2 Corinthians 11

Paul taught -

"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." (New Testament Hebrews 12:6)

John also wrote -

"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (New Testament Revelation 3:19 - 21)

It appears then that tribulations and trials holds the purpose to catch the attention of our Father in Heaven's children in hopes to cause them to repent. For -

...thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you—" (Doctrine and Covenants Section 95:1)

And it is to those who repent that the Lord reveals -

"For after much tribulation come the blessings." (Doctrine and Covenants Section 58:4)

Paul talked of his tribulations he had experienced as he wrote to the Corinthians -

"...in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands." (New Testament 2 Corinthians 11:23 - 33)

There is no question that from these trials, Paul became the great missionary he was. Brigham Young explained -

"When we look at the Latter-day Saints, we ask, is there any necessity of their being persecuted? Yes, if they are disobedient. Is there any necessity of chastening a son or a daughter? Yes, if they are disobedient. But suppose they are perfectly obedient to every requirement of their parents, is there any necessity of chastening them then? If there is, I do not understand the principle of it. I have not yet been able to see the necessity of chastening an obedient child, neither have I been able to see the necessity of chastisement from the Lord upon a people who are perfectly obedient. Have this people been chastened? Yes, they have. " (Discources of Brigham Young, pg 350)

We have to be careful though how we glory in trials and tribulation. Peter taught -

"For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?..." (New Testament 1 Peter 2:20)

In his great wisdom, Neal A. Maxwell said -

“Peter didn’t want us to take any credit upon ourselves for the suffering we endure because of our own mistakes. He was willing to see us take credit for the suffering we endure because of discipleship, but not because of our own stupidity or our own sin.” (Neal A. Maxwell, “For a Small Moment,” Speeches of the Year, 1974, p. 447.)