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Find a Story where someone you know, or one of your ancestors went through a hard trial but came out strong. Then share it here as you feel comfortable.

Be mindful and respectful of the people whose stories you share, and of the people whose stories you read.

You can read to original newsletter here for more info.

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My grandpa told me a remarkable story from his mission in Japan. Their island was experiencing a terrible drought and the circumstances got pretty serious- they needed rain or they would have no food. The small ward decided to have a fast and during that fast held a meeting with the stake president. At that meeting was a very recent convert family with a little girl who had some fairly severe disabilities. During the meeting, it miraculously started to rain, and not just rain, but downpour! As the people began to leave for their homes after the meeting, my grandpa noticed that there was only one person in the entire congregation who had brought an umbrella to the meeting. It was a cute little pink umbrella that belonged to the sweet little girl. She had so much faith! My favorite line from my grandpa was “the Stake President had to walk a mile down the road to catch the bus and he was soaked, the bishop had to walk a mile down the road to catch the bus and he was soaked, us missionaries had to walk a mile down the road to our house and we were soaked, but the faith filled little nine year old girl who couldn’t even walk normally, walked home dry.” It was such a powerful lesson to me of what it really means to have faith.

-Mesa

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I did some more looking into stories about my Great Great Grandma Baer who emigrated from Germany to Utah in 1905. She didn’t want to leave her friends from the branch, so she sold her apartment for cash and loaned some of the money to anyone who wanted to come to Utah to make the trip more affordable. Of the small branch, 27 members were able to move to Utah together. I’m amazed at the bravery of all of them, but especially my great great grandma who didn’t even know English. She went on to be the relief society president of the Salt Lake 8th ward for many years. The thing that stood out to me most of all though, was the end of the biography her daughter wrote. She (the daughter) said, “When I go home, I intend to throw my arms around her and say, ‘Thanks, Mom, for encouraging my music, for sustaining me on my mission, but especially for teaching me to put the gospel of Jesus Christ first.’” I really liked that. I’ve seen how my mom has done all of those things for me too. It makes me feel more connected to my family tree, and increases my desire to put the gospel of Jesus Christ first, just like Grandma Baer always taught.

-Sam P

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Recently, I was able to read a short biography of my great-grandma on my mom's side. Although I never met her, I've always been interested in her because my family currently lives in the house that she and my great-grandpa built in Dayton, Idaho. When they were first moving to Dayton, they got a loan from the bank to buy eight cows to start a dairy farm. However, when they were bringing the cows home to the farm, the hatch on the trailer opened and all the cows fell out. Some of the cows died, and others ended up calving too early. So they started their new journey with a loan to the bank, but no way to pay it back. They had to rely heavily on family to make it. An aunt was able to help them with the loan while they were getting their crops growing, and they had five boys (one of which, of course, was my grandpa) who worked continuously on the farm. During harvest, the 5 boys would rotate missing school for a day to work on the farm. And all boys would come home from school and work well after dark. My great-grandma, in addition to taking care of the family and the house chores, spent much of her day out in the field helping with the farm work. This pattern of work continued for much of her life. I was very impressed that even though they had hardships, by relying on family they were able to get through it all. - Pablo 

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One of the most common stories of Grandpa was him and the raccoon. What happened was one morning on the farm he was moving feed and there was some baby raccoons in the manger. He saw them and began poking them with his pitch fork. When he started doing this the mother raccoon came and started to growl at my grandpa. He was trying to leave when she attacked him. Just before she could get to him my uncles dog at the time Brutus attacked the mom raccoon. My Grandpa then was able to get into a tractor out of the way as the raccoons ran off.  I always loved hearing this story and how my grandpa would tell it different every time. I also learned never mess with raccoons unless you have a gun.
Chanden

