"It's important to continue to trust the Lord, even when what is happening isn't what we want. Sometimes having faith means trusting in and listening to the Lord even when we are not cured. What we want won't always match what He has planned for us."
"When someone has an ailment or an illness and they are healed as a result of a blessing, their faith is being strengthened. But for those who aren't healed, but continue faithful, their faith is being perfected. The first is a faith-promoting experience. The second is a faith-perfecting. We're not being punished, we're being refined."
"When our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said 'Go...and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.'" (Alma 26:27)
"What we might plan for our life would pale in comparison to what God plans for us...better than anything we could ever design."
"Do everything in your power, but ultimately turn it over to Him. If you're humble enough to follow the plan He has for you, you'll be happy."
Brother Allred said in his book, "Be true to yourself. Honor your righteous desires to do what is right. Let humility show in all your relationships, and the Holy Ghost will speak to your spirit and heal you. The Holy Ghost will guide you to all truth, including ways to find peace and healing power in spite of adversity." (referenced to Moroni 10:5)
We can, as one of my favorite and most comforting scriptures assures "cheerfully do all things that lie within our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of the Lord and for His arm to be revealed."
Brother Allred also said, "The Holy Ghost will direct you into paths and avenues leading to your desired blessing. Be in tune and follow those sudden strokes of ideas and feelings. Miracles happen when you learn to follow the promptings from the Lord."
He also said as we are taught and led, to share the faith and strength of your testimonies. In Mosiah chapter 24 a very righteous people were brought under the yoke of bondage from their enemies. Their persecution was so great that they began to cry mightily unto their God day and night. Then they were threatened to be put to death should they be heard to pray. But nothing could stop them from praying in their hearts. And the Lord heard them and said,
"Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witness for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage."
(Mosiah 24:13-17)
The Lord may not take the pain out of us, but He can always take us out of the pain where we will be at peace with an insurmountable level of understanding. We must taste the bitter in order to know the sweet.
The path is perfect.
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