It was once said, “… all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.” (D&C 122:7) May I illustrate what I mean?

June 1944: Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, in an effort to liberate war-torn Europe. Nine thousand, three hundred and eighty-six soldiers lost their lives in that offensive, 3,000 on Omaha Beach alone. It was a terrible price!

Fifty-four years later two dear friends of mine stood on the cliffs overlooking those same beaches while vacationing in Europe. As part of their tour, they went through a memorial center, and were privileged to see photographs of the actual scenes of that battle. As Shane stood near the displays, an older man walked up and stood near him, also looking at the photographs. He started to speak. “I remember – ” he said, and then his voice choked off, and he was unable to continue. His head was bowed and tears came from his eyes.

A few minutes later my friends were escorted into a small theatre. They were shown film footage of the battle. They watched as wave after wave of men attempted to come ashore, and were blown out of the water by the huge German guns mounted on the cliffs. It was not a dramatic reenactment; the destruction and the bodies were real!

Sitting near them was a little boy of about five years of age. While he watched, he pointed his finger at the screen like a pistol, and imitated the sounds of the guns, “Bang, bang, bang!” all the while giggling and laughing, and having the time of his life. To him, it was just another violent movie.

By contrast, six seats away sat another elderly gentleman. He too watched the movie, but his face was somber. Ridden with pain and streaked with tears, each scene that played out before him of men fighting and dying represented life that he had lived and friends that he had loved. Because he had experienced it, he understood and appreciated it in a deeper and a more lasting way. He knew the price of freedom. Well, my friends were profoundly moved by their experience. Normandy became the highlight of their tour of France. Normandy became more than just sterile textbook history. For the first time in their lives, it became personal and real.

My dear friends, I know it’s hard, but I hope we would be more grateful for life’s experiences, even and especially the painful ones – the opposition. There may seem no logical good to come from them now, but I promise you, from them will come understanding, empathy, patience, and most of all if we endure it well, a Christ-like character. Have a good day.