The Valleys of Life...

Each of us go through what you could call the "Valleys of Life." These are periods of time where you feel a little low, sad, depressed, upset, etc. These time periods can last for a few minutes to a few months! They can have a direct cause, a million causes, or sometimes it seems like no cause at all.

Currently, I feel like I'm in a valley of life... I think that this one has a million causes. Maybe a million and one. It also seems like it has no cause at all. It's a very confusing situation to be in. I think some of these causes are as follows:

1. I'm sick

2. I'm tired

3. I'm leaving my friends and family here in Twin Falls (even though I'm going to BYU, I'm still sad to leave)

4. I still haven't found a job

5. I have a million and one things to do before I leave

6. I can't get an academic scholarship at BYU for another year and a half

I'm sure there are more items contributing to this valley, but I'm just not completely coherent right now.

So, while in these valley, we have a few choices. We can glare up at the hills, angry for the happiness which is found there, and that we do not have that where we are. We can look around ourselves and glare at the terror which binds us down to this depressing valley. We can give up. Lie down, and cry for our situation or circumstances which have brought us so very low.

Each of these decisions have the same end. We are still in the valley, we are still unhappy. In many instances, the valley would seem to get lower and lower if we make these kinds of decisions. There must be an alternative. Something we can do to actually get ourselves out of this valley and find the happiness that actually is upon the hilltops.

The alternative is Jesus Christ. His gospel. Faith, repentance, keeping and renewing Covenants, following the spirit, and faithfully enduring our trials until the end of our lives. Doing these things has a promise attached to them. Promises of peace and happiness through the trials.

I wanted to illustrate this point, and I was going to write it out, but I decided instead that I would make a video to illustrate it :-D

I truly believe that Christ wont take the trials away from you (although, by following the commandment of not stealing, you wont have to deal with the trial of jail for that), but he'll make those trails easier for you to bear (Mosiah 24:13-15). And that's the Bright-side of Life!