My beloved brothers and sisters, I am humbled to have the opportunity to spend time with you today in the Hart gymnasium and also with those of you who are meeting in the Taylor Chapel and listening via the radio. Several years ago, I played basketball for the Ricks College Vikings and I have many fond memories of this gymnasium. It was on this campus that I met my wife Valerie. Following my sophomore year, I served as a missionary for two years in the Ontario Canada Mission. I am one of those rare survivors of the "dear John" phenomenon and because of that Sister Bowen and I were married in the Idaho Falls Temple in August of 1974. I feel blessed that she is here with me today. She has been my source of strength and inspiration over the years, and she has often referred to me as a model husband. I have reveled in such a compliment until recently I looked the word model up in the dictionary and found that it means, "a cheap imitation!"
From November of 2000 through March of 2006, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve in the stake presidencies of the BYU–Idaho 5th and BYU-Idaho 2nd Stakes. During that wonderful time I once again grew to love this campus and the students who attend here. Through the many hours of interviews and personal conversations with students, my awareness has increased of the challenges, the obstacles, and the fears that many of you face; and consequently, a flood of memories have poured through my mind as I have prayed and contemplated what the Spirit would have me say to you this day.
The subject that I have chosen to speak about addresses a principle taught by the Savior to His apostles. Following the miracle of the five thousand, the Savior told his disciples "to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side," while He went up into a mountain to pray. Matthew states:
"And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."[1]
The Dual Effects of Fear
The apostles learned from this experience that as long as the Savior was with them they had nothing to fear. This powerful principle applies to each of us today. To be afraid is a condition that each of us face throughout our lives. Experience has taught me that fear can have a dual or an opposite effect upon us; and the effect which fear produces upon us is directly related to what our relationship is with our Savior. Let me illustrate one of these effects.
When Adam was in the Garden of Eden, he chose to disobey Father in Heaven and partook of the forbidden fruit. The effect of that transgression caused Adam to be afraid and "he hid himself."[2] This fear developed as a direct consequence of disobedience to a commandment of God. When a difficult trial comes into the life of one who has chosen to disobey God, the Spirit of the Lord is offended and if that individual will not turn again to the Lord, he is left to his own strength and without hope. Such are those who Moroni spoke of when he said, "And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair and despair cometh because of iniquity."[3]
When Lehi arrived in the new world, he received the following promise from the Lord in regards to his posterity as recorded in 2 Nephi, chapter 1, verse 9:
"Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever."[4]
From the record of Mormon, we learn that the posterity of this great prophet Lehi failed to qualify for the blessing of this promise from the Lord and eventually succumbed to transgression. Mormon explained how this disobedience to the commandments caused his people to ripen in sin and iniquity. He described the Nephites as a people who "were led about by Satan even as a chaff driven by the wind like a vessel tossed upon the waters, no sail, no anchor, without anything to steer."[5] As the last great battle between the Lamanites and the Nephites commenced, Mormon described the hopeless condition of the Nephite army when he stated that "every soul was filled with terror."[6] Because the Nephite people had turned away from the Lord, they had no source for courage.
The book of Proverbs confirms this effect of despair with a passage that states that the wicked are they who "flee when no man pursueth,"[7] and again in Psalms we read that the wicked "go mourning all the day long."[8] This is the state of those who are afraid and will not turn to the Lord.
In contrast, an opposite effect produced by fear is one that creates a reverence for and a dependence upon the Savior. Because of this relationship, there is an increase of confidence, a greater faith, an increased hope, and ultimately greater courage that comes to those who humble themselves before the Lord.
The scriptures are replete with examples of those who have been afraid, yet have found the courage and the strength in the Lord to face difficult circumstances. For example, when Joshua was commanded by the Lord to lead the children of Israel into the land of promise without Moses, he was overwhelmed and afraid. The great prophet Moses had led and guided Israel for over forty years and now Joshua was the one who would take over that responsibility. Listen to what the Lord commanded Joshua to do: "Have 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."[9]
Joshua loved the Lord. Therefore he was obedient to Jehovah's counsel and because of his faith in the Son of God he was given the strength to replace fear with courage. Because of the reverence that he had for the Lord, Joshua was enabled to become a great Israelite leader. In his epistle to the Philippians, Paul described this reverence when he proclaimed, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."[10]
The following event took place as a consequence of the Haun's Mill massacre. It illustrates the courage that came to a sister who understood this principle.
In October of 1838, three days after the extermination order was issued, some 200 men mounted a surprise attack against the small community of saints at Haun's Mill on Shoal Creek, Caldwell County. The assailants, in an act of treachery, persuaded innocent latter-day saint men and boys of that community, who wished to save themselves, to go into the local blacksmith shop. These wicked men then took up positions around the building and fired into it until they thought all inside were dead. Others were shot as they tried to make their escape. In all, seventeen men and boys were killed and fifteen were wounded.
