Comprehend Joy

1 Nephi 17:2, 6

After Nephi retrieved the brass plates, his family traveled to the seashore and God directed him in building a ship to travel across the sea. The difficulty of the trek provided opportunity for inner growth.

Imagine the challenges associated with 8 years of: Middle Eastern heat, wilderness, raw meat, living in tents, walking miles a day - some of them carrying and bearing children...

Nephi, in his positive hindsight, reflected how "great were the blessing of the Lord" in guiding them through and helping them "bear their journeyings without murmurings" (verse 2). He related that despite their afflictions, they were "exceedingly rejoiced" when they came to the seashore (verse 6).
Think how much they appreciated those shining waters! Would they have rejoiced if they were transported there directly somehow? Maybe they would have simply compared living in tents on the shores to their comfortable homes in Jerusalem and found reason to complain. But they rejoiced because they had been through hard times and they had survived. They had relied on God and had grown.

Without adversity, we would not grow. Without the trials we face we would not be able to comprehend the highest peaks of joy that can be experienced in this life.
I am not the kind of person that is "thankful" for trials. But I am very grateful for a God that loves His children so extremely that He allows them to experience adversity on Earth in order to truly know joy.