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I chose to share a hard experience in my own life As a young man and recent convert serving a mission in Thailand shortly after the Vietnam War and being kicked out of Thailand by the Thai government.  Thailand was the home to several US military bases during the war, but once the war was over they became concerned for their own welfare.  Thailand was a strong Buddhist country and other Christian sects (Catholic) had convinced the government that they needed to reduce or eliminate the number of our missionaries in the country.  Many Thai people thought we were CIA agents, for why else would we learn the difficult language and mingle with the people.  So the government heeded the concerns and decreed that the number of missionaries serving in Thailand would be reduced by more than half.  I was in the group that was kicked out.  I had struggled and overcome the difficult language.  I had served in a branch presidency.  I had relative success in a rare baptizing an entire family.  But after a year serving in Thailand I was kicked out.  Those that were forced to leave gathering at the only chapel and mission home for one last meeting, in which we sang “I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord”.  Oh, the flood of feelings I had leaving the country and people I have grown to love so much.I was reassigned to the New York Rochester Mission for the remainder of my mission.  This was the area of New York with the Hill Cumorah, Palmyra, Sacred Grove and historical sites.  It’s also the only area where Joseph Smith left on his own as opposed to be driven out.  I arrived in New York in early April.  All new missionaries get to visit the Sacred Grove upon arrival in the mission.  Still reeling from getting kicked out of Thailand, I was standing in the Sacred Grove and realized I was there at near the same time that Joseph Smith had offered his prayer.  Unlike every portrayal the Church has presented in pictures and movies . . . there were no leaves on the trees at this time of the year, the ground was not covered with any green foliage, rather it was muddy in the grove and had the musky smell of rotting leaves from the spring thaw.  That kind of took me back a little from what I was expecting!  However, it didn’t take long though before the spirit so strongly testified to my very humbled soul that what I had been testifying for the last year had happened there, indeed did happen there!  And it didn’t matter where I served or with whom I shared this great message.

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I chose to share a hard experience in my own life As a young man and recent convert serving a mission in Thailand shortly after the Vietnam War and being kicked out of Thailand by the Thai government.  Thailand was the home to several US military bases during the war, but once the war was over they became concerned for their own welfare.  Thailand was a strong Buddhist country and other Christian sects (Catholic) had convinced the government that they needed to reduce or eliminate the number of our missionaries in the country.  Many Thai people thought we were CIA agents, for why else would we learn the difficult language and mingle with the people.  So the government heeded the concerns and decreed that the number of missionaries serving in Thailand would be reduced by more than half.  I was in the group that was kicked out.  I had struggled and overcome the difficult language.  I had served in a branch presidency.  I had relative success in a rare baptizing an entire family.  But after a year serving in Thailand I was kicked out.  Those that were forced to leave gathering at the only chapel and mission home for one last meeting, in which we sang “I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord”.  Oh, the flood of feelings I had leaving the country and people I have grown to love so much.I was reassigned to the New York Rochester Mission for the remainder of my mission.  This was the area of New York with the Hill Cumorah, Palmyra, Sacred Grove and historical sites.  It’s also the only area where Joseph Smith left on his own as opposed to be driven out.  I arrived in New York in early April.  All new missionaries get to visit the Sacred Grove upon arrival in the mission.  Still reeling from getting kicked out of Thailand, I was standing in the Sacred Grove and realized I was there at near the same time that Joseph Smith had offered his prayer.  Unlike every portrayal the Church has presented in pictures and movies . . . there were no leaves on the trees at this time of the year, the ground was not covered with any green foliage, rather it was muddy in the grove and had the musky smell of rotting leaves from the spring thaw.  That kind of took me back a little from what I was expecting!  However, it didn’t take long though before the spirit so strongly testified to my very humbled soul that what I had been testifying for the last year had happened there, indeed did happen there!  And it didn’t matter where I served or with whom I shared this great message.