After the massacre, Amanda Smith went to the blacksmith shop, where she found her husband, Warren, and a son, Sardius, dead. Among the carnage she was overjoyed to find another son, little Alma, still alive though severely wounded. His hip had been severely damaged by a musket blast. With most of the men dead or wounded, Amanda knelt down and pleaded with the Lord for help:
"Oh my Heavenly Father, I cried, what shall I do? Thou seest my poor wounded boy and knowest my inexperience. Oh Heavenly Father direct me what to do!' She said that she 'was directed as by a voice,' instructing her to make a lye from the ashes and cleanse the wound. She then prepared a slippery elm poultice and filled the wound with it. The next day she poured the contents of a bottle of balsam into the wound.
Amanda said to her son, 'Alma, my child, do you believe that the Lord made your hip?' 'Yes, mother,' he replied. Amanda continued, 'Well, the Lord can make something there in the place of your hip, don't you believe he can, Alma?' 'Do you think that the Lord can, mother?' inquired the child, in his simplicity. 'Yes, my son,' I replied, 'he has shown it all to me in a vision.' Then I laid him comfortably on his face, and said: 'Now you lay like that, and don't move, and the Lord will make you another hip.' So Alma laid on his face for five weeks, until he was entirely recovered; a flexible gristle having grown in place of the missing joint and socket."[11]
As I thought about this story, I wondered, where and how did this little mother find the courage to do what she did? She was alone with her world turned upside down. All that she had and loved had been either damaged or destroyed. Her little boy lay helpless and severely injured before her. What fear, what hopelessness, what discouragement must have come upon her; yet when she turned to the Lord, the fear that she felt was replaced with courage and the strength to save her son's life. This afternoon I would like to speak about a pattern for courage that is found in the scriptures. This pattern will serve as a guide to each of us as we face circumstances that "fill our hearts with fear."
A Pattern for Courage
An example of this pattern is revealed in the fifty seventh chapter of Alma. In this account we read about a group of young men who would be about the same age as many of you here today. They were the young sons of the Lamanite people who were converted by Ammon and his brethren. These Lamanite boys came from righteous families where they had been taught the gospel and where they had learned to trust in the Lord. The account records that their mothers had taught them that "if they did not doubt, God would deliver them."[12] The record speaks of heroic battles fought by these young men against insurmountable odds. We read that they were courageous and obedient in that "they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness."[13] As the story progresses, we find these brave young men, along with Helaman their leader, in a desperate and difficult situation. In Alma chapter 58, we read how they went to "assist (their) brethren in preserving the city" of Cumeni where they "did wait in these difficult circumstances for the space of many months, even until (they) were about to perish for the want of food."[14] Due to a rebellion in the Nephite government, minimal support had been provided to this small army. The record reads: "this is all the assistance which we did receive, to defend ourselves and our country from falling into the hands of our enemies, yea, to contend with an enemy which was innumerable."[15] In verse nine we read "therefore we were grieved and also filled with fear;" and then a certain pattern begins to unfold. Please pay attention to the order of events that took place:
"Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength that we might retain our cities, and our lands, and our possessions, for the support of our people.
Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him.
And we did take courage with our small force which we had received, and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty."[16]
Ponder these words for a moment. We were grieved and also filled with fear. We did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that He would strengthen us; the Lord God did visit us with assurances; He did speak peace to our souls; (He) did grant unto us great faith, which did cause us that we should have hope for our deliverance in Him; and we did take courage.
An additional example of this pattern is found in the first chapter of Moses. Moses had been in the presence of God, and then he was left alone. It was at that time when Satan came "tempting" him. The account reads:
"And now, when Moses had said these words, Satan cried with a loud voice, and ranted upon the earth, and commanded, saying: I am the Only Begotten, worship me.
And it came to pass that Moses began to fear exceedingly; and as he began to fear, he saw the bitterness of hell. Nevertheless, calling upon God, he received strength, and he commanded, saying: Depart from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of glory.
And now Satan began to tremble, and the earth shook; and Moses received strength, and called upon God, saying: In the name of the Only Begotten, depart hence, Satan.
And it came to pass that Satan cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; and he departed hence."[17]
When Moses observed the power and anger of Satan, he became frightened. As he became frightened, another circumstance came into play; Moses saw "the bitterness of hell". However, as he followed the counsel that he was given, to call upon God, he received strength and found courage.
