Once Broken, Twice As Strong

      Can something broken or shattered be put back together and become twice as strong as it was before? Think about this question for a second. . . . . Is it possible? In an ideal world, everything can usually be put back together after it is broken. A vase for example, can fall and shatter into small pieces. If you're ambitious enough, you could get your bottle of super glue out and tack that baby back together! If a leg on a wood table snaps in half, its more than possible to glue back on, good as new. But will either of these things be just as or even twice as strong as they were before? You would certainly hope so, but in reality they wouldn't. It depends alot on the overall strength of the material, but usually fixes like these don't hold up. And almost every time they break at the same exact spot where they were fixed.
      During my high school years I spent most of my time in the industrial arts classes. Auto mechanics and welding were probably my two favorite classes period. But welding was the one I spent the most time in. For those who don't know exactly what welding is, it is the fusion of metal.  Or put simply, the way to get metal to bind together.

    
      The picture to the right gives a basic description of a weld. Using original metal, the gas/metal filler combine and fuse the two pieces together. Its simple enough, but how is this different from gluing a vase back together or a leg on a wooden table?
      The main difference is that a weld, if done right, not only has penetration through the material but also fuses together the original material with the new one being added, making it twice as strong as before. If you put it in a clamp, bend it, heat it, grind it, or whatever you can think of to break it, it won't matter. The rest of the metal with give before the weld does. Its always the last to break.
    In The Book Of Mormon we read that if we realize our weaknesses and let The Lord take care of them, then he will make us stronger:
         27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
    Does anyone ever feel broken or weak? Like there are some things that are impossible to overcome? The truth is, everyone does. We all have weaknesses so that we will be compelled to be humble. The Lord knows us better than we do and he knows how to help us. Giving our weaknesses to The Lord takes more effort and time than some of the other "quick fixes" that we come across in life when were faced with challenges. However, if we humble ourselves before our Lord and let him help us, weak things will become strong unto us. We will not only overcome, but will become stronger in the face of adversity. And the things fixed with the help of The Lord will hold when we ourselves cannot. I know this is true. He can make us twice as strong.