Be Strong and of Good Courage

Life is hard. There are so many decisions to make every single day. Some are big while others are small, but each has its consequence, whether or not we may see it. Often we are filled with doubt and fear as to moving forward and acting upon those decisions. Having come home from my mission just a little over five months ago, I was filled with that fear. The decisions I would be making would make all the difference in how my life would turn out. Unfortunately, I let that fear control my actions, or rather, prevent action even with what I cared most about. There was only one way to conquer and to move forward. I had to find courage.

In the midst of fear, when nothing seems to be going right in our world, how do we find the courage to act? I look to the example of Captain Moroni when he first became chief captain over all the Nephites at the young age of 25. I thought my problems were big enough, but Moroni had the responsibility to protect a whole nation. Nerve wracking? I think so. Did he have doubts as to his ability to lead knowing that the lives of thousands rested upon his shoulders? I am sure he did. Yet, despite his fears, it did not stop him from accepting the responsibility. So how did Moroni do it? He had a purpose, he was prepared, and he trusted in God.

 His courage came from purpose. He went forward with the knowledge that he would be fighting for liberty, for family, and for God. As we sit down and ponder over our lives, there are certain things that we fight for. We should not worry about all the possible outcomes, but rather the certain outcome that we desire. We need a “why” in those decisions that is powerful enough to give the courage that propels us forward.

He received courage as he went forward prepared. Moroni had a battle plan and provided the best armor and weapons for his soldiers. Once there purpose, it is time to figure out what we need to do in order to reach the desired outcome. Take the time to figure out each step and gather the necessary “armor and weapons.” It is also important to get some previous practice in, if possible, before going through with the final parts of your plans. Some plans will be more in depth than others, but they will all help in finding courage.

He found courage as he relied on God and not on his own strength. He and his soldiers cried unto God and desired to follow as He would have them do. Faith in God is the most important part of finding our courage. He does not desire to see us fail, and as we turn to Him, he will provide for us what we lack. In 2 Timothy 1:7 it says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” When we seek God’s help, he will provide for us the courage we desire in order to overcome.

As we strive to have purpose, preparedness, and faith in the face of fear, we will find the courage we seek. It worked and continues to work for me. God did not send us to Earth to watch us fail due to fear. As we face the trials of every day, we can stand true and push forward in spite of fear. We can find our courage, we can succeed.

Bring in the Light, and let courage overcome your fear.

Peace Be Unto You

I was taking my normal route back from BYU campus on Thursday in between classes and I happened to focus more on the journey rather than just arriving at my destination. The sun was shining, the sky was a beautiful clear blue, patches of snow and ice glittered, and there was not a sound outside of nature to be heard. As I took this all in, I felt peace in my heart. I was without worry, without stress.

I pondered then on this feeling of peace and why I often could find moments of peace throughout every week. Now some may think what I am about to say is foolish, that what I believe is absurd, but that does not matter. For what came to mind was the influence that the gospel of Jesus Christ has had in my life and the great peace I can find in it. There is nothing in the world that has brought me more peace or happiness than living the Gospel.

Why is that? It is because man did not create the Gospel and its laws; God did. The Gospel is eternal as are its blessings. No matter the changes that happen on Earth among men, they will not be able to change God's eternal truths to match modern morals. If this were to happen, peace would diminish and true freedom be lost. I fight to keep that peace. I choose to live His gospel. As I, and anyone else does so, God helps us to become better than we were. He helps us to be at peace and full of joy. That is His promise to us, and much more.

Following His laws may not be easy. There are times that we think that there is no way that we can survive another trial in our lives. We feel alone and full of anguish. And so, we remember His comforting words when He said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). He suffered all and conquered all, even death, so that we may feel that peace and, with His help, overcome. He conquered and so it becomes easier. He conquered and so we have the strength to become better through our trials. He conquered and so he changes our anguish to peace with His love. We are never alone.

Look to the Light, and let peace fill your soul as it does mine.