Sometimes Our Blessings Are Our Trials

Jacob describes in chapter 2 that some of the Nephites have begun to search for gold and silver, and as they did this the Lord blessed them exceedingly.  The Lord is often good to us in this way, giving us that which we desire.  The riches are definitely described by Jacob to be a blessing:  v. 13  "And the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches . . ."

But as with any blessing, what we do with it is what determines our progress.  The Nephites used their riches for fancy things and "costly apparel" which made them think they were better than others.  That seems to be a frequent consequence of expensive clothes.  They make us look at those around us to see if they look as good as us, and anyone who doesn't, receives our scorn.  But that's a rant for another time.

I think that we can look at almost any blessing and see that there is a way for that to become a trial to us.  Our choicest blessing, our family, can sometimes irritate and annoy us.  Our spouse can grate on our nerves, our children can try our patience.  In extreme cases, our children can wander and go against our teachings and cause great heartache and grief.  

We can't control the actions of others, but we can be aware that just because something is a blessing doesn't mean it can't be a trial.  And the opposite is true.  We know that some of our greatest trials can end up blessing our lives because of the growth we receive from them.