What's the point of trials?

Today in sacrament the speakers talked about trials and hardships. I asked myself, "What is the Lord trying to teach me?" I listened as the speaker talked about trials and how through our trials we become great. We are not able to progress without trials. We only progress by choosing to be better. I had to ponder that for a while. As I thought about it I remembered the statement I have at the bottom of my blog. Here is is,

"It is our choices that show what we really are, far more than our abilities."

I thought about Christ and the choices he made throughout his life. Through his choices he gained abilities. The ability to love all unconditionally, the ability to call down the full power of heaven, the ability to love all unconditionally even as his friends betrayed him at the deepest level, the ability to always see good in all, the ability to teach the gentle lessons of our loving Father in Heaven, the ability to redeem all.

I thought about my own personal abilities that the Lord has given to me. I can see how through choices I made during my own personal trials made it possible for me to develop my abilities into who I am today.

In short we all have abilities. Your ability is a gift from God. It is through our choices that make those abilities who we really are. We all have gifts and abilities it is our choices that determine how great we become.

Agency the right to become great or the right to remain.