He will whip you back again

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday Afternoon Session of the April 1984 Conference.

Here is something I thought was interesting. President Hinckley quoted Thomas B. Marsh, who as you probably know, was the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles when Joseph Smith was alive, but then left the church and fought against it for a time. This quote is from when Brother Marsh, later in life, came to the Salt Lake Tabernacle and spoke to a congregation there:

My voice never was very strong, but it has been very much weakened of late years by the afflicting rod of Jehovah. He loved me too much to let me go without whipping. I have seen the hand of the Lord in the chastisement which I have received. I have seen and known that it has proved he loved me; for if he had not cared anything about me, he would not have taken me by the arm and given me such a shaking. 

If there are any among this people who should ever apostatize and do as I have done, prepare your backs for a good whipping, if you are such as the Lord loves. But if you will take my advice, you will stand by the authorities; but if you go away and the Lord loves you as much as he did me, he will whip you back again.

I just thought it was interesting thatA. He recognized that his trials were from God, and
B. He saw them as a sign of God's love for him.

That seems like very profound knowledge for one who had rejected the church! Did he come to it gradually? Did he see it only in hindsight? I think it would be good for me if I could learn to see all hardship as fundamental proof of God's love!