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The story I found to share is one about my grandma. She was telling me about a time when her daughter was in high school, one day she came home from school and asked my grandma to look at her leg. When my grandma looked at her leg she noticed it was all black and blue. She then took her to the doctor, the doctors were thinking it was Leukemia, as was my grandma because of her appearance. The doctors then told her to go to the doctors in salt lake which would be a 3 hour drive from her location. When they arrived in salt lake she was in the bathroom of a close friends house before the doctors appointment, my grandma was kneeling praying and crying wishing that she could have the medical problems and not her daughter and she was praying for the best outcome possible. When they arrived to the doctors, the doctor first did a blood test. Expecting something serious and very concerning, the doctor came back and showed the blood test which all looked good. After leaving the doctors office happy that everything looked well my grandpa then told her while she was in the bathroom he and his brother gave her a priesthood blessing. My grandma then realized how it was a miracle and Heavenly Father does answer prayers sometimes not the way you thought of or the time you want but she was so thankful for her testimony in prayer and her husbands worthiness to give a blessing at that time.
-Bracken M.

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By Kevin Anderson
I feel that I have great blessings in my life because of many of my ancestors and their righteous living.  They sacrificed so much in their lives so that we can enjoy the blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ today.  One such ancestor is James Miller Jones (1 January 1817 – 31 August 1898)
James and his wife left Nauvoo with the main body of the Saints. He sold part of his farm and property and received a handkerchief in payment.   They suffered the hardships and trials incident to the winter across the river and plains.  James and Mary Ann were great hands to help those in need. The wife of Apostle Charles F. Richards was alone in the company, as her husband was away on Church business. James found her sick and very much discouraged.  He took her in his wagon with his family and cared for her.  Forty years later, James went to conference in Salt Lake and spoke to Brother Richards.  Brother Richards put his arm around him and said: "Come go with me, my wife wants to see you."  He took James to the Beehive House to see his wife.  When she saw James, she put her arms around his neck and cried. James wondered why the tears?  He had forgotten what he had done for her, but she hadn't forgotten.  She reminded him of all that he had done for her and felt that they had saved her life.  About a year later, Apostle Richards visited Payson and was the speaker in Sunday Services.  During his talk he pointed at James and told of this incident and praised him for his kindness and blessed him and his posterity, saying they should never come to want.  The next day in a special Relief Society Conference, Sister Richards also told of this circumstance.  Then Brother and Sister Richards visited the Jones home and Sister Richards asked James to give her a blessing, which he did. He said: "The idea of an Apostle's wife wanting me to bless her!"
James had the Gift of Healing and the later part of his life was spent among the sick. He would not wait to be sent for, but would go out and administer to them.  There were some very wonderful healings under his hands. Two children of the Shepard family were seriously ill.  A new doctor was attending them. James had heard about their sickness and went to their home to find one of the children already dead. He told the mother of she would throw away the medicine, he would administer to the other child and it would recover.  He administered to the child and it recovered.  On another occasion he left the house for a walk, not having any particular destination in mind.  He walked three miles to Spring Lake and went to a door and knocked and said, "You have a sick child here and I have come to bless it.  "Sister Perry, the mother, said "Come in Brother Jones, I have been praying that the Lord would send the Elders to me. He administered to the child and it recovered.
Because of James and my many other ancestors, my family and I enjoy great of blessings today.  We are living witnesses of the blessings that were promised to them.  I testify of the power of the priesthood.   I know that our Savior lives.

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I asked Bruce about a hard time his family went through and this was the story he shared:
Bruce's brother Gordon got into an accident when he was 16. (When Bruce said this I automatically assumed he meant a car, I was wrong.) He had a shotgun. He pushed down on the barrel of the shotgun to unload it and it went off and shot him in the arm while he was out in some fields. The shot hit an artery and corked his hand. The boy he was with ran so hard to get to the police station he lost his shoes and the policeman got out there just as Gordon was about to bleed to death. He stopped the bleeding right in time. Everybody was pretty shaken up and upset. While he was in the hospital he got a blessing. Which helped immensely. He is still alive today. His hand and arm still has some slight deformities but the situation could've been much worse.
It's incredible to hear about the intense situation my relatives have survived. It is also a testement to me that God has a plan for each of us.
Kaia

