Writing Him on My Heart

BE STRONG and of GOOD COURAGE
First Girl's Camp Talk...

When we were sent here to earth, our Heavenly Father gave us the sweet gift of agency. Because we have been given the ability to choose, it is ultimately up to us to decide our final destination. I have often envisioned what it will be like to stand before my Father in Heaven and be judged for my actions here on this earth. A few months ago, I was taught a lesson on this topic. My mother-in-law entrusted my husband and I with her most prized possession—a necklace made from her mother’s wedding ring. She had left it at the cabin, and asked that we deliver it to her. Knowing how important this item was to my mother-in-law, my husband and I discussed ways in keeping it safe, and then followed through with our plan. However, when it came time to deliver the necklace to my mother-in-law, the necklace was no longer where it had been placed for safe keeping. This realization ensued several weeks of searching and praying for the lost heirloom. Throughout this time of prayer and contemplation, my soul longed for a “redo”. My mind was relentless with the “if only’s”, and the “should of’s”.  I couldn’t help but think of what I could have done, or what I should have done. In the midst of my turmoil, I was taught a lesson. One evening while contemplating the lost heirloom, my mind was opened to a new thought. In my mind I saw myself standing in front of my Savior after I had completed my time here on Earth. As I stood, my mind wondered—will I want a “redo”, or will I have done all that I could? Thankfully, my time here on Earth is not over—I still have time to prepare for the moment in which I stand before my Father in Heaven. With this thought in mind, I stand and ask a question—what will we do with our time here on Earth? In 2 Nephi it states, “Therefore, lift up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves, to choose the way of everlasting life, or the way of everlasting death” (2 Nephi 10:23). The decisions we make will determine our destiny (“Dare to Stand Alone”, President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, October 2011). President Monson has stated, “Life’s journey is not traveled on a freeway devoid of obstacles, pitfalls, and snares. Rather, it is a pathway marked by forks and turnings. Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed…” (“The Call for Courage”, President Thomas S. Monson, General Conference, 2004).

Joshua 1:9 states, “Have I not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9).

This scripture has become a motto for me and my family. Tonight, I would like to take the three different parts of this scripture, and discuss them in greater detail. I truly believe as we have courage, as we move forward with faith rather than fear, and as we allow God to be a part of our lives, we will be choosing the pathway of eternal life.

BE STRONG AND OF A GOOD COURAGE

In the last general conference, President Monson spoke on courage when he said, “’Courage comes in many forms. Wrote the Christian author Charles Swindoll: ‘Courage is not limited to the battlefield…or bravely catching a thief in your house. The real tests of courage are much quieter. They are inner tests, like remaining faithful when no one’s looking …like standing alone when you’re misunderstood.’ … I would add that the inner courage also includes doing the right thing even though we may be afraid, defending our beliefs at the risk of being ridiculed, and maintaining those beliefs even when threatened with loss of friends or of social status. He who stands steadfastly for that which is right must risk becoming at times disapproved and unpopular.”

The choice to hold onto our values even when it could mean unpopularity takes courage. Each and every day we make choices. President Monson said, “All of our choices have consequences, some of which have little or nothing to do with our eternal salvation and others of which have everything to do with it” (Monson, The Three R’s of Choice, November 2010). Right now in our lives’, we are surrounded by choices that can truly have an impact on our eternal salvation. Because the Lord knows just how critical some of these decisions can be, He has given us direction. The For Strength of Youth is a guidebook for our lives along with the scriptures. If these resources are used, they will guide us to make the choices leading us back to our Heavenly Father.

The scriptures are full of examples of courage. I love the example of Noah when he had the courage to build an ark when everyone around him was laughing. Can you imagine his courage as he built a boat on dry land? I think of Noah’s courage to follow through with a prompting, and then I reflect on my own life and wonder if I am doing all that I am prompted to do? My niece is serving a mission in Philadelphia, and in each of her letters she speaks of a commitment she has made with the Lord to follow through with every prompting she receives—she reminds me of Noah and his courage to follow through with a prompting despite being ridiculed. I love the example of courage shown by David when he fought Goliath. When I was a young girl in primary, we would often have to declare our favorite scripture hero—mine was always David. Even as a young girl, my heart wanted to have enough courage to face anything the Lord required. I have always loved the courage of Esther when she had the courage to face the king even when it could mean death for her. I am sure that none of us will be facing death, but how many of us have to defend who we are? In today’s world we are becoming more and more peculiar. It will take courage to embrace that peculiarity. And just like the scriptures state that Esther was born for “such a time”—I believe we are also born “for such a time” (). There is also the story of Moroni when he declared that he “would not deny the Christ”, the story of Daniel in the Lion’s den, the story of the stripling warriors, the story of Samuel on a city wall, the story of Abinidi testifying to his death. These are just a few of the examples of courage in the scriptures. Every story with a positive lesson had an element of courage. Every scripture story that ended in failure or sadness was lacking that element of courage. In a recent address given by President Monson, he said, “Decisions are constantly before us which can determine our destiny. In order for us to make the correct decisions, courage is needed—the courage to say no when we should, the courage to say yes when that is appropriate, the courage to do the right thing because it is right” (Be of Good Courage, Thomas S. Monson, April 2014 General Conference). 

