If Christmas is the season of peace and joy, then surely Easter is the season of hope.
I feel deep gratitude for the Saviour. Gratitude for the events in the Garden of Gethsemane, for His sacrifice, for His example, for the miracle of the Resurrection, and for the hopeful promise of eternal life that the Atonement brings.
Throughout my life, I have often struggled to comprehend the depth of the Atonement. I have wondered how to connect that supernal gift from the Saviour to my daily routines and how it might be possible to claim the peace and hope that can come as a result of His sacrifice.
In general conference talks, I’ve observed that there are generally two common metaphors used to describe our life here on earth. The speakers often refer to our mortal experience as either a journey or a test.
President Thomas S. Monson said: “Mortality is a period of testing, a time to prove ourselves worthy to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father.”(1)
Elder Anthony D. Perkins of the Seventy said: “Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness includes a mortal experience where all of His children will be tested and face trials.”(2)
Going back further than general conference, in Abraham the Lord says: “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.”(3)
For me, a test or trial conjures up feelings of anxiety and trepidation. It implies that there is a chance of failure—and perhaps some conditional love attached to the result. Most of us don’t look forward to tests.
I recently learned about the anatomy of examinations. A professor of education spent many years studying exam structures around the world. She found that virtually all exams follow a similar pattern:
First, there are the settling questions. These are easy questions that anyone should be able to answer, even with minimal preparation.
The second set of questions is designed so that if you’ve been to class and done some revision, you will be fine. This section makes up the bulk of the exam, and students should pass easily if they get most of these questions right.
The final few questions are harder. The examiner might introduce unfamiliar material. These questions are designed to stretch students—to test their thinking and reasoning and to evaluate their true understanding of the subject.
It’s usually these last hard questions that determine the very top grades.
It’s been my experience that the tests we face during our own lifetimes—be they physical, emotional, or spiritual—also fall into those three categories.
Some tests of our faith are simple and require little effort on our part to overcome. Others require concerted effort, prayer, and problem-solving, but are within our ability to manage.
But then there are the extreme tests. The stretching questions. The ones that take us to the very threshold of our ability to cope—and sometimes even beyond that.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said: “Sooner or later, I believe that all of us experience times when the very fabric of our world tears at the seams, leaving us feeling alone, frustrated, and adrift.'(4)
Perhaps you have felt that before in your life. Perhaps you—or a loved one—are feeling this way now. It’s hard to make sense of things when we are in the midst of these tests. It can even be hard to recognise God’s love for us in those moments. Like the hard questions at the end of an exam, it can seem deeply unfair. Why do we need to be tested in such a hard way?
The deep sadness we experience in those moments, according to Elder Uchtdorf, is often because we are not conditioned to endings. He says: “Often their grief is caused by what seems to them as an ending. Some are facing the end of a cherished relationship, such as the death of a loved one or estrangement from a family member. Others feel they are facing the end of hope—the hope of being married or bearing children or overcoming an illness. Others may be facing the end of their faith, as confusing and conflicting voices in the world tempt them to question, even abandon, what they once knew to be true.”(4)
In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us? There seems to be something inside us that resists endings.
This concept resonates with me. I don’t want good things in my life to end. Cherished relationships and happy memories are what sustain us during harder moments in our lives. These are the things that bring us joy and help us feel purpose. I don’t even like it when a book or movie has a sad ending!
Elder Uchtdorf teaches more about the reason we find endings difficult: “Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless, and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny.
The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realise that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruptions—temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful.”(4)
And so, at Easter, we think about the gift that the Saviour has given us—that through His atoning sacrifice, we can partake of eternal life. It reminds us that mortal endings are not eternal.
I don’t yet fully understand why our Heavenly Father requires us to go through difficult tests and trials. But as I come to church, I learn powerful spiritual insights that help me.
As we consider the challenging circumstances we face, we can each come to a personal knowledge that the Infinite Atonement applies to us—not just in an abstract way, but in a deeply personal way.
There is a distinct difference between academic tests and the spiritual tests described in the scriptures.
Unlike academic tests—where grade boundaries, arbitrary marking, and standard deviations determine our final result—thankfully, our life tests are subject to the grace and mercy of a benevolent and loving God.
After all that we can do, whatever we lack can be made up through the Atonement. We needn’t fear the outcome of this life’s test as a cliff-edge where we will either pass or fail. The joy of the Atonement, which we celebrate during the Easter season, is that we can all receive the eternal blessings that are promised.
In his book The Infinite Atonement, Elder Tad Callister writes: 'When we have reached our limits, when we have asserted all our mental, moral, and spiritual energies, then the power of heaven will intervene. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, God can exalt all His children—meaning He will empower them to become like Him.”
As we contemplate our personal Gethsemane or face the most vexing questions in our lives, our prophet has promised that we will find answers in the House of the Lord as we sincerely seek His guidance.
There is great reason to be hopeful, says President Nelson:
“The best is yet to come! The best is yet to come because the Saviour is coming again. The best is yet to come as we fully turn our hearts and our lives to Jesus Christ.”(5)
1. Thomas S. Monson, “How Firm a Foundation,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2006, 62
2. Anthony D. Perkins, “Remember Thy Suffering Saints, O Our God,” Liahona, Nov. 2021, 103
3. Abraham 3:25
4. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Grateful in Any Circumstances,” Liahona, May 2014, 70
5. Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Liahona, Nov. 2024, 121