“Even as adversities inflict mortal hardships, they can also be the means of leading men and women to eternal blessings. Such large-scale adversities as natural disasters and wars seem to be inherent in the mortal experience. We cannot entirely prevent them, but we can determine how we will react to them. For example, the adversities of war and military service, which have been the spiritual destruction of some, have been the spiritual awakening of others” (Oaks, “Adversity,” 7–8).