Over the 25 years that I’ve been here at BYU-Idaho, I’ve been inspired by so many devotionals. They have been an important part of my own spiritual education. So, it is a great blessing and opportunity to be able to speak to you this morning and contribute in some small way. My prayer is that I’ll be able to say things that will be helpful to each of you.
After a long season of misfortunes and struggles, Job sought to know about his status before God. The Lord responded with a question, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?”[1] In the Garden of Eden, after partaking of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve undoubtedly had feelings of guilt and shame. The Lord asked a simple question, “Where art thou?”[2] In both of these cases, I don’t think that the Lord was asking about their spatial location; He was enquiring about their spiritual condition. The Lord is keenly concerned about our spiritual welfare.
In the case of Job, the Lord was reminding him of his spiritual condition in the pre-existence. He, like each of us, shouted for joy when the plan of salvation was presented. Not only did we have great faith in the plan at that time, we also had hope in future important events. We had hope that a world would be created for us. We had hope that Eve and then Adam would use their agency to initiate the Fall. And most important of all, we had hope that the Savior would perform His great atoning sacrifice. My goal this morning is to rekindle some of this great hope that each of us nobly demonstrated so long ago.
What is Hope?
In the online Gospel Library, we find the following definition:
Hope is the confident expectation of and longing for the promised blessings of righteousness. The scriptures often speak of hope as anticipation of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. The principle of hope extends into the eternities, but it also can sustain us through the everyday challenges of life.[3]
The hope just described is very different from the hope that we use in our everyday speech. Hope is not an emotion. It isn’t a state of mind. It is much more powerful. It is spiritual in nature and it is also eternal. In the world, there is an element of uncertainty when we hope. In the gospel, there is surety to our hope.
This brings up the question, can we have true hope without the gospel? I would answer, “No. True hope can only be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.” As the Apostle Peter taught:
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.[4]
Mortal life has its joys and challenges, but we hope for a better life in the world to come. We have hope in the Resurrection and we look forward to being with our loved ones in the next life. These are hopes that we can share with others. As we do, we may receive questions about the reason for our hope.
Faith, Hope, and Charity
In the scriptures, we often find hope in the same phrase with faith and charity. There are numerous scriptures that indicate how these principles are coupled together. We can’t have one without the others. In some of his final words to us, Moroni simply said: “Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also be charity.”[5]
President Russell M. Nelson gives us insight into this relationship. He said: “Faith is rooted in Jesus Christ. Hope centers in his Atonement. Charity is manifest in the ‘pure love of Christ.’”[6]
Elder Neal A. Maxwell in his unique way gives us a way to visualize the connection between faith and hope. He said:
Faith and hope are constantly interactive, and may not always be precisely distinguished or sequenced. Though not perfect knowledge either, hope’s enlivened expectations are “with surety” true. In the geometry of restored theology, hope has a greater circumference than faith. If faith increases, the perimeter of hope stretches correspondingly.[7]
Faith and hope strengthen each other. As one enlarges, the other also grows. We can think of them as two concentric circles. As President Nelson taught, our faith and hope are centered on the Savior. As our faith in the Savior grows, our hope in His atoning sacrifice will also grow. We could also add another circle representing charity, which will expand as our faith and hope grow.
The relationship between faith and hope is addressed in a poem entitled “Walking with Two Sisters” written by Larry Hiller.
Faith walks before me, Holding up her lamp As I try not to stumble in the ink-dark hours before the dawn. Her light illuminates One step and then another. Beside me, Hope, arm linked with mine, encourages and steadies. Sometimes in the tedium, Distracted by the pain, My mind begins to wander, then my feet. I hesitate. Unsure, I look to Hope. Her hand takes mine. The touch reminds me of another hand held out to me, One pierced and scarred Yet oh so tender Lifting me and blessing me when I had fallen and despaired. Remembering, I move ahead Buoyed up by Hope, who sees the end with perfect clarity.[8]
Developing Hope
In a general conference talk entitled “The Infinite Power of Hope,” Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said:
Hope is both a principle of promise as well as a commandment, and, as with all commandments, we have the responsibility to make it an active part of our lives and overcome the temptation to lose hope.[9]
How do we keep this commandment? How do we “overcome the temptation to lose hope,” and instead “make it an active part of our lives”? In this same address, Elder Uchtdorf identified hope as a gift of the Spirit. The gift of hope comes by the power of the Holy Ghost and requires effort on our part. As with other gifts of the Spirit, we can strengthen hope through our sincere and earnest prayers.
