Does Life Ever Feel Overwhelming?

At times, life can feel like an uphill battle, filled with trials, setbacks, and unexpected hardships. We may wonder why difficulties arise and question whether our struggles serve any purpose. Is there a reason for the pain we endure? Can faith help us navigate life’s toughest moments?

God’s Plan is Designed to Work

In his address, Mortality Works!, Elder Brook P. Hales reassures us that our mortal experience is not an accident—it is divinely designed for our growth. Drawing from both scripture and personal experiences, Elder Hales testifies that despite trials, suffering, and sorrow, we are not destined to fail. Rather, our challenges refine us, preparing us for eternal joy.

For those who wrestle with doubt or wonder whether their struggles have meaning, Elder Hales’ message offers profound comfort—mortality is not a mistake. It is the very path by which we become who God intends us to be.

Doctrine: Why Does God Allow Suffering?

Question: If God is loving, why does He allow suffering, trials, and hardship?

Many struggle with the idea that a compassionate and omnipotent God would permit pain, loss, and injustice. Some see suffering as evidence that either God is indifferent to human struggles or that He does not exist at all.

Response:

Elder Hales affirms that suffering is not a sign of God’s neglect but a necessary part of His divine plan. Mortality is meant to be a time of growth, refinement, and learning. Just as Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”  (2 Corinthians 12:7-9) was an opportunity for him to rely on Christ’s grace, our trials can bring us closer to God. The promise of the Atonement ensures that all suffering will be consecrated for our gain if we remain faithful.

Common Fallacies:

False Dilemma (Either/Or Thinking) – 

    • This fallacy presents only two options when more possibilities exist. In this case, it assumes that if God is loving, He would remove suffering; if He does not, He must not be loving. Solution: Recognize that God’s love is not proven by the absence of trials but by His presence through them.

Presentism (Judging the Past by Modern Standards) – 

    • This fallacy occurs when we judge past events—or in this case, God’s plan—using only our limited, mortal perspective. It assumes that because we do not immediately understand the purpose of our trials, they must be meaningless. Solution: Trust that God’s design is broader than our current view, much like how hindsight reveals the purpose behind past challenges.

Appeal to Emotion (Using Feelings as Evidence ) – 

    • This fallacy assumes that because suffering feels unfair, it must be meaningless or prove God’s absence. However, emotions alone do not determine truth. Our trials are not meant to break us but to shape us. Solution: Anchor our faith in God’s promises rather than temporary feelings, remembering that mortality is a process designed for growth.

Social Issues: Does God Favor Some People Over Others?

Misconception: Some people’s lives seem far more difficult than others. Does God favor certain individuals while allowing others to struggle?

It can appear that some people live easier, more comfortable lives while others face overwhelming hardship. This can lead to the belief that God plays favorites, rewarding some while withholding blessings from others.

Response:
Elder Hales teaches that every person’s mortal journey is uniquely tailored to help them grow and prepare for eternal life. Some face financial hardship, others endure health struggles, and some bear emotional or spiritual trials. However, God’s plan is just and merciful. He provides grace sufficient for each individual’s circumstances. Faithfulness—not worldly ease—is the measure of true success.

Common Fallacies:

Confirmation Bias (Selective Thinking) – 

    • This fallacy occurs when we focus only on information that supports our existing beliefs while ignoring evidence that challenges them. In this case, we notice when others seem “blessed” but fail to see their hidden struggles. Hardship is often private, and judging others’ lives based on what we see is incomplete. Solution: Recognize that every person experiences trials, even if they are not visible. We can trust that God’s plan is just for each individual.

Comparative Suffering Fallacy (Ranking Pain) – 

    • This fallacy assumes that for life to be fair, suffering must be evenly distributed, suggesting that if one person experiences fewer visible trials, God must be favoring them. Each person’s challenges can be turned to their eternal progression. Solution: Instead of comparing, we should focus on how our own trials are shaping us and trust that God’s love and justice apply to all.

