A sentence from the October 2025 general conference has been on loop in my mind recently.
In his talk “Proved and Strengthened in Christ,” President Henry B. Eyring spoke about how God sanctifies our challenges to refine us spiritually. He taught:
“I bear witness that these moments are not evidence that the Lord has abandoned you. Rather, they are evidence that He loves you enough to refine and strengthen you. He is making you strong enough to carry the weight of eternal life.” (emphasis added)
I’ll admit that, when I first heard that last sentence, I felt intimidated. The “weight of eternal life” sounds heavy—much beyond what I believe I can handle or even want to carry.
But as I’ve pondered and studied this talk more, I’ve come to realize this line teaches a profoundly beautiful truth: we aren’t expected to become stronger on our own.
Spiritual Strength Training
In the past couple of years, I’ve started doing strength training workouts. I’ve learned that to build muscle, it’s crucial to progressively use heavier weights.
A foundational part of God’s plan of salvation is training our spiritual muscles. As part of this system, we develop divine attributes by facing greater resistance and moments of “proving.” As President Eyring explained:
“That proving does not come in moments of ease or comfort. It comes in moments when we feel stretched beyond what we thought we could bear. The Lord teaches that we are to continue to grow and never tire in our efforts, that we never give up, that we keep trying.”
But most importantly, He doesn’t expect us to “grow and never tire in our efforts” alone. Our perfect personal trainer, Jesus Christ, can “spot” us, lightening our burdens until we become stronger. He helps us “find rest unto [our] souls” when we need recovery time (see Matthew 11:29–30) and become more resilient.
Training with Christ and Each Other
When trials feel like too much to carry, that’s a sign we’re actively getting stronger. Like going up in sizes with weights, we can look back at challenges that seemed too heavy and realize how we grew, and then recognize how our Savior carried us through the difficult sets.
Because Christ has lifted the full weight of our trials, He knows intimately our individual capacities, strengths, and weaknesses. In partnership with God, He can help us build spiritual muscles in a sustainable way that is tailored to our needs.
A divine gift that God and Christ have provided to support us in this process is covenants. As one writer explained:
“Our spiritual muscles need to be strengthened, and God is the ultimate spotter. He knows exactly how much weight to remove from our shoulders and how much to leave to let us struggle. During our spiritual infancy, God supports more, giving us time to develop strength. ... But as we mature and make covenants in the temple, we are required to lift more because we have chosen to commit to living higher laws. However, with that, our access to godly power also increases.”
As part of the baptismal covenant, we have also committed “to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light” (see Mosiah 18:8–9). Like Christ, we can help lift each other in our spiritual strength training. I believe this is a powerful way that the Savior shares our burdens—by allowing us to feel a portion of His love when we give and receive support.
With His grace, we will eventually develop the strength “to carry the weight of eternal life.”
While I’m still far from being able to carry that load, the quote from President Eyring’s talk doesn’t worry me anymore. I’ve learned that “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me,” and He will help me to grow over time—and to sustain those around me.
More articles for you:
▶ This repeated counsel from conference will help you feel more hopeful
▶ The phrase Pres. Oaks just said he wants us to remember
▶ 10 scroll-stopping depictions of Christ from around the world
Remember conference insights
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