A good example of this is found in the conversion of King Lamoni’s father. Aaron had taught King Lamoni’s father about the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. In response to these teachings the king asked:
What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.[10]
King Lamoni’s father wanted to have hope and joy in his life. And Aaron responded by teaching the king what would be required:
If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.[11]
Aaron taught King Lamoni’s father how he could have hope in the blessings of eternity. It’s amazing to think that this great hope can be placed in our heart through the power of prayer and repentance.
Hope can also be increased through our study of the scriptures. The Apostle Paul said:
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.[12]
At the end of the Book of Mormon, we read about the destruction of two separate civilizations on the American continent. If there was anyone that had a good reason to feel despair, it would have been Ether, Mormon, and Moroni, who witnessed this destruction. Instead, their messages to us are filled with hope. Indeed, all three of them taught extensively about the principle of hope. The clear message is that it was hope that helped them to look heavenward in those most difficult of times. Let me share just one of these verses from Mormon:
And 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.[13]
On this week’s devotional discussion board, one of the questions I asked was, “What are some of the scriptures that fill you with hope?” There were so many excellent responses to this question. Sara Campbell said:
I think the scripture that has been on my mind for a bit is Joseph Smith–History 1:17 where God the Father tells us, "This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" The Savior is who gives me hope. When I take the time to hear His voice, to actually converse with Him, I am always filled with renewed hope. Throughout my life, I have heavily leaned on the Savior for support and hope when I felt there was none, and every time I am able to feel Him with me every step along the way.
Dominick Jackson Biggs said: “2 Nephi 4 gives me hope because Nephi points out that regardless of faults and flaws, the Lord still wants to assist and help us. I have felt that love and support and still do.”
Hope is developed through prayer and the scriptures. It also results from the experiences of our lives. Paul taught:
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:[14]
Not all experiences build hope. The experiences where we look to the Savior and His atoning sacrifice to help us get through a challenge, overcome a weakness, or become a better person—these are the experiences that build hope.
Let me now describe the personal experience that brought the hope of the gospel into my life. I was 21 years old, and I had just finished my undergraduate degree at Cornell University. Just a week or two after graduation, I headed up to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to start graduate school at MIT. I knew no one in the Boston area. I didn’t know what to expect. I’m sure a lot of you had similar experiences as you have left your familiar surroundings and ventured out into the unknown. Those first two weekends in Cambridge were rainy and cold. I had planned on exploring the Boston area, but I was confined to my graduate dormitory room, all alone.
I had started to read some works by C.S. Lewis and his book Mere Christianity had a real impact on me. I started to ponder if I could live a true Christian life. Two desires started to form in my heart: I wanted to find a decent group of friends, and I wanted to find the truth. I didn’t know how to formally pray, but I found myself repeating a simple phrase, asking the Lord to show me the light.
It was soon after those two rainy weekends and my request for light from above that I met two missionaries, Elder Dewey Garner and Elder Bruce Meek. They were street contacting on the edge of the MIT campus. One of the missionaries asked me the inspired question, “Do you want to learn more about Jesus Christ?” Yes, I did. That was one of the desires of my heart.
I agreed to receive the missionary discussions. I started attending a student ward and found the decent group of friends that I was looking for. The plan of salvation made so much sense to me and it answered the questions I had about the purpose of life. When I learned about the First Vision, I had no doubts that it was true. I had a very special experience as I started reading the Book of Mormon and gained a testimony of its truthfulness.
Most important of all, I came to know Jesus Christ in a way that I had never known Him. His Atonement became very real to me as I repented. As a result, my heart changed. My thinking changed. I became a new person, a better person. The student ID on the left shows what I looked like when the missionaries met me. I admire the courage they had to stop and talk to me. The photo on the right was taken 18 months later in the MTC. My appearance, countenance, and circumstances were all vastly different. This is how hope and happiness came into my life. The great changes that occurred in my life are part of the sure evidence that I have that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and that this is His Church upon the earth.
In last week’s devotional, Brother Jan E. Newman talked about the special places in our lives. Cambridge is such a special place to me because it was there that I came to know my Redeemer. I also had special friends added to my life, especially the two missionaries who shared the gospel with me. I have treasured their friendship over the years and I’m thankful to have Dewey Garner and his wife, Denise, here on the stand today.
Fruits of Hope
I have discussed three ways to increase our hope through prayer, scripture study, and our experiences. Now, let me identify some of the fruits of having hope in our lives. I’m sure that there are many, but I will give just three.
The first fruit or result of having hope is being optimistic. Optimism can be found on a number of levels. It can be on the level of our own individual lives. We are optimistic about our future and the fact that we can improve and succeed. On a larger scale, we can be optimistic about the destiny of the Church. Optimism is something that I have definitely observed in the lives and teachings of the prophets of this dispensation.