Hasty Generalization (Jumping to Conclusions) – 

    • This fallacy occurs when a broad conclusion is drawn from limited evidence. In the context of suffering, it assumes that because life is hard, God must be absent or unjust. Solution: Consider that in the full scope of God’s plan, we will eventually see the meaning behind our struggles. Faith requires patience, knowing that what seems unfair now will be made right in eternity.

Defending Divine Doctrines: Mortality is Designed for Growth and Eternal Progression

Explanation of Doctrine:

Elder Brook P. Hales teaches that mortality is not random or meaningless—it is divinely designed for our learning and progression. Every trial, challenge, and experience serves a purpose in refining us and preparing us for eternal life. Life’s hardships are not a sign of God’s absence but rather an essential part of His perfect plan. The Savior’s Atonement makes it possible for our suffering to be consecrated for our eternal good (2 Nephi 2:2).

Here’s how this doctrine defends core beliefs:

  • It addresses the problem of suffering. Many critics argue that if a loving God exists, He would remove suffering. However, this doctrine teaches that trials are part of God’s plan, not evidence against it. Elder Hales explains that hardships refine us, just as the Lord promises in Mosiah 23:22: “Whosoever putteth his trust in [the Lord] the same shall be lifted up at the last day.”
  • It reinforces human purpose and divine justice. Some claim that life is unfair, with suffering unequally distributed. The gospel teaches that each soul’s mortal experience is tailored to their eternal growth. As Elder Hales’ stories illustrate, faithful endurance, not ease, is the true measure of success in God’s eyes.

Application

  • How this teaching clarifies misunderstandings:
    This doctrine helps resolve the misconception that suffering disproves God’s love. Instead, it reveals that God’s justice and mercy are at work even in our trials. Those who endure in faith will ultimately see how their struggles contributed to their eternal joy and exaltation.
  • Practical Application:
    • Personal Faith: When facing hardship, members can turn to this doctrine to find meaning in their struggles rather than feeling abandoned by God. They can seek comfort in scriptural promises like 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
    • Apologetics & Conversations: When discussing suffering with those questioning faith, members can explain that God’s plan is not about avoiding trials but growing through them. Using stories like Elder Hales’ mother or Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9) can illustrate this truth in relatable ways.

Historical and Doctrinal Connections

Contextual Background

The restoration of Christ’s Church was not just about restoring doctrine—it was about re-establishing an organized structure that could support and bless God’s children. In Doctrine and Covenants 20–22, the Lord revealed that His Church must be “regularly organized and established” (D&C 20:1), just as it was in ancient times. This moment in Church history fulfilled earlier revelations, such as Doctrine and Covenants 10:53 and 18:5, where the Lord prepared the way for His Church to be formally restored.

Elder Hales’ talk, Mortality Works!, aligns with this principle by teaching that God’s plan is not random—His works are deliberate, organized, and designed for our eternal good. Just as Christ structured His Church for the spiritual benefit of His people, He has also structured mortality as a time of growth, learning, and preparation.

One example of prophetic continuity is the establishment of the Church on April 6, 1830, at the Whitmer farm. Just as the early Saints had to exercise faith in God’s organization, we are called to trust that our experiences in mortality are divinely structured—even when we don’t fully understand them.

Doctrinal Connections

This week’s Come, Follow Me lesson on Doctrine and Covenants 20–22 explores why an organized Church is necessary. Elder Hales’ message strengthens this theme by emphasizing that God is a God of order, both in mortality and in eternity.

  • Doctrine and Covenants 20:17-25 teaches that the Lord established His Church with a clear structure, including ordinances and priesthood authority. Similarly, Elder Hales reminds us that our lives also follow a divine design, even when challenges arise. Just as the Church’s structure was restored with divine intent, our trials and experiences are meant to shape us according to God’s eternal plan.
  • Doctrine and Covenants 22:1-4 reinforces that old traditions and scattered beliefs are not enough—a formal covenant with God is required to progress. This mirrors Elder Hales’ teaching that mortality itself is structured for progression. It is not enough to simply exist; we must actively engage with God’s plan, trusting that He knows the path to our eternal joy.

