HOPE HAS BEEN on my mind for the past few days. What a contrast between hope and despair. One recognizes sunlight among dark clouds, and the other seems entirely covered by a dark cloud, blocking any sunlight.
Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “The scriptures link three words powerfully together: faith, hope, charity. The gift of hope is a priceless endowment from God.”
Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time.”
Despair is like a ship being tossed around without an anchor. Likewise, if our souls are not anchored to a sure foundation, they will drift aimlessly.
The Apostle Paul taught in Romans 15:13, that, through the God of hope, we may have more than a glimmer of hope, but we can abound in hope.
The prophet Mormon declared, “What is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope,” (Moroni 7:41-42).
Mormon wanted to encourage his son Moroni during some immense trials. He said, “My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever,” (Moroni 9:25).
It pains me that anyone would feel the anguish of hopelessness. The Adversary tells us that “all is lost” and “what’s the point in going on?”
In contrast, I love Jesus Christ’s invitation. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Over the past three years, we’ve experienced the loss of our daughter, my mother and my mother-in-law. Without the hope of the resurrection, life would seem very bleak. If I thought that was the end, that I would never see them again, it would be crushing.
Jesus shared the light of hope by teaching, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” (John 14:27).
The prophet Nephi gives this beautiful counsel: “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.
“Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:20).
I love the imagery that Nephi paints with these words, having a perfect brightness of hope.
Through the Savior Jesus Christ, as we press forward having our faith anchored in Him, He gives us the gift of this perfect brightness of hope.
It is a sure foundation. It is something we can rely on completely.
Through His infinite atonement, all is not lost and we will see our loved ones again. He is the only one who can provide the rest for our souls of which we yearn. Jesus is the God of Hope.
_________
Issues of Faith is a rotating column by religious leaders on the North Olympic Peninsula. Bishop Jason Bringhurst is the leader of the Mount Pleasant Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Port Angeles, ComeUntoChrist.org. His email is jasonbring@gmail.com.
