Jet Mariano

Tag: trusting God

  • MIT-8 “Two Coats: Obedience, Loss, and New Beginnings in the Life of Joseph of Egypt.”

    Taylorsville Temple before sunrise. Joseph lost his coat twice, yet the Lord was already preparing the next chapter.

    Excerpt
    Joseph lost his coat twice, but he never lost his faith.

    Intro
    Joseph’s story is one of repeated loss followed by unexpected elevation. Twice in his life he lost a garment and the position he held, yet each time the loss became the doorway to something greater. His life reminds us that obedience does not always prevent hardship, but it does guide us through it.

    Notes from the Scriptures

    Joseph’s first loss came while he was still young, living in the land of Canaan. His father loved him deeply and gave him a coat of many colors. That gift, however, intensified the jealousy of his brothers. When Joseph came to check on them, they turned against him.

    “They stript Joseph out of his coat, … cast him into a pit,” and later sold him into slavery (Genesis 37:23-28).

    Though everything familiar was taken from him, Joseph remained faithful. In Egypt, his diligence and integrity earned the trust of his master.

    Later, another trial came. Potiphar’s wife repeatedly tried to persuade Joseph to betray his trust and commit adultery. Joseph refused each time, remaining loyal both to Potiphar and to God.

    When she attempted to seize him physically, Joseph fled.

    “He left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.” (Genesis 39:12)

    The garment she held became false evidence against him, and Joseph was thrown into prison.

    Yet even there, the pattern continued:

    “Because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper.” (Genesis 39:23)

    Joseph lost his position twice, yet his faith remained steady.

    Perspective
    Joseph’s story is not just about loss but about endurance. The second setback could easily have shaken his faith. Instead, Joseph continued to trust the Lord.

    Nephi experienced something similar. As a young man he left Jerusalem with his family, abandoning comfort and security to follow the Lord’s command (1 Nephi 2:2-4). Years later, after reaching the promised land, conflict within the family forced him to leave again.

    Nephi obeyed once more and established a new community, where the people eventually lived “after the manner of happiness” (2 Nephi 5:27).

    Both stories teach a profound truth: sometimes obedience leads us through repeated trials before it leads us to peace.

    Practice (today, not someday)
    Today I will remember that setbacks do not cancel God’s promises. When circumstances change, when plans collapse, or when losses come unexpectedly, faith can remain steady. Obedience today prepares the way for tomorrow’s new beginning.

    Final Reflection
    Joseph’s garments were taken, his freedom was taken, and his circumstances were taken. Yet his faith was never taken. God was quietly shaping his future through every trial.

    Pocket I’m Keeping
    When obedience leads to loss, trust God anyway.

    What I Hear Now
    Like the Jaredite barges, life can feel submerged by waves.

    “they were many times buried in the depths of the sea … but the wind did never cease to blow them towards the promised land.” (Ether 6:7)

    Link to the talk
    (Add the original talk or scripture reference if you want to link it.)

    IT Reflection (My own story)

    Joseph’s life reminds me of moments in my own IT career. Systems crash, projects fail, companies restructure, and sometimes the work we built disappears overnight. Yet those disruptions often become preparation for something new.

    Just as Joseph rose again through faithfulness and diligence, many of the hardest moments in technology work have eventually opened doors to deeper learning, new responsibilities, and greater trust.

    Sometimes losing the “coat” simply means the Lord is preparing us for a different assignment.

    © 2012–2026 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Marked in Time — First-Class Challenges

    In those airport chairs between flights, life felt like motion without pause.
    Four states, four plants, frame relay lines, T1 circuits, Exchange servers, and long hotel nights before Y2K.
    Most weeks were seven days long, and some days stretched 18 hours.
    Somewhere between Tucson and LAX, U2 played through my headphones — “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”
    I did not know it then, but God was stretching me for something bigger.

    Excerpt

    “We cannot expect life to be a first-class experience unless we face some first-class challenges.”

    “Some suffering comes because we believe and because God loves us.”

    — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    Intro

    Some challenges come from mistakes. Some come simply because mortality is hard. But some challenges come because God trusts us enough to refine us.

    Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught that suffering is not random. It is purposeful. It is measured. It is sometimes the very evidence that God is shaping us for something eternal.

    Not all pain means something is wrong. Sometimes pain means something sacred is happening.

    Notes from Elder Maxwell

    Elder Maxwell described three forms of suffering:

    1. Suffering from sin and poor choices — the consequences of mistakes that teach humility and accountability.
    2. Suffering as part of mortal life — illness, aging, loss, and the ordinary weight of living in a fallen world.
    3. The highest form of suffering — suffering that comes because we believe and because God loves us. This suffering stretches the soul and prepares us for eternal capacity.

    He taught that discipleship does not remove difficulty — it often deepens refinement.

    Life’s greatest tests may include:

    • affluence
    • loss of health
    • loss of loved ones
    • loneliness
    • responsibility
    • waiting on the Lord

    These are not punishments. They are tests of trust.

    Perspective

    In infrastructure engineering, systems are pushed under controlled stress before deployment. Not to break them — but to prove they can endure.

    Spiritual life works the same way.

    God does not stretch the soul to destroy it.
    He stretches it so it can carry more light, more responsibility, and more compassion.

    The challenge is not merely surviving hardship.

    The challenge is not shrinking during hardship.

    Practice (Today, Not Someday)

    1. Name the challenge honestly
      Instead of asking “Why me?” ask “What is this preparing me for?”
    2. Trust the timing of understanding
      Some experiences only make sense after endurance.
    3. Hold your ground spiritually
      Faithfulness during confusion is itself a form of worship.

    Final Reflection

    Elder Maxwell closed with a reminder about accountability.

    He said that while he was accountable for what he taught, we are accountable for what we have heard.

    Challenges are not interruptions to discipleship.
    They are the proving ground of discipleship.

    We cannot always control suffering.
    But we can decide whether we will shrink or stand.

    And sometimes, standing is victory enough.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “First-class challenges prepare us for first-class discipleship.”

    What I Hear Now

    “The highest form of suffering is not punishment — it is preparation.”

    Link to the talk

    Guidelines for Righteous Living — Elder Neal A. Maxwell

    © 2012–2026 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

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