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In my grandpa’s life history, he wrote of his experience of how he was able to go on a mission. His parent’s were not active in the church, but his older sister took him to church and, ever since he received the priesthood, he had the desire to go on a mission. He never thought he would be able to because of finances. To his surprise, when the bishop asked him and his parents if he would go on a mission, his dad said that they would support him even though his dad was not active and very poor. But when my grandpa found out the average mission at the time was $40 a month, he was pretty heartbroken thinking that his parents could never afford that. Then he got his mission call to South Africa and was elated until he found out that mission was $60 a month. The only thing he could think to do was pray. That day his mom came from work and said that she had received a raise and her increase in salary would be $60 a month. He asked her when she had received the raise and it was exactly at the same time he had prayed. They were thrilled. When it came time to go to his mission he was reassigned to California because the government of South Africa wasn’t accepting outsiders to the country. He was devastated, BUT his new mission was only $40 a month and his family was blessed financially because he chose to serve and because he decided to make the best of his re-assignment. I’m sorry this is getting long, but my grandpa has always been a little insecure that he has never had a “major” church calling. But when I look at his worn scriptures or ask him about the gospel he knows more and has been more dedicated to Jesus Christ than anyone I know. His humble faith and submission is inspiring, especially in his trials.
-Alicia

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My paternal grandmother, Elna Hansen Johnson, has always been an inspiration to me because of her trials and testimony that she had.  She was born in Denmark in 1907.  I don’t know much about her younger years since I never had the opportunity to meet her, but I’m sure she had a spiritual and loving family because they listened to the missionaries and joined the church! My dad would tell me I resembled her so that always peaked my curiosity as a child. One of the missionaries that taught them was a young man from Richmond,Utah and after he had been home for a year from his mission, she came to Utah and they were married.  She must have had a lot of courage and faith to leave her family and beautiful country behind and come to live in a remote, cold place like Richmond was at the time.  I can’t imagine how hard that must have been! Soon after she had her first child, my dad.  Next came another son who sadly died five months later from “trouble in the intestines”.  She expressed her sorrow over and over again with this loss and I’m sure that she would have liked to have been closer to her Danish family to help her with her grief.  She was still fairly new to living in America, and couldn’t speak English very well. But, with the perseverance that many early converts show, she somehow got through this trial and 2 years later was expecting her third child.  While cleaning her floor, she slipped and fell and hurt her side.  She wrote a letter to her mother expressing concern that something was wrong.  The baby girl was still born and Elna died from complications six days later.  My grandfather was devastated. My dad was only 3 years old and he and his father then began a long and hard journey of work and making the most of things on their own.  My dad was raised with the help of an uncle and aunt.  I am grateful for the faith and courage shown by this grandmother of mine and even though I haven’t met her in this life, I know that I will in the next one.  She went through a lot of trials of her faith in her short journey here, and her testimony lived on in my dad.  He always spoke highly of his parents and treasured his own family that much more because of what he went through! My dad served a mission in Denmark and got to meet his grandmother, Elna’s mother, while there and I know that would have made Elna very happy.  It is so important that we keep walking on the covenant path when hard times come in our lives.  I bear my testimony to you that I know that by doing this we will feel peace and joy in our lives and have the promise of eternal families through the covenants we have made.  Our Savior lives and loves us eternally!Sister Shanna Skabelund

