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Everyone goes through hard seasons. Some arrive suddenly, like loss, illness, or disappointment. Others are quiet and long, like loneliness, unanswered prayers, or waiting for something that has not come.
At the October 2026 general conference, Sister Tamara W. Runia and Elder Kevin J. Hathaway both spoke to this experience. Both testified that Jesus Christ is present in our struggles and does more than observe them.
Suffering Has a Purpose
Sister Runia, First Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, spoke about the purpose of suffering in her address “The Sculpting of Our Souls.” She taught that faith in Jesus Christ helps us trust God's shaping work, even through suffering we cannot fix or fully understand.
She shared how her grandson's Primary talk about following Lego instructions illustrated trust in a designer whose finished work we cannot yet see.
Her message was not that faith removes hardship.
"The gospel isn’t the umbrella. It’s the solid rock we’re standing on during the storm." — Sister Tamara W. Runia
Seen this way, difficult experiences are not wasted. God can use them to shape us into more than we imagined.
Not Understanding Is Not the Same as Not Believing
Sister Runia's message echoes a question asked of the prophet Nephi nearly 2,600 years ago. An angel asked Nephi directly:
"Knowest thou the condescension of God?" — 1 Nephi 11:16
Nephi's honest answer became Sister Runia's own:
"I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." — 1 Nephi 11:17
Thirteen years ago, Sister Runia's oldest son, Ryan, collapsed and died suddenly, leaving behind a wife and four young children. Speaking at his funeral, she told his family: "I don’t understand why this happened. I don’t. But let me be clear. Not understanding is not the same as not believing."
I may not understand everything, but I absolutely believe God sees you, loves you, and knows your story.
I may not understand everything, but I absolutely believe God sees you, loves you, and knows your story.
Choosing Christ
When life asks us to let go of the story we expected, Sister Runia counseled us to choose Christ. His healing reaches the wounds of this world, and He also makes room for joy along the way.
Healing is a choice we make. The Lord does not force it on us. We decide whether to invite Him into the places where we have been hurt or harmed. He understands those places well.
"[He] took upon himself... their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy... that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." — Alma 7:11–12
Deliverance in His Time and Way
Elder Hathaway, a General Authority Seventy, spoke about divine deliverance in a talk titled “Jesus Christ Is the Great Deliverer.” He taught that for most faithful followers, the question is not whether the Savior will deliver us, but how and when.
He also taught that hard questions and strong emotions during trials are not a sign of weakness or sin. They can create a sacred space in which we choose whether to turn toward Christ. He named heartfelt prayer, purposeful fasting, and scripture study as ways to seek Him.
Why does deliverance sometimes seem slow? Elder Hathaway explained:
"He knows that lessons learned while waiting can bring converting growth that an earlier rescue might not produce." — Elder Kevin J. Hathaway
The Lord taught Joseph Smith a similar principle while he was imprisoned in Liberty Jail:
"All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." — Doctrine and Covenants 122:7
And centuries earlier, Lehi taught that God will consecrate our afflictions for our gain (see 2 Nephi 2:2) — the same truth Elder Hathaway echoed when he said the Savior “delivers us from our afflictions and consecrates them for our gain.”
When the Hour Seems Too Late
He pointed to Jairus, who was told his daughter had died. Jesus replied:
"Be not afraid, only believe." — Mark 5:36
Holding on to that assurance, Jairus watched the Savior deliver his daughter from death — showing that no mortal timeline can place us beyond Christ's power to deliver.
When deliverance feels impossible, Elder Hathaway shared the witness of Elder Patrick Kearon:
"Jesus specializes in the seemingly impossible. He came here to make the impossible possible, the irredeemable, redeemable, to heal the unhealable, to write the unwritable, to promise the unpromisable, and He’s really good at it. In fact, He’s perfect at it." — Elder Patrick Kearon
Elder Hathaway was honest that not every deliverance comes in this life, but no situation is beyond the Savior's power:
"In His time and way, Jesus Christ will deliver you." — Elder Kevin J. Hathaway
What We Can Do Now
• Bring your questions to Him. Honest questions are a place to begin turning toward the Savior.
• Keep your covenants patiently. Promises we have made with God stay in place while we wait.
• Seek Him through prayer, fasting, and the scriptures. These are the ways Elder Hathaway taught we can draw near.
• Trust the shaping. What feels like loss may be part of something God is building in you.
Conclusion
We cannot always choose what happens to us, but we can choose who we turn to.
Jesus Christ heals, strengthens, and delivers, and He works on a timeline that is perfect even when it is not ours. We can choose Him today, and trust that He will bring healing and joy in His time and way.
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