Fear Into Faith

Elder Uchtdorf stated in the women's conference in October 2014:

In other words, He not only knows what is best for you; He also anxiously wants you to choose what is best for you.

If you believe this in your hearts—if you truly believe the great mission of our Heavenly Father is to exalt and glorify His children and that He knows best how to do it—doesn’t it make sense to embrace and follow His commandments, even the ones that appear difficult? Should we not cherish the light posts He has given that guide us through the darkness and the trials of mortality? They mark the way back to our heavenly home! By choosing Heavenly Father’s path, you lay a divine foundation for your personal progress as a daughter of God that will bless you throughout your life.

Part of our challenge is, I think, that we imagine that God has all of His blessings locked in a huge cloud up in heaven, refusing to give them to us unless we comply with some strict, paternalistic requirements He has set up. But the commandments aren’t like that at all. In reality, Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt, and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us.

His commandments are the loving instructions and the divine help for us to close the umbrella so we can receive the shower of heavenly blessings.

In the scriptures of the New Testament in Matthew Chapter 14 it states:

24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

This is a parable about our own faith.  We seek to follow Christ and he invites us to step out of the boat and come to him.  However, so many times, just like Peter, we are a aware of all the commotion, storms, waves, and winds around us, and we take our eyes off of the Savior and begin to sink.  If we turn back to our Lord and cry "Lord, save me" like Peter, He will reach out and lift us up again.

Fear is a very powerful thing and can prevent us from receiving blessings the Lord desires us to have.  Right now in my life I'm trying to close the different umbrellas of fear that are blocking me from recieving blessings. It has been  hard to let go of some of my fears and have greater faith in the Lord that I will be blessed with opportunities.  It has been hard at times to also have faith in myself, that I can make it across the stormy sea and reach my Savior.  I have been praying out loud and simply talking with the Lord about each of my fears, big ones and small ones. And I feel he is listening. 

Look Unto Me in Every Thought

When I was in high school we found out my mom had breast cancer and being the oldest in the family a lot of responsibilities fell upon me.  It was challenging for me but the hardest part was the intense fear of losing my mom.  During that time I found some passages of scriptures that became my rock.  In the book of Doctrine & Covenants chapter 6:

33 Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.
 34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.
 35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.
 36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
 37 Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

When Christ said little flock, I felt like that was me and my four younger siblings.  I resolved to do everything good I could do to help take care of my family while my mom was having surgery and recovering.  I trusted that God would take care of my mom when there was nothing else I could do to help her.   And then verse 36, "Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not."  I hung this on my wall and repeated it in my mind over and over and over.  That verse got me through that experience.   We were very blessed that my mom had caught her cancer early and after surgery and some medications she is still with us today, 21 years later.

As is with the scriptures, each time you read them something new stands out to you despite having read it so many times before.  Today as I reread these verses His simple direction to us "Be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven."  When life feels so complicated, the Savior simplifies it for us be faithful and keep my commandments, if your doing that, your going to be ok.

Noah's Example

This is a new song that my children are learning at Church that talks about how Noah is an example for them too.  Check it out. I love it and find myself singing it all the time.

Knowledge

We need to keep an eternal perspective on our life and remember that we are not just living for today, but for eternity.  

 And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.    Doctrine and Covenants 130:19

Mind Over Matter

Recently I have trying to focus on letting go of my will and doing what God wants me to do. However, I have recognized that I can't just sit back and wait for Heavenly Father to drop answers in my lap.  I need to be anxiously engaged in good things that will allow Him opportunities to use to bless me.  

The first thing that I have been doing is getting up before my family in the morning and reading my scriptures or talks by the Apostles.  It is amazing how quiet the morning is and it allows for meditation and pondering on the things that I have read and problems that I am seeking answers to.   I just finished reading the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbran (actually I listed to it--Yeah for audio books from the library!!!).   I was amazed at how many life lessons I learned in this book. One of which, that our minds have a great capacity that is often under-utilized and barrage of information.   I learned that I need to provide myself quiet time (Early morning after I am rested is best for me.) to allow all the constant thoughts in my head to quiet down and begin examining my questions with a clear mind that is open to receive answers from God.  