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My paternal grandmother, Elna Hansen Johnson, has always been an inspiration to me because of her trials and testimony that she had.  She was born in Denmark in 1907.  I don’t know much about her younger years since I never had the opportunity to meet her, but I’m sure she had a spiritual and loving family because they listened to the missionaries and joined the church! My dad would tell me I resembled her so that always peaked my curiosity as a child. One of the missionaries that taught them was a young man from Richmond,Utah and after he had been home for a year from his mission, she came to Utah and they were married.  She must have had a lot of courage and faith to leave her family and beautiful country behind and come to live in a remote, cold place like Richmond was at the time.  I can’t imagine how hard that must have been! Soon after she had her first child, my dad.  Next came another son who sadly died five months later from “trouble in the intestines”.  She expressed her sorrow over and over again with this loss and I’m sure that she would have liked to have been closer to her Danish family to help her with her grief.  She was still fairly new to living in America, and couldn’t speak English very well. But, with the perseverance that many early converts show, she somehow got through this trial and 2 years later was expecting her third child.  While cleaning her floor, she slipped and fell and hurt her side.  She wrote a letter to her mother expressing concern that something was wrong.  The baby girl was still born and Elna died from complications six days later.  My grandfather was devastated. My dad was only 3 years old and he and his father then began a long and hard journey of work and making the most of things on their own.  My dad was raised with the help of an uncle and aunt.  I am grateful for the faith and courage shown by this grandmother of mine and even though I haven’t met her in this life, I know that I will in the next one.  She went through a lot of trials of her faith in her short journey here, and her testimony lived on in my dad.  He always spoke highly of his parents and treasured his own family that much more because of what he went through! My dad served a mission in Denmark and got to meet his grandmother, Elna’s mother, while there and I know that would have made Elna very happy.  It is so important that we keep walking on the covenant path when hard times come in our lives.  I bear my testimony to you that I know that by doing this we will feel peace and joy in our lives and have the promise of eternal families through the covenants we have made.  Our Savior lives and loves us eternally!Sister Shanna Skabelund

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This isn't strictly something regarding my ancestors, but it involves my family and I. About 1.5 years ago, I didn't have as good a relationship with my mom and Dad as I do now. This resulted in a lot of raised voices, negative energy, and tears. This also resulted in me moving out before I was ready emotionally, since I wanted so badly to be away from the negativity in my life. However, I accidentally flung myself out of the pan and into the fire, so to speak. The woman I moved in with was more than ten years older than me, struggled with a number of mental illnesses as well as two eating disorders and a self-harming habit. I saw the habit first hand 3 months later, when she got distraught after a discussion with my uncle. She felt like he was judging her, so she had gone into the bathroom to scratch at herself. When I saw what was going on after my uncle left, I felt sad. After getting her physical pain addressed, I decided I'd text my aunt, my uncle, and one of my friends. After my aunt called 911, my uncle picked me up and drove me to my parents. After that, I went to therapy to fix my relationship with my parents and I decided not to go through anything like that again. I learned my family wants to support me in anything and wants me to be safe.

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By Lori Anderson

Learning about our ancestors is a love that I and my family enjoy. Through their stories we better learn who we are and feel the connection and sacrifice they made that has blessed us today. How grateful I am for their perseverance in the struggles they faced. It helped to shape them and blessed their future posterity.

In 1921 my great grandfather was called to be Bishop. Erastus Hansen was a good man. He was well liked, a hard worker, and excellent farmer, but at the time of his call to serve as Bishop he was not active as a church member. Margaret Zabriskie, a ward member, stated this in her journal. “I was sitting by Bishop Hansen the day we were asked to sustain him as a Bishop. I remember him handing me his hat when he went to the stand and I remember him saying, among other things, “If this cup could be passed from me, I would, but if not, I will accept it and do my best.” There were those who did sustain him and then there were those who openly opposed him. It got so bad that when Bishop Hansen conducted a meeting there were those who turned their benches in the opposite direction. The Apostle Melvin J. Ballard came and called a special meeting. He stated, “...through inspiration and prayer Erastus Hansen was called to be the Bishop of the Palmyra Ward. You have a choice, either you support him in this calling or you will lose your membership.” Bishop Hansen served faithfully for 8 years.”

I cannot imagine what feelings my great grandfather felt in his call to serve. He was not active in the gospel, he felt inadequate. He went into the call stating he would do his best, but some ward members would not support him. I can only imagine the heartache that grieved him and greater feelings of inadequacy and loneliness that brought. He could have not accepted the call to serve, or asked to be released as ward members chose not to sustain him. I am sure this trial brought great pain and was a struggle. I have reflected on the importance of sustaining our church leaders. We each our inadequate, we fall short, but the Lord makes up the difference as we cheerfully submit to Him and do our best. That is what Erastus did.

