hope

There were a lot of talks about hope during this recent General Conference. In addition, yesterday I was reading Pres. Uchtdorf's talk from last October on the same thing. It really spoke to me. Weird, I never really "got" the concept of hope before. I guess I was trying to make it more complicated than it is - it's just Optimism. Relying upon our faith in Christ, hoping for better things, like salvation and exaltation but also short-term, like hoping for the next good day amidst a series of bad days. For me, that is what hope means. I think the prophets spoke so much on this because of the turmoil in the world, all the financial problems but also health problems, loneliness, death, spiritual problems, etc. Rychen and I have been really blessed that we are OK financially and have no health problems. But we still need this message, just as much as anybody. For us it's the day-in-day-out exhaustion and concerns that come with raising children, and trying to find time for everything we need to do. It's actually been pretty trying for us the past several months as we adjust to what it really means to be a parent and have nothing left for yourself. And so, I really appreciated reading Pres. Uchtdorf's talk on hope, and being optimistic.

 

"Hope is critical to both faith and charity. When disobedience, disappointment, and procrastination erode faith, hope is there to uphold our faith. When frustration and impatience challenge charity, hope braces our resolve and urges us to care for our fellowmen even without expectation of reward. The brighter our hope, the greater our faith. The stronger our hope, the purer our charity."

 

"Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men...and ye shall have eternal life (which gift is the greatest gift of God!!)"