Have You Ever Felt Like Quitting?
Elder Eyring opens with a personal story — not a triumphant one, but a moment of real struggle. As a college student, he felt overwhelmed by physics and mathematics. The harder it got, the less strength he felt to continue.
Find the paragraph beginning "Long ago I sought to learn physics and mathematics…" through "…I went to work."
I felt weak. As I prayed, I felt the quiet assurance of the Lord. I felt Him say to my mind, I am proving you, but I am also with you.
— Elder Henry B. Eyring, Paragraph 3Find the paragraph beginning "I did not know then all that those words meant…" through "…He was teaching me that with His help, I could do things that seemed impossible."
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Philippians 4:13- Think of a time you felt overwhelmed or wanted to quit. What kept you going?
- Have you ever prayed in a hard moment and felt reassured — even without the problem being solved?
- President Eyring felt the prompting "I am proving you, but I am also with you." What do those two ideas together mean to you?
What Does It Mean to Be "Proved"?
We often think of being "tested" as something negative — like God is watching for us to fail. Elder Eyring teaches an entirely different meaning.
Find the paragraph beginning "The word prove has several meanings…" through "…something strong enough to bear greater burdens."
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
Ether 12:27"That proving does not come in moments of ease or comfort. It comes in moments when we feel stretched beyond what we thought we could bear."
— Elder Henry B. Eyring- How does understanding "proved" as strengthened — not just tested — change the way you see your trials?
- Think of something you handle easily today that used to feel impossible. What "proved" you so you could carry it?
- Why do you think God's refining process requires strain rather than ease?
Moroni: Alone, Yet Unbroken
Elder Eyring turns to the Book of Mormon's final writer — one of scripture's most vivid examples of faith proved and refined through isolation and loss.
Find the paragraph beginning "The prophet Moroni, for instance, was proved and strengthened…" through "…he kept writing." Read all three paragraphs.
Read together as a class.
Moroni 10:3–5"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true … he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost."
Moroni 10:4"Moroni's testimony was refined in loneliness, but it shines with light to guide all generations to seek our Father in Heaven and the Savior Jesus Christ."
— Elder Henry B. Eyring- Moroni wrote for people he would never meet — including descendants of those who wanted to kill him. What does that tell us about how his faith had been refined?
- When was a time you did something faithful without seeing the results — that turned out to matter more than you knew?
- Moroni 10:3–5 was written in his most desperate circumstances. What does that teach us about where our testimonies are forged?
Jacob and Joseph: Consecrated Through Suffering
Find the paragraph beginning "Another Book of Mormon prophet, Jacob, was proved…" and read through Lehi's words to Jacob.
"He shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain … Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer."
2 Nephi 2:2–3- Jacob suffered afflictions as a child because of his brothers
- Lehi promised Jacob he would dwell safely with his brother Nephi
- His days would be spent in the service of God
- He is redeemed because of the righteousness of his Redeemer
- The Redeemer will bring salvation unto men in the fulness of time
Find the paragraph beginning "The Prophet Joseph Smith experienced such proving and strengthening when he was in Liberty Jail…" and read through the Lord's reply.
"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high."
Doctrine and Covenants 121:7–8- Joseph cried out in anguish — O God, where art thou?
- The Lord responded by calling him "my son" — with love, not condemnation
- The afflictions would be "but a small moment" in the eternal picture
- Faithful endurance leads to triumph — God shall exalt thee on high
- Both Jacob and Joseph were told their suffering had a sacred purpose — one through consecration, one through a promise of triumph. What does that tell us about how God sees us in our hardest moments? Share any thoughts or feelings that come to mind.
The Greatest Example: The Savior's Proving
All the examples we've studied point to something greater. Jesus Christ Himself was proved — in the most profound way imaginable. And because of that, He is uniquely able to help us through our own proving.
"He took upon Him the sins of the world. He bore our pains and our sorrows. He drank the bitter cup. He proved faithful in every moment."
Read together.
Alma 7:11–12"He will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people … that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."
Alma 7:11–12He knows exactly how to run to us
"Succor" literally means to run to someone. Because Christ felt every affliction in the flesh, He doesn't sympathize from afar — He runs to us.
He experienced doubt — and chose faith anyway
In Gethsemane, the Savior asked if the trial could pass. He took on doubt and uncertainty — and then chose faith in His Father.
Our trials connect us to Him
The proving process is not a sign God abandoned us — it is the path He walked Himself. Our trials draw us closer to Christ, not away from Him.
- How does knowing Christ felt doubt in Gethsemane — and chose faith — change how you feel when you experience doubt in your own trials?
- Because Christ has felt your specific kind of suffering, what does that change about how you can pray to Him?
What This Looks Like in Your Life
"Your proving and strengthening may not look like Moroni's or Jacob's or the Prophet Joseph's. But it will come. It may come quietly, through the trials of family life. It may come through illness or disappointment or grief or loneliness."
— Elder Henry B. Eyring"These moments are not evidence that the Lord has abandoned you. Rather, they are evidence that He loves you enough to refine and strengthen you."
In pairs or groups of 3 — how would you respond to each person based on what we've studied today?
- What idea from today's lesson felt most helpful for your scenario?
- What's the difference between telling someone "just have more faith" versus sharing that their trial is evidence of the Lord's love?
Four ways to apply this week:
Name your current proving
Identify one challenge you're facing. Instead of calling it "a problem," try: "The Lord is proving me through ___."
Go to work — before you understand
Elder Eyring went to work before understanding everything. Choose one faithful action to take this week despite uncertainty.
Pray with confidence
Bring your current trial to prayer. Listen not for the problem to be solved, but for His reassuring presence.
Look back with new eyes
Think of a past trial you've survived. Can you see how it strengthened you? Share that with someone being proved right now.
He Will Not Forsake You
"I testify that God knows you. He knows the trials you face. He is with you. He will not forsake you. I testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is our strength, our Redeemer, our hope. If we trust Him, He will make our spiritual power equal to every trial we are called to bear."
— Elder Henry B. Eyring"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."
2 Timothy 4:7This Week's Challenge
What does it look like to continue acting faithfully — even when you can't see where it's going?
- Notice where you feel stretched or overwhelmed — and ask: Is the Lord proving me here?
- When a hard moment comes, ask: "What is the Lord trying to make me strong enough to carry?"
- At the end of the week, pray or journal about what you noticed.
- Come prepared next week to share one thing you observed.
"Proved and Strengthened in Christ"
Elder Henry B. Eyring · The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints