Sunday, July 22, 2012

"As Long as There is Hope, There Can Never Be True Despair"

Yes, the title of this blog is off The Dark Knight Rises. And although the original context this is used in is awful and haunting, the sentiment is true. (Trev, I disagree that there aren't any good one-liners from that movie.)
For a while now, the messages of hope seem to be coming at me from all sides. Admittedly, I was needing to hear a lot of them, but this post is for some people that I hold very dear to my heart, people that I know are struggling and need some light at the end of that tunnel. I love Mormon Messages, because they are all so inspiring, and they're short and don't take a lot of time to watch, so here's one about the Infinite Power of Hope. If you'd like to read the entire talk, I'd direct you to the LDS website, General Conference section, which I highly recommend because it's beautiful and so powerful.
I am a firm believer that no one has harder trials than anyone else. We are all tested, and we all go through trials that are hard for us individually. We all hurt the same, just from different circumstances. I know that the Lord will never throw anything at us that we cannot overcome. So we have simply to endure, and to persevere. I want to echo what my brother said this morning, that "to give up, achieves nothing." So press forward through the pain and the hardships, and look with optimism to the future, and know that Jesus, our Lord and Savior is there to guide you and help you. Said President Gordon B. Hinckley "life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." Life isn't supposed to be easy, it's not supposed to be fair, but no matter how dark everything seems to be around you, I implore you to never give up. Never stop fighting. You are never truly alone.
For those of you who don't know or haven't read it, there is a book of divine revelations written in the latter days called the Doctrine and Covenants. It begins with Joseph Smith recounting his Vision, and is passed along by prophets until 1918. In section 122, the Prophet Joseph Smith is in jail at Liberty, Missouri, and this poor, wonderful man, had been through so much grief and pain, being tarred and feathered, watching his friends and children die, being betrayed, persecuted, and eventually murdered, I cannot imagine the kind of despair I would have slipped into were I in his position. But, while in this prison, the Lord speaks to him, and tells him that all these perils and trials will give him experience and be for his good. Essentially, Heavenly Father tells Joseph, that even if he is betrayed, killed, even if the very jaws of hell open up to swallow him, "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? Therefore, hold on thy way...for God shall be with you forever and ever." So don't despair. The Lord knows exactly what you're going through, and He wants to help. 3 Nephi 15:9 says "Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life."

http://youtu.be/j2Ll28f60f4

Hope is the abiding trust that the Lord will keep his promises

2 comments:

  1. dude, this blog post is the story of me in Florida. I love it. Also, I haven't seen the Dark Knight Rises yet, so don't spoil it!

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