Potholes the Size of the Grand Canyon? Indeed.

Potholes. I very much dislike them. On the roads in Montana, there are numerous potholes. Of all sizes. They are no fun, especially when they are about the size of the Grand Canyon! Yikes! The thing I hate most about them is that they are always so much bigger than they seem. And whenever you try to swerve and miss them, you end up hitting another one instead that sends you flying. They make it a bumpy ride. So what do you do? You can't really do much besides to endure until the time comes when they finally fix them. They fill in the pothole and the road is almost like new. But you can still tell where the pothole was. There's a mark.

Hate to tell you, but our lives are full of potholes! They're called trials. Some are bigger than others. Sometimes they are a lot bigger than they seem. Some slow you down. Sometimes we try to avoid them and end up hitting another trial. Sometimes there isn't anything we can do to fix them. We have to endure. Trials are a part of life here on earth. They help us become better.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, "Rather than simply passing through trials, we must allow trials to pass through us in ways that sanctify us." We can improve our lives because of the trials we face. In the Book of Mormon, a prophet named Moroni, said, "...dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." (Ether 12:6).

artwork by Greg Olsen

We can overcome those potholes in our lives. Even when they are fixed, we may still have a mark or a scar, but it becomes a part of who we are. It can change our lives, and bring us closer to Jesus Christ. He has been through every trial that we have faced and more. He knows what we are feeling and He can help us overcome anything.

"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions of every kind...he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people...he will take upon him their infirmities...that he may know...how to succor his people according to their infirmities." (Alma 7:11-12). To succor means to run to. Christ knows how to help us. He will run to our aid through difficult times. He can fix our potholes. He will fix our potholes. Let Him help you. I know that He will, because He has helped me. I've gone through many trials in my life and I know that it is because of Jesus Christ that I have been able to overcome them. He is my Savior and Redeemer, and He is yours too.