Living Apologetics

Practical Application

Elder Hales’ message in Mortality Works! teaches that life’s challenges are not evidence of God’s absence but proof of His divine plan. When we embrace trials with faith, we find meaning in our struggles and can help others do the same. This perspective is powerful in apologetics, where doubts often arise from suffering or perceived unfairness in life.

Here are two ways to apply apologetic principles from this talk:

  1. Reframing Trials in Conversations – When someone questions why God allows suffering, gently share the idea that mortality is designed for growth, not ease. Explain how past challenges in your own life, or the lives of scriptural figures like Joseph Smith (D&C 122:7-8), became stepping stones to greater faith. This shift in perspective helps others see hardship as part of God’s refining process rather than as a sign of His absence.
  2. Testifying of God’s Order and Design – When people struggle with uncertainty, remind them that God is a God of order. Just as He structured His Church (D&C 20:1), He also structures our lives. We don’t always see the full picture, but faith allows us to move forward, trusting that “mortality works.” You can use the analogy of a puzzle missing pieces—we may not understand everything now, but the full picture will eventually be revealed.

Application Ideas – share what you’ve learned –

Here are three personal study or faith-building practices to deepen understanding of this doctrine:

  1. Reflect on Past Challenges – Write down three difficult experiences you’ve faced and consider how each helped you grow. How did God sustain you through them? This will strengthen your ability to testify that “mortality works.”
  2. Study the Doctrine of Trials and Growth – Read D&C 122, 2 Nephi 2:2, and Ether 12:27. Highlight key phrases that show how God uses adversity for our good. Look for patterns in how trials led to greater faith and understanding.
  3. Create a “Faith in the Process” Reminder – Place a visual reminder somewhere you’ll see daily (e.g., a small puzzle piece, a refiner’s fire image, or a note saying “Mortality Works”). Use it as a prompt to trust that even difficulties have divine purpose.

By internalizing and sharing these truths, we can strengthen our own faith while helping others see the beauty of God’s plan—even in the hardest moments of mortality.

Quick Reference: Key Defenses and Facts

Defensive Highlights

  • Suffering is not evidence that God has abandoned us. Elder Hales teaches that mortality is structured for growth, not ease, and that challenges refine us rather than indicate divine neglect (2 Nephi 2:2).
  • God’s plan is deliberate and designed for our success. Just as the restored Church was “regularly organized and established” (D&C 20:1), our lives also follow a divine structure meant to prepare us for eternal joy.
  • Faith helps us endure what we cannot yet understand. Elder Hales shares personal experiences showing that understanding often comes after faithfulness, just as the faithful sister in his story only grasped the purpose of her trials after her mortal life.

Conclusion

Encouragement and Reflection

Elder Brook P. Hales’ message in Mortality Works! reminds us that our challenges are not random or meaningless—God has designed mortality to help us grow, refine our faith, and prepare for eternal life. Even when life feels overwhelming, we can trust that God’s plan is working, even if we don’t fully understand it yet. Through faith, patience, and a reliance on Christ’s Atonement, we can endure hardships knowing that they will ultimately be for our gain.

When we look back on our hardest moments, can we see how they shaped us into who we are today? How can we trust God more fully in the trials we are currently facing?

“…If we are to be the beneficiaries of the Lord’s “work and … glory,” even “immortality and eternal life,” we must expect to be schooled and taught and to pass through the refiner’s fire—sometimes to our utter limits. To completely avoid the problems, challenges, and difficulties of this world would be to sidestep the process that is truly necessary for mortality to work.” — Elder Brook P. Hales

 

The Consider Conference series by FAIR offers an in-depth look at recent General Conference talks to help members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints navigate common questions, misunderstandings, and criticisms. Each post provides doctrinal insights, historical context, and practical ways to apply gospel principles in everyday conversations. Through this series, we hope to equip readers with faith-promoting resources that encourage thoughtful reflection, respectful dialogue, and a stronger foundation in gospel truths, fostering both personal conviction and meaningful discussions with others.

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