Second, hope not only allows us to have a brighter view of the future; it helps us to have an eternal perspective of life. Elder Steven E. Snow said: “Our hope in the Atonement empowers us with eternal perspective. Such perspective allows us to look beyond the here and now on into the promise of the eternities.”[15]
Again, I think that Ether, Mormon, and Moroni are good examples of this principle. Their perspective wasn’t limited to the difficult times they lived in. Ether told the people of his day about a New Jerusalem that would be built upon the American continent. Mormon and Moroni compiled the history of their nation and looked forward to a day when their descendants would again have the gospel. And they wrote words of counsel and shared their testimonies with those whom they saw in vision, which includes us.
Having optimism combined with an eternal perspective leads to the third result of hope: we do not give up easily. We do not give up on ourselves, and we do not give up on others. We persevere even when there is opposition. Let me share an experience I had while I was pursuing my graduate degree.
I had been working on my PhD at the University of Utah for about three years. I had taken all the necessary classes and I had completed most of my experiments in the area of laser spectroscopy. The final task was to write my thesis which I estimated would take about six to eight months. It was at this critical time that my funding ran out. It was a complete surprise to me and was quite devastating. We also had a premature baby earlier in the year, our first child, and had large medical bills. I was ready to throw in the towel and give up on my PhD. I started looking for a job, and I even applied for a few. It was my wife who wouldn’t let me give up. She saw the bigger picture. She recognized that it was important for me to have a PhD and that was the very best time to get it done. Well, she was right, and I was blessed for sticking with it! I was able to complete my thesis in a shorter length of time, and it was my wife’s graduate advisor who directed us to my post-doctorate job at Utah State University.
Example of the Savior
A discussion of the principle of hope would not be complete without discussing the giver and source of our hope. During His mortal ministry, the Savior gave hope to all those who accepted His teachings and miracles. The four gospels are filled with these stories of hope. Let me share just one of these stories from early in the Savior’s ministry. Jesus was in the home in Capernaum where he often stayed, and there was a large crowd both in and out of the house. A group of four men brought their paralyzed friend to be healed. When they couldn’t get into the house, the men made a hole in the roof and lowered their friend down. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” [16]
In the minds of the scribes who were in attendance, the Savior was speaking blasphemy. The Savior knew their thoughts and responded:
Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.[17]
If we look into our souls, each of us has the hope of being forgiven of our sins, knowing about the God who created us, and believing that death is not the end. Each of these universal hopes are found in this story. Jesus Christ does have the power to forgive sins. We learn about His compassion and ability to perceive our thoughts. And the story instills in us the hope that we too will be able to rise up and have a new and immortal body in the Resurrection.
It’s important to remember that the forgiveness of sins and the universal Resurrection required a great price. We need to honor the Savior’s sacrifice individually, deep in our hearts. It required an infinite and eternal sacrifice to “bear our griefs, and to carry our sorrows.” As Isaiah prophesied, the Savior was “wounded for our transgressions and was bruised for our iniquities.”[18] In the Savior’s Atonement, the principles of faith, hope, and charity are beautifully and powerfully manifested: the faith to do the Father’s will, the hope in the Father’s plan, and all motivated by His great love for each of us.
Conclusion and Testimony
As we face a multitude of challenges in our day, I know that we will need the hope that comes from the Savior. I invite you to pray for it. I invite you to find it in the scriptures. And I invite you to discover it through the experiences of your own lives. As your hope grows, I know that you will be more optimistic, have an expanded view that goes beyond the here and now, and you will have greater tenacity and perseverance. You won’t give up. In the words of Paul: “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”[19]
May you be blessed with the spiritual gift of hope as you look to the future with faith is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Job 38:4.
[2] Genesis 3:9.
[3] “Hope,” Gospel Topics.
[4] 1 Peter 3:20.
[5] Moroni 10:20.
[6] Russell M. Nelson, “A More Excellent Hope,” BYU devotional, Jan. 8, 1995.
[7] Neal A. Maxwell, “Brightness of Hope,” Ensign, Nov. 1994.
[8] Larry Hiller, “Hope: The Misunderstood Sister,” Ensign, Jun. 2009.
[9] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Infinite Power of Hope,” Ensign, Nov. 2008.
[10] Alma 22:15.
[11] Alma 22:16.
[12] Romans 15:4.
[13] Moroni 7:41.
[14] Romans 5:3–4.
[15] Steven E. Snow, “Hope,” Ensign, May 2011.
[16] Mark 2:5.
[17] Mark 2:8–12.
[18] Isaiah 53:4–5.
[19] Romans 15:13.