Deliver Hope

A few months ago I wrote a blog concerning the power of faith and hope. After a few months things change. To me hope is one of the most important things that we need in our lives because without it, how do we carry on? With hope, anything is possible.

Some missionaries asked me once "What the Book of Mormon mean to you in your life?" It gives us hope that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. It gives us hope that we have a second chance. The Book of Mormon gives us that hope to us from the past. The Prophets of old wrote the teachings of Jesus Christ to give us hope. Some of them made the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve the teachings. They made the ultimate sacrifice in order to give us hope.

I've seen examples of people who have hope and that hope is given to others to carry on what is needed to be done. In the video game "Halo Reach", your character dies in the final scene but there is a meaning to it. "Your enemies were ruthless, efficient but they were not fast enough for you had already passed the torch. You gave us hope that there was a chance to overcome our enemies. Your body and your armor is all lost now but there is one thing that is never lost and that is your spirit and from that we can rebuild."

As I read the Book of Mormon, I see many example of what hope can do. The Nephites had hope for a better world for their families and were willing to defend it. The hope the had was strong enough to over come their enemies and save their families. The people of Anti-Nephi-Lehies had such strong hope in the Lord that they "buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace."- (Alma 24:19). They had faith and hope in our Lord that everything would be alright and the hoped for peace to come to them and their brethren.

"Roger Bannister was a medical student in England who had an ambitious hope. He desired to be the first man to run a mile (1.6 km) under four minutes. For much of the first half of the early 20th century, field and track enthusiasts had anxiously awaited the day the four-minute-mile barrier would be broken. Over the years many outstanding runners had come close, but still the four-minute barrier stood. Bannister dedicated himself to an ambitious training schedule with the hope of realizing his goal of setting a new world record. Some in the sporting community had begun to doubt whether the four-minute mile could be broken. Supposed experts had even hypothesized the human body was physiologically unable to run at such speeds over such a long distance. On a cloudy day on May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister’s great hope was realized! He crossed the finish line in 3:59.4, setting a new world record. His hope to break the four-minute-mile barrier became a dream which was accomplished through training, hard work, and dedication." (Hope, Steven E. Snow). If we have hope and we believe, our challenges become less difficult and you also give others hope of achieving their dreams.

"The unfailing source of our hope is that we are sons and daughters of God and that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, saved us from death." (James E. Faust). This hope gives the strength to make it through our trials, affiliations, and adversity to be lifted up and saved.

I end with this;

Hope is the light in the mist of the darkness. We can stay strong and pass that hope to others who are in need of it. Hope is the anchor of our souls. It is there to strengthen us when all seems lost. You are never lost, just have faith and hope and everything will be alright. Your hope shall be an echo and a light unto all eternity. Life is good.

Late Summer Trip

Going on vacation allows me to relax and enjoy the simple things in life. I had the opportunity to travel up to Palmyra, New York for the day and what a day it was.

I stated my journey up past the Finger Lakes on a warm but beautiful Friday afternoon. I started my tour at the Hill Camorah Visitor Center. I went through the center and walked through center to see the beginning of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s first vision. Afterwards I traveled over the Smith Family Farm. Walked through all the homes and really got a feeling of what really happened there. Then I took a walk over the Sacred Grove. I really felt at peace being there. The light flickering through the trees and the quietness really made the moment. I just felt relaxed and calm.

To me what really topped the day off was going to the Grandin Print Shop in the village of Palmyra where the Book of Mormon was first published. I went in and saw some missionaries stand around (it was a slow afternoon). One of them came up to me and introduced herself to me as Sister Maples. Thinking I was a visitor and an investigator, she told me some of the history that had occurred in Palmyra. After a brief video, she took me into the book shop and we discussed some things about the Book of Mormon. After a bit of talking she asked me if I had already read the book and I told her yeas and that I was a member. What happened afterwards that conversation was something to remember.

As Sister Maples took me on the tour, we discussed the process of what happened and the history but it was different than the other tours I took that day. We shared our testimonies and some of the things that brought us to our points in our lives. The Spirit was really with us. We shared some of our favorite scriptures that were related to what we were talking about. We saw that there is a rhyme and a reason for all things that happen. To me it was a great experience to see the history and learn something.

One thing I took away from that experience is there is a reason for things to happen. It is always nice to share your experiences with someone. Sister Maples influenced my life along with many others including Sister Porter and Sister Hodgson. All of them and many more have helped me point me in the right direction. I have been part of the church for just over three months and I would not change any of that for the world. I love my life. Life is good.