On the Church website "Despite Adversity, Be of Good Cheer" at
http://lds.org/study/prophets-speak-today/unto-all-the-world/despite-adversity-be-of-good-cheer?lang=eng&query=Despite+Adversity,+Good+Cheer I am impressed by what they said. Truly, in this mortal life we will encounter trials. Many of them we won't understand why we have to undergo them. God knows why however. The purpose is to help us become better through righteous choices. Only by righteous choices do we become more like God.
I found out through my personal experiences while as a missionary, that when I strive to better myself, I transformed into a different person. I became more patient, more understanding and more Christlike. Before my mission I wasn't always on my best behavior. Now that I've been here, I've been put through the refining fires and came to realize that how I react to situations are solely my choice. I can choose to react with anger or with hostile response, but that's not how Christ will act. Instead I chose to try be more Christlike by forgiving and forgetting offenses. I also discovered that when I laugh it off, it help in the long run toward having good companionship with people.
