I never let myself become discouraged along the way. I carry numerous scars from the ordeals, tribulations and beatings, but I do not mind the wounds
9 The history of the Unification Church started from prison. Even after I came to South Korea, my path began with curses, betrayals and persecution.
I am not a spineless man. I have not forgotten what the manager of the cell block said to me when I entered Seodaemun Prison. Even after I die, I will not be able to forget it. But before one month had gone by, he came to me and said, “The Moon of the Unification Church that I heard about in the past is different from the Mr. Moon of the Unification Church that I know now. I am sorry.” He apologized to me; I saw this clearly with my own eyes. In that experience, I witnessed that righteousness can defeat even the crudest prison chains.
Therefore, although the path of righteousness is difficult, we must not be discouraged. I am responsible to lead this group of people for whom God has been searching. This is my path, and I never let myself become discouraged along the way. I carry numerous scars from the ordeals, tribulations and beatings, but I do not mind the wounds. (064-148, 1972/10/29)
the course of that training is not an end in itself. It is a path of suffering that is given as a gift, enabling you to feel value and motivating you to find greater joy
10 When you are going through hardships, ordinary things can be lifted up and become objects of absolute value. If you were to experience prison life or live through a severe famine, you would understand this.
Indeed, trials and suffering are not bad. Those who possess the strength, hope, and desire to affirm the value of life while undergoing trials and suffering are not crushed by the difficulties of those tests and hardships. Rather, they become a stimulus to find joy in the future. Not only that, they can enable you to find the nation of hope, even God’s kingdom.
If you keep your hope alive while you are going through difficulties, you can realize the joy of the kingdom of heaven. Without overcoming difficulties, you can never achieve your hopes. Therefore, the God of love trains people so that they will be able to overcome a wide spectrum of trials that will come during the course of their lives. In this sense, the course of that training is not an end in itself. It is a path of suffering that is given as a gift, enabling you to feel value and motivating you to find greater joy.
When we think like this, suffering and difficulties are not bad. They can become the foundation of our happiness today and the means enabling us to inherit the happiness of tomorrow. (042-320, 1971/04/04)
～from Cham Bumo Gyeong: B7-2-3:9, 10