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The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE. 

The southern end of the U.S. Atlantic coast has been on the business end of the adversity over the past several weeks.

First came Hurricane Florence, inundating the Carolinas with rain and overflowing inland rivers. Then Hurricane Michael arrived on the Florida Panhandle with historic, violent winds that turned tourist towns into rubble.

But adversity didn’t originate with the recent storms. Difficulties have been around since the beginning of time — and everyone will be battered by life’s blows at some point in their lives, said President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He and other church leaders spoke at a Saturday evening devotional at the Florida Tallahassee Stake Center for storm-weary church members and their friends.

Some deal with hurricanes and other random acts of nature. Others, perhaps, find themselves battered by depression or perhaps a sick or rebellious child or loved one.

“Affliction and obstacles are the reality of mortal life,” said President Oaks.

But afflictions, he assured, need not be suffered in vain. God desires to “consecrate” such suffering for the benefit of his children.

To read the full article, CLICK HERE.