It was wisdom that we should carry them with us into the wilderness 1 Nephi 5

I love every chapter of the Book of Mormon, but this one is one of my favorites. I think here I can relate to Sariah whole heartedly.  As she has had to leave her home, and has now just sent her children back to Jeruselem where there were people that wanted to kill them, across the wilderness.  It has taken them longer than planned to get the plates, and she is afraid they have been killed (they were in grave danger at times- I think a mother knows when her children are in danger-just a sixth sense). She begins to take her frustration and fear out on Lehi, she begins to doubt his "revelations" and wonder if they made the right choice.  I don't blame her. I can totally understand as a woman and mother how difficult the situation was that she was placed in. How many times have I complained when things weren't even close to that BUT, what I love about this chapter is two fold- Her relationship with her husband, and her humility.  Lehi lets her complain, and even empathizes with her, and tries to comfort her when she so clearly has just called him out. I can tell Lehi is a very wise man, and a good husband.
 
But then I also love Sariah's humility after her children have returned and she recognizes that her testimony has been stregnthened.

8 And she spake, saying: Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath ^acommanded my husband to ^bflee into the wilderness; yea, and I also know of a surety that the Lord hath protected my sons, and delivered them out of the hands of Laban, and given them power whereby they could ^caccomplish the thing which the Lord hath commanded them. And after this manner of language did she speak.

It made me think about how sometimes, oftentimes, the trials that we go through are to do just that- to allow us to see the Lord's arm in our lives.  How simple would it have been for the Lord to remind Lehi to grab the plates before he left. But the very fact they had to go back to get them was a stretching/growth opportunity for the whole family. The "small" trial or test, which allowed Sariah to see the Lord's hand quickly, gave her faith and confidence in the Lord for the "larger" trial ahead.
Sometimes the smaller trials are just "weight lifting" for later when we will really need to rely on it (8 years later in the wilderness- for Sariah, or 3 years down the road when a husband still doesn't have a job, or 10 years later when a child is still struggling with an illness, etc.)  We have been promised he will never give us more than we can handle, however, that doesn't mean he won't stretch us to the limits of capabilities. 
 
Another thing I appreciate in this story is the fact that Sariah is willing to admit her weakness and to testify of the Lord. She doesn't hold onto it, or say "Well, yes they are back now, by the skin of their teeth, they could have died, look at the danger they were in, or I knew it was a bad idea, you just got lucky it worked this time."  No, she let go of her pride and recognized the Lords hand in their deliverance.  

ACT:  When given trials that test, watch for the Lord's arm of deliverance and testify of it. Even if it means sacrificing my own pride or being embarrassed because I was worried. Recognize the "stretching" opportunities that can be mine.