The story doesn’t end here, but continues. Because of Erastus’s call to serve. He changed. He became active in the gospel as did his family. He redirected the course his family was on and through that his posterity has been blessed. I have been blessed. I have a testimony of the Savior. I was taught by my grandfather and father to follow the Savior through their examples of righteousness. I was taught to serve, minister one by one as the Savior did. Because Erastus changed the course he was on and that of his family I am blessed with the knowledge of the gospel. I know I am a Child of God. I know the Savior lives. He atoned, suffered, and took upon Him our infirmities that we might be saved, comforted and blessed. We find peace, hope and strength through our Savior Jesus Christ.

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My father Zachary Taylor Champlin was born September 20th 1914, in Boston Massachusetts. Six days later his mother, Nell Nunheimer Champlin died from complications of giving birth to my father. Shortly thereafter my Grandfather married an other woman that was unwilling to raise my father.

Being a military recruiter my grandfather was stationed in different parts of the US - each time he was moved he would find a foster family that would take care of my dad. Many times he was no more than a servant boy to the host family.

My Grandfather was eventually stationed in Salt Lake City - a woman in Corinne Utah, read the add in the paper: Home needed for young boy. She later wrote that she couldn’t sleep for three nights, knowing that they needed to give this young man a home.

When they took in my father, he later said it was the first time in his life that he had felt love or the spirit. At the age of ten he didn’t know the difference - which we know the spirit is from the love of God. He stayed with them for a little over a year, but was taken to Florida as his father was transferred again.

A number of years later, he contacted the Turner family in Corinne again to see if he could come back to live with their family. They contacted my grandfather and as a teenager he took a train from Florida back to Corinne, never seeing his father again.

My father never complained about his upbringing - the hard experiences he went through lead him to the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and the love he always desired. Because he didn’t have a family growing up, he wanted a large family. I’m one of ten children and he had sixty grandchildren - indeed it was his greatest treasure.

We love you all, Brother Champlin

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I love the story of my family history of David Patten: he was of the first 12 apostles of Joseph Smith. His stories of loving the church and being apart if it when it was so young and restored is amazing. He gave his all towards the church and David Patten was one of the first martyrs of the restored church. He gave his life for a true prophet of God and for a true restored church. Another thing that is kinda neat: David Patten did not know his birthday but everyone in the 12 apostles knew he was the oldest. If David Patten had not died for the church he would've been next in line to become the prophet of God. I know this wasnt a specific story in general but I am excited of just the overall story of David Patten and thought it'd be cool to share. I dont have a specific hard trial that David Patten went through but id heavily imagine the whole beginning of the restoration would be hard. But reading David's journals and notes he knew the truth of it. He knew the gospel was true and that there was so much joy to come. Even when David knew that his life was about to come to a close. He still looked towards his prophet with hope and was excited to receive the blessings in this life or the next.

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Before doing the research for this assignment, I didn’t know anything about my great grandfather, Knud Peterson, who was on my mother’s side of the family.  He was born in Denmark on an island called Fuen.  At an early age he accepted the gospel (age 20), and his father gave he and his sister fare to travel to America and money for an ox and wagon to get to Utah.  This was in 1863.  He had a love for music and played the violin.  It was said that they walked all day and danced and sang all night on their travels to Zion.  He was willing to leave his home and family and friends to go to Zion and help in the Lord’s work.

He settled in Cache Valley and lived in a dug-out the first winter here.  He was a hard worker.  He was one of the first settlers in the 5th and 18th Ward section of Logan.  He was called by bishop Woolfenstene to go back to Denmark on a mission.  He rejoiced in his labors and thanked God that he was counted worthy to suffer and work for the salvation of the people of his native land.

He was very generous and when asked for donations to finance the building of the temple and tabernacle he gladly gave his prized violin.

I think it amazing that these people, my ancestors, who had so little but were extremely thankful and happy about their meager worldly possessions were so willing to serve and sacrifice for the gospel.  They had strong testimonies of the gospel that helped sustain them.  They are great examples to me.  I’m glad I got to learn about them.  It is invaluable.