The Book of Mormon prophet Alma regretted his actions as a priest of the wicked king Noah. He later told the people of Zarahemla that he had been “caught in a snare” and had made many wrong choices, resulting in “sore repentance.”
Nevertheless, this story has a happy ending:
After much tribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an instrument in his hands in bringing so many of you to a knowledge of his truth.
Mosiah 23:10
His son Alma similarly “[waded] through much tribulation, repenting nigh unto death,” before being rescued by God from his own sins (Mosiah 27:28).
Not all tribulation results from our mistakes. In 1831, the Lord used similar terminology to brace church members for the difficult experiences which they faced in their new home:
Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.
For after much tribulation come the blessings.
Doctrine and Covenants 58:3-4
After quoting this passage, President Henry B. Eyring explained that blessings sometimes follow tribulation because we are changed as we endure:
The greatest blessing that will come when we prove ourselves faithful to our covenants during our trials will be a change in our natures. By our choosing to keep our covenants, the power of Jesus Christ and the blessings of His Atonement can work in us. Our hearts can be softened to love, to forgive, and to invite others to come unto the Savior. Our confidence in the Lord increases. Our fears decrease.
“Tested, Proved, and Polished,” General Conference, October 2020
He said that at his mother’s funeral, his uncle, Spencer W. Kimball, explained that she had suffered so much and so long because “God wanted to polish her a little more.”
Today, I will be grateful for the refining impact of tribulation. I will remember that the challenging and even painful experiences of life can induce needed changes, helping me to become more of what God intends for me to be.
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