Why Trials Exists: Part I

Understanding the Big Picture

The first place to start when it comes to understanding the purpose behind trials, is to keep the “big-picture” in mind. To do this, let’s look at Moses 1. There, the Lord declares, “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” Here, we learn that God’s work (and glory) is bringing about our immortality and eternal life. Thus, whatever God does will be connected to this end. Moreover, the end can only be achieved by knowing Christ, since he is the mediator between us and God. 

To bring about this work requires three things: First, that we have been born of God; second, we have to overcome the world by faith; third, we need to be purified, and forth, we need to acquire wisdom (light and truth).  

Born of God 

In order for God to bring about his “work and his glory”, God has to first remove the “natural man” that is within us. As the Book of Mormon teaches us, “the natural man is an enemy to God and has been since the fall of Adam.” Ever since the fall of Adam, man has been an enemy to God. This is the  natural condition and starting place for humans. This condition will last unless we submit to God. God has to break us from this. He does this by breaking us insomuch as to break our selfish desires.

The question then is how do we submit? The answer is by allowing the Lord to break us. For instance, consider the Lord’s instruction to the Nephites when he visited them. In setting forth the requirements for putting off the natural man, he declares, 

“And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost”

Note that the Lord uses the word sacrifice when speaking of what is required of us. The word sacrifice is fitting because it implies the idea of giving up something of value. Further note that the sacrifice required of us is that of our broken heart and contrite spirit. Thus the Lord requires us to give him a broken heart and contrite spirit. If we do that, he will baptize us with fire and with the Holy Ghost. 

But to fully understand the implications of this passage, we first need to understand two things. First, we need to understand what it means to have a “broken heart and contrite spirit.” Second, we need to understand what it means to be baptized of fire, since this an often misunderstood concept.

Broken Heart and Contrite Spirit

When it comes to understanding what the phrase “broken heart and contrite spirit mean,” it’s first important to consider the culture we’re dealing with in the Book of Mormon.. Here the Lord is speaking to the Nephites. Although the Nephites are living in the Americas, their language and culture derives from Hebrew. Because of this, the Lord would be speaking to them in terms associated with the Hebrew culture. Therefore to fully grasp the meaning of what the Lord is saying, we must turn to Hebrew. 

Having established the need to look at Hebrew, the first thing to note is the meaning of “heart” in Hebrew. In Hebrew, the word heart (Lev) often connotes more than just an organ. Instead, the word heart refers to the essence of a person, the core of who one is. Thus, when the Lord says that he will only accept a sacrifice of a broken heart, he essentially is saying that he requires our core self to be broken. 

In furthering understanding this phrase, it’s helpful to consult a dictionary. For us, we want to know what “broken” and “contrite” mean. However, modern dictionaries won’t work because the English of the Book of Mormon is 19th century English, not 21st century. We can, however, consult Webster’s 1828 dictionary for the meaning. Doing so, we get the following definitions.

Broken: Parted by violence; rent asunder; infirm; made bankrupt. 

Contrite: Literally, worn or bruised. Hence, broken-hearted for sin; deeply affected with grief and sorrow for having offended God; humble; penitent

In both definitions, the connotations are clear. To have a broken heart and contrite spirit requires a painful process. To have a broken heart means that our core self must be “rent asunder”-- to be divided into two.

Baptism of Fire

In order for our spirit to be contrite, requires a wearing or bruising of our spirits. This is what the Lord requires of us in order to fully receive the Holy Ghost. The baptism of fire is the mechanism used to provide enough of a wearing or bruising for us to give up our old selves, the natural man/woman, to God. The result of passing through the fire is to fully receive the Holy Ghost.

I say fully receive the Holy Ghost because although we, as LDS members, believe that we’ve received the Holy Ghost after we’ve been baptized, this is not accurate. Elder Bednar, in his talk Receive the Holy Ghost, explains what confirmation and laying on of hands represents. 

The ordinance of confirming a new member of the Church and bestowing the gift of the Holy Ghost is both simple and profound. Worthy Melchizedek Priesthood holders place their hands upon the head of an individual and call him or her by name. Then, by the authority of the holy priesthood and in the name of the Savior, the individual is confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and this important phrase is uttered: “Receive the Holy Ghost.” 

The simplicity of this ordinance may cause us to overlook its significance. These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts.

The key part of this quote is the bolded section. There, Elder Bednar indicates that the gift of the Holy Ghost does not automatically occur once hands are laid upon our heads. Instead, the laying on of hands is merely a priesthood injunction giving us authority to seek to actually receive the Holy Ghost--the real thing. This means that we have to seek it. And, as outlined above, to obtain it requires us to sacrifice to the Lord a broken heart and contrite spirit.

Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost are not interchangeable, but are separate events [Notice that the Lord, in 3 Nephi 8, says baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost]. Before we receive the Holy Ghost, we must endure the fire. The breaking of our hearts -- the breaking of the natural. Fire in the scriptures represents purification. But it also represents trials and challenges. These two work together. The challenge/trial is the thing that purifies us.

Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (1 Corinthians 3). 

Thus baptism of fire is baptism through trial. And this is because the trial, which humbles us, is able to purify us. And the reason we have to go through a trial by fire is so that our will is broken. And by being broken, the Spirit of God can inhabit us. Trial (of whatever kind) causes us to forget ourselves so that we can recognize that we are nothing compared to God. (see Mosiah 4 & 5). And by doing so, the Spirit is then able to fully occupy our body. 

But before concluding here, I want to address another aspect of what Elder Bednar said -- the “attendant spiritual gifts.” In the quote above, Elder Bendar said that we are to live so that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost and its attendant spiritual gifts.” This means that when one truly receives the Holy Ghost, the reception is manifested through spiritual gifts. The question for us is what are spiritual gifts that attend receiving the Holy Ghost? Since having those gifts would be a helpful indication to know whether we have received the Holy Ghost or not. 

Attendant Spiritual Gifts

Doctrine and Covenants 84 tell us what these gifts are. It states that the following signs shall follow them who are baptized of fire. 

1. Do many wonderful works (v. 66) 2. Cast out devils (v. 67) 3. Heal the sick (v. 68) 4. Open the eyes of the blind and cause people to hear (v. 69) 5. Won't be hurt by poison (either by men or from serpents) (v. 71-72)

Additionally, another sign of receiving the Baptism of Fire is that whatever we ask for will be given to us. (see Moses 6:52). 

Based on this, the one way to know whether you’ve received the Baptism of Fire is to determine whether you have any of the mentioned gifts and whether whatever you ask for in prayer is given to you. 

The significance of being baptized by fire and receiving the Holy Ghost is that we become new creatures -- born again. Having giving up ourselves, our desires, and joys, for that of God, we have now relinquished the natural man (or in Pauline terms “the flesh’) and receive the Spirit. Our desires and interests have changed from the world, to that of heaven. This is what it means to be a son of God. 

If you haven’t, this trial could be just the thing to break you so that you can receive the Holy Ghost. If you have, then your trial is not pushing to break you but to sanctify you through faith. This leads to the next purpose of trials -- increasing faith. 

In the next part, I'll explain how trials increase our faith, purify us, and grant us wisdom.