Unbroken made me consider for the first time, that maybe, just maybe I had the brain capacity to do more and think more than I currently see myself.  I know I'm not dumb, I did graduate from college, but I am blond and wasn't born with street smarts like some people are, and I have a horrible memory.  I am realizing that I have limited myself by placing an imaginary "glass ceiling" on what I thought I was capable of doing with my mind.  I realized in reading this book that I had allowed my mind to be filled with too many distractions.  I have renewed my effort to read and study in the early quiet hours, but also provide myself time to ponder and think on the things I have been reading.  I have stopped watching tv for the most part, try to be effective when I'm on the internet, and have been trying to fill my mind with good books in addition to scriptures.   Now I think I might be able to do things that I never thought I would be able to do.  It's exciting to open yourself up to new potentials.  I can't wait to see where this mind is going to go.

Including my Savior in this mental makeover has also been a concentrated effort. I have sought the power of the Atonement in prayer to help me grow.  In my morning study, I came across this quote by Todd Christofferson.

It is God’s will that we be free men and women enabled to rise to our full potential both temporally and spiritually, that we be free from the humiliating limitations of poverty and the bondage of sin, that we enjoy self-respect and independence, that we be prepared in all things to join Him in His celestial kingdom.

I am under no illusion that this can be achieved by our own efforts alone without His very substantial and constant help. “We know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”24 And we do not need to achieve some minimum level of capacity or goodness before God will help—divine aid can be ours every hour of every day, no matter where we are in the path of obedience. But I know that beyond desiring His help, we must exert ourselves, repent, and choose God for Him to be able to act in our lives consistent with justice and moral agency. My plea is simply to take responsibility and go to work so that there is something for God to help us with.

I bear witness that God the Father lives, that His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Redeemer, and that the Holy Spirit is present with us. Their desire to help us is undoubted, and Their capacity to do so is infinite. Let us “awake, and arise from the dust, … that the covenants of the Eternal Father which he hath made unto [us] may be fulfilled.”25 In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.    (For full text click here)

I hope that I will be able to grow in ways I've never before imagined and I'm grateful for the possibilities that are available through the Atonement.  I hope that I will be able to pass on to my children and others that God sees more in us than we see in ourselves.

Hope

Mosiah 27:14
14 And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heardthe prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to theknowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.  

This scripture is filled with hope.   

"Will this make you a better person?”

Im so thankful for the recent counsel regarding the use of the internet and use of electronic devices.

A wonderful example of the need for moderation, balance, and wisdom is the use of the Internet. It can be used to do missionary outreach, to assist with priesthood responsibilities, to find precious ancestors for sacred temple ordinances, and much more. The potential for good is enormous. We also know that it can transmit much that is evil, including pornography, digital cruelty,⁸ and anonymous yakking. It can also perpetuate foolishness. As Brother Randall L. Ridd poignantly taught at the last general conference, speaking of the Internet, “You can get caught up in endless loops of triviality that waste your time and degrade your potential.”⁹

Distractions and opposition to righteousness are not just on the Internet; they are everywhere. They affect not just the youth but all of us. We live in a world that is literally in commotion.¹⁰ We are surrounded by obsessive portrayals of “fun and games” and immoral and dysfunctional lives. These are presented as normal conduct in much of the media.

Elder David A. Bednar recently cautioned members to be authentic in the use of social media.¹¹ A prominent thought leader, Arthur C. Brooks, has emphasized this point. He observes that when using social media, we tend to broadcast the smiling details of our lives but not the hard times at school or work. We portray an incomplete life—sometimes in a self-aggrandizing or fake way. We share this life, and then we consume the “almost exclusively … fake lives of [our] social media ‘friends.’” Brooks asserts, “How could it not make you feel worse to spend part of your time pretending to be happier than you are, and the other part of your time seeing how much happier others seem to be than you?”¹²

Sometimes it feels like we are drowning in frivolous foolishness, nonsensical noise, and continuous contention. When we turn down the volume and examine the substance, there is very little that will assist us in our eternal quest toward righteous goals. One father wisely responds to his children with their numerous requests to participate in these distractions. He simply asks them, “Will this make you a better person?”

Elder Quentin L Cook