Jesus Christ’s pain when He atoned for my sins. Our Savior willingly endured this great pain—for us.

Everything aligned. I understood why we have trials. If God took away our pain, we would never appreciate our great moments of weakness. But if, when we experience trials, we endure faithfully, we can be exalted on high.