BE NOT AFRAID

In order to have the courage to follow these scriptural accounts of standing alone, we must have faith in the Lord, and not be fearful of the outcome. The second part of our scripture states, “be not afraid”. When we are fearful, we allow the world to get in the way of our ultimate goal and our faith is weakened. I think I am just beginning to understand the process of fear and faith. A few weeks ago, I had an experience while at Roaring Springs, with my kids, that has broadened my understanding. 

The day my children and I decided to go was the day the management at Roaring Springs planted decoys to test their lifeguards. While we were in the Lazy River, one of those "testings" occurred. All of a sudden, a panicked lifeguard was pointing, running, and blowing on her whistle. As I turned to see what she was pointing at, I could see a lifeless toddler on the bottom of the pool. My brain went on autopilot, and I gripped tighter to Jacob as I began running towards the child's body. I'm not sure why I didn't let go of Jacob, so that I could better help the child. Jacob was on a tube, and completely fine, but my mind didn't register that I needed both of my hands to better assist the drowning child. Instead, I tried frantically to lift the body with my one remaining hand. I felt alone as onlookers watched my struggle. When the lifeguard finally arrived, she quickly pulled the child the rest of the way out of the water. It was then that I realized the child was only a mannequin—a decoy in an effort to train the lifeguard. I walked away from the lifeguard and the limp mannequin, crying silently. I was grateful to have been wearing my sunglasses. I was hoping that they were shielding my children from my grief. I kept chiding myself for being upset--all the while, grateful that it WAS a mannequin and not a real child. I think this experience was simply too close to home for me.

When I was seventeen, my brother drowned. When he died, I found myself afraid to participate in water activities. My father told me that I couldn’t allow fear to control my actions. He taught me the importance of being faithful and not fearful. He taught me that it was a choice. This experience at Roaring Springs took me back eighteen years to the time when my brother was pulled out of a river, and as I walked around the Lazy River at Roaring Springs, all of those fears came rushing back.

I have a little guy who has had to deal with many fears. I have prayed and pondered of ways to help him. We have spent many hours facing his fears—fears of riding a bike, fears of swimming, fears of sleeping in his own bed. For the last three years, fears have been a constant struggle for my little man. There were times when I thought we would never overcome; however, this year has been a major breakthrough for us with many of his fears. This last week we went to a family reunion in Lake Powell, and my brother-in-law—having no idea of Jacob’s struggles—complimented Bryan and I for teaching Jacob courage. He said, “You and Bryan have done an amazing job with Jacob. He’s not afraid of anything.” I had to laugh. Out loud. And then I felt a surge of gratitude for the Lord’s hand in helping us overcome. 

As Jacob has struggled with fears, I have never related his fears to me; however, after my experience at Roaring Springs, I now think his struggle has partly been for me and I’m learning powerful lessons on fear. There are two lessons I’m beginning to understand. First, I believe fear works against faith. It pulls me away from my Heavenly Father. I may not understand everything in my life, there may be uncertainties, and most definitely there will be bad things that happen--I cannot prevent that. Fearing the bad will not stop the bad from coming.

When we face our fears with faith, God is near. He has offered us that promise. We must be believing. In D&C it states, "Search diligently, pray always, and be believing and all things will work together for your good." That is what faith is all about--it is believing that no matter what happens it is for our good. That doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen—it just means that whatever happens will be for our good.

The second lesson I am learning, is that living by faith, not fear is something I need to choose daily. When my faith is strong, I feel confident. I am able to face the difficulties of each new day. In these moments, I am seeking the Lord, I am praying, and I am making Him a part of my life. It is in these moments that I am full of faith. And then there are times when I allow my problems to overwhelm me. I feel anxious, and worried—I forget to seek the source of my strength—(my Heavenly Father)—and I react poorly to the situations in my life. I am beginning to think that these are moments of fear.

It seems to me to be contradicting when I know that the Gospel is true (Gregory Clark, “Some Lessons on Faith and Fear, BYU Devotional, May 6, 2008), and yet I have to continually remind myself to choose faith rather than fear. Let me illustrate with a story from the Bible.

