Suffering
- 4) And surely every man must repent or suffer, for I, God, am endless.
- 5) Wherefore, I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but woes shall go forth, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand.
- 6) Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment.
- "Chapter 19: Stand Fast through the Storms of Life", Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith
- "There is no safety, only in the arm of Jehovah. None else can deliver, and he will not deliver unless we do prove ourselves faithful to him in the severest trouble. For he that will have his robes washed in the blood of the Lamb must come up through great tribulation, even the greatest of all affliction." (Joseph Smith, Jr.)
- "The destinies of all people are in the hands of a just God, and He will do no injustice to any one; and this one thing is sure, that they who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution; and before their robes are made white in the blood of the Lamb, it is to be expected, according to John the Revelator, they will pass through great tribulation."
- "Men have to suffer that they may come upon Mount Zion and be exalted above the heavens." (Joseph Smith, Jr.)
- "Beloved brethren, we say unto you, that inasmuch as God hath said that He would have a tried people, that He would purge them as gold, now we think that this time He has chosen His own crucible, wherein we have been tried; and we think if we get through with any degree of safety, and shall have kept the faith, that it will be a sign to this generation, altogether sufficient to leave them without excuse; and we think also, it will be a trial of our faith equal to that of Abraham, and that the ancients will not have whereof to boast over us in the day of judgment, as being called to pass through heavier afflictions; that we may hold an even weight in the balance with them." (Joseph Smith, Jr.)
- "Trials will only give us the knowledge necessary to understand the minds of the ancients. For my part, I think I never could have felt as I now do, if I had not suffered the wrongs that I have suffered. All things shall work together for good to them that love God." (Joseph Smith, Jr.)
- "I heard the Prophet Joseph say, in speaking to the Twelve on one occasion: ‘You will have all kinds of trials to pass through. And it is quite as necessary for you to be tried as it was for Abraham and other men of God, and (said he) God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings, and if you cannot stand it you will not be fit for an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God.’ … Joseph Smith never had many months of peace after he received the truth, and finally he was murdered in Carthage jail." (John Taylor)
Notes
There is a maladaptive idea common among people who suffer from depression, that we should punish ourselves when we have screwed up. This idea is nonsense. However, there is a countervailing idea that suffering does not help us to atone for our sins. My feeling on the matter, is that suffering can be corrective and instructional, and hence, can help us to correct ourselves. However, on top of that, proving ourselves through diligence in suffering is beneficial for proving to ourselves and others that we can be trusted, which is essential for forming the kinds of relationships which must exist in the Celestial Kingdom. However, suffering for suffering's sake does not accomplish these beneficial ends, and is usually counterproductive, as, by so doing, we weaken ourselves and often harm others as well.
Sin and transgression may require a sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice according to law, and not an arbitrary sacrifice. Pain does not, in and of itself bring redemption, but redemption may require that we pass through some kind of pain and suffering.