As fear enters into our lives, doubt can set in. At times we can literally be exposed to "the bitterness of hell". Such was the experience with Moses as he began to "fear exceedingly". Yet, Moses was obedient to what Heavenly Father had asked him to do and he called upon God; therefore his faith increased and "he received strength". As that faith and that strength was granted to him, he began to have hope, which in turn gave him "great" courage and once more he commanded Satan to leave. The scripture reads: "Satan cried with a loud voice, with weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth; and he departed hence."[18]
As a final example, I turn to the twenty third chapter of Mosiah. A Lamanite army that had been lost in the wilderness, suddenly came into the borders of the land of Helam. When Alma's people discovered that the army was upon them, they "were much frightened."[19] The scripture states that Alma stood among his people and admonished them "that they should not be frightened."[20] Then Alma went to the Lord and prayed that the hearts of the Lamanites would be softened and the account reads: "therefore they hushed their fears."[21] In chapter twenty four we discover that Amulon, a former acquaintance and fellow priest with Alma when they both served with King Noah, had been given power by the Lamanite leader to govern over the land of Helam. At the time of this appointment, he immediately began to exercise authority over Alma and his people. Once again, a pattern for courage begins to emerge as we read the account:
"And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.
And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.
And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strenghten them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.
And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.
And Alma and his people departed into the wilderness."[22]
The Lord is willing to assist and strengthen those who put their trust in Him. We read how Alma's people were afraid. They did pour out their hearts to God. He did know the thoughts of their hearts. The Lord knew of the covenant that Alma and his people had made to Him. He covenanted to deliver them. He eased the burdens upon their shoulders. He told them to be of good comfort; I will deliver you. They took courage and departed.
Personal Application
On a personal note, our second son had spent six years in college to attain his master's degree in physical therapy. As with any degree, it was a grueling and difficult trial. The time came for him to pass the boards for the degree and in the first attempt, he failed. He was so distraught. His mother and I remember the exact time that he got the phone call about the test scores. We felt of his fear and of his anguish. Just the very thought that his whole career depended upon the test was daunting. His confidence was shaken as he looked at another three months of intense study before the exam could be taken again.
To prepare for the test, he asked for a priesthood blessing and then he put his trust in the Lord. For the next three months he studied intensively. During that time we pled with the Lord for help, we fasted, and we attended the temple. The time came once more for him to take the exam. We were all anxious and continued to supplicate the Lord in his behalf. When he finished the test, he once again felt somewhat overwhelmed, and had commented to his younger sister how he was concerned about his performance. With great courage, he said that he would begin once more to prepare himself for three more months of study.
A few weeks later, the call came to inform him of his scores. He had passed! There was a feeling of joy and excitement that swept through our family. Our son was overwhelmed! We know that his courage and his hope came from the faith that he was granted to face the task. We also know as a family, that our faith in the Lord had enabled him to study more effectively and blessed him with the confidence to re-take the exam.
At times, I have reflected upon Alma during his hour of need when he cried, "O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me?"[23] As with Alma, there have been challenges and sorrowful days in my own life. I have felt the weight of duty and responsibility to my family when our business was not doing well. I have felt of my inability and helplessness as I have watched a young son seriously injured in an accident, not knowing what to do. I have watched as my sons and my daughter have struggled through school and through difficult challenges with employment. I have observed my dear wife suffer as her health has deteriorated because of a mistake made by a doctor from a prior surgery. I have watched my new little granddaughter struggle with a defective heart and I have mourned inside as I have watched her parents seek the strength of the Lord in their lives. During those moments of despair, I have been afraid. But I have learned to trust the Savior when He said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid."[24]
Because of this trust, I have turned to my Heavenly Father. I have pled with Him and begged for strength. And through renewed promises, I have felt that gift of faith come to me, which has caused me to have hope. In each of these circumstances, with that renewal of hope, the fear has left me and I have found courage. I testify that as you strive to be obedient and as you love the Lord with all of your hearts, the strength of the Lord will come to you in your trials. It is my testimony that you will find courage as you humbly follow this pattern.
Now let us talk about each one of you. Because of your presence here today, it is evident that obedience to the commandments is important to you. Let me emphasize and bear testimony to all that the only way that we can be happy in this life and to have full confidence in the strength of the Lord, is to love Him with all of our hearts and to keep all of His commandments. The Lord clearly described the futility of the world's solutions when He said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation."[25]
Real and lasting peace can come only through the Savior, Jesus Christ. Personal worthiness is everything!
Please think about the trials that you have faced and the ones that are now before you. Many here today are away from home for the first time in your lives. Some of you have come from lands that are far away and cannot return home for a long period of time. Many of you are married with children. You are trying to support a family and go to school. Some of you are overwhelmed with challenges back home due to illness of family members. Some come from homes where parents are divorced or from homes that are now breaking apart. Some of you are the only member of the church in your family. Perhaps some of you are involved with a relationship that has gone bad. There are some of you who mourn because you long to have a relationship with someone. Some of you face long-term physical challenges that make you fight nausea and pain; that weaken and fatigue you. And some of you are just simply homesick and overwhelmed with the challenges of school. Some of you go to work at 4:00 o'clock in the morning, then you go to your classes and then you go back to work in the evening! Where do you find the time to study? In addition to this, after a long week of