On a boat, in a stormy sea—Jesus was awakened by his apostles:

“Master, carest thou not that we perish?” (Mark 4:38).

The Lord calmed the storm, and then asked them, “Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?”(Mark 4:40).

The disciples had sat at the Savior’s feet. They had witnessed the Savior’s power. The Savior was on the boat with them, and they knew that the Savior’s mission on earth was not yet complete; however, at that moment—it was difficult to see past the raging storm. It was explained in a BYU devotional that, “their memories of His works and His words and their hope in the future reality of His promises were not, at that moment, nearly so real to them as the storm…at that moment, the only things they had perfect knowledge of were the intensity of the storm, the fragility of their boat, the depth of the water, and their distance from the shore. At that moment their mortal senses were filled with fear: They could see and hear and feel the threat of their circumstances” (Gregory Clark, “Some Lessons on Faith and Fear, BYU Devotional, May 6, 2008).

The BYU devotional further explains that we know the gospel of the Restoration is true, but what we don’t know is how or when our trials will be resolved. The Lord has promised us that He will be with us, but at times—living in the day to day moments—it is easy to be uncertain (Gregory Clark, “Some Lessons on Faith and Fear, BYU Devotional, May 6, 2008).

Every day we have choices where we can choose to be fearful of the outcome, or we can choose to have faith. Let me illustrate with a personal story. A few years ago I backed into a dear friend’s brand new car. I found myself consumed with thoughts of expenses. Expenses of higher insurance rates and of fixing her car—even a little bump can cost several hundreds of dollars, or even thousands. One evening I was lamenting my concerns to my husband when he said, “Carrie, where is your faith?” I have to be honest—previous to his comment—I had never considered it a matter of faith; however, as soon as it was suggested, I knew I had not been faithful. Immediately, I repented, and I chose to have faith that it would all work out.

When President Hinckley spoke at his wife’s funeral he said, “It isn’t as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Don’t worry. I say that to myself every morning. It will all work out. . . . Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us. He will not forsake us. . . . If we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers” [Gordon B. Hinckley, quoted in Latter-day Counsel, “Excerpts from Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley, ”Ensign, October 2000, 73; see also “Put Your Trust in God, “Ensign, February 2006, 63].

The Lord is with us! The last part of Joshua 1:9 states, “the Lord thy God is with thee” (Joshua 1:9). I can’t even begin to put into words what our Savior has done for us. Our Savior understands everything we have ever, and will ever experience. President Holland said that His journey was the “loneliest journey ever made” (None Were with Him, Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2009). Not only did his disciples slowly diminish in their support, but Elder Holland also said that the “Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind—us, all of us—would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone” (None Were with Him, Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2009). 

Sisters, the Savior understands everything we experience, and because he understands—we will never be alone. President Holland said that “one of the great consolations…is that because Jesus walked a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so” (None Were with Him, Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2009).

When my brother passed away, I had moments where I felt the Savior’s presence, and moments when I felt completely alone. Right after we found my brother’s body, my entire family felt a great peace and reassurance. We knew that a greater force was with us during that time. However, as the time drew closer for the viewing, that feeling of peace began to dissipate for me. I remember standing in the viewing line as people progressed to the coffin, and crying. I was positioned at the beginning of the viewing line, and so by the time the people who came to support our family would reach my parents at the end of the line, my parents were doing a lot of consoling. After a while, my father pulled me aside. He told me that I needed to somehow find peace with our circumstances. He asked me to go pray, and seek the Savior. I don’t remember where I went in the funeral home, or much about what happened surrounding my prayer, but I do remember reading in Matthew 11: 28-30. It reads, “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 soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” As I prayed and read the scriptures, peace began to fill my heart once again. I named this scripture my “Eric Peace Scripture”, and every time I had a moment of struggle, I would again turn to this scripture and remind myself to seek the Savior.

Just like we must choose to be courageous, and we must choose to be faithful—we must choose to turn to our Savior. As we do so, we will be carried through our trials. Sister Dalton said, "Take a few minutes to envision where you want to be in one year or two or five. Then take action to prepare yourselves. People don't just run a marathon when they decide to do it. They must train daily, slowly building stamina and endurance to run the 26.2-mile distance. So it is with life. It is daily diligence…that will help you reach your goals. Your daily decisions will influence generations" (Elaine S. Dalton, "Press Forward and Be Steadfast," Ensign, May 2003, p.105). I bear testimony that as we choose daily to be courageous, to choose faith over fear, to choose to seek the Savior, we will ultimately reach our goal of eternal life.

I know that our Heavenly Father loves us. I know that He wants us to succeed. I know that this Gospel is true. I know that when we live by its teachings, we are blessed. I know it, because I have lived it! I have experimented on the word.