By Beckie Dragon

I worked at the LDS Church Office Building doing family Indexing. Typing the information in front of me was mostly mindless work, but over the course of two weeks, I kept hearing a persistent voice in my mind saying, “Go talk to your bishop.” I didn’t know why, so I kept brushing it off. But eventually, I gave in and went to see him. During our visit, he casually asked, “Have you ever thought about going on a mission?” I kind of laughed it off and continued chatting, but something about it stuck. Then it hit me—I looked at him and said, “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

As I walked home, I said a prayer out loud: “Oh Heavenly Father, is this what You want me to do?” And I heard an audible voice, clearer than anything I’d ever experienced before, say, “Yes.”

Six months later, I was on my mission. I was scared and still lacked confidence, but I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. One of the expectations was to memorize eight full discussions along with all the scriptures that went with them. It felt impossible. I knew I’d need a miracle. I believed the Lord would help me—after all, I was out there because I believed it was His will. But the harder I tried, the more discouraged I became.

At one point, our mission president introduced a competition called “fast pass offs” to see how quickly we could recite all the discussions. It was my worst nightmare. I gave it everything I had, but it still took me hours. People tried to encourage me with pep talks, but deep down I just didn’t believe I could do it. I thought I wasn’t capable.

I continued working hard at it throughout my mission, but it remained a challenge. Every time we had a teaching appointment, I had to review the discussion beforehand just to keep up.

Near the end of my mission, I found myself praying and reflecting on the struggle I’d had with those discussions. I asked the Lord, “Why didn’t You make this easier for me when I was trying so hard to serve You and be the best missionary I could?” And the answer I received was powerful: because He wanted me to rely on the Spirit, not on memorized words.

That insight hit me hard—in the best way. I suddenly understood how deeply the Lord loved me. He had been there all along, guiding me, helping me grow, and teaching me how to depend on Him. I realized I had drawn closer to my Heavenly Father, not in spite of the challenge, but because of it. That struggle—my greatest one—had turned out to be my greatest blessing.

Looking back, I wonder how different things could have felt if I’d understood and applied the Law of Polarity from the beginning. I think I would have trusted more that God knew what was best. I wouldn’t have doubted so much. I would have been more patient with myself, more peaceful, and more open to seeing the blessings hidden in the challenge instead of discovering them only at the end.

Now, the Law of Polarity reminds me: when a challenge feels overwhelming, the blessing tied to it is just as great. There truly must be opposition in all things. And the most important thing I can do is trust the Lord—He knows exactly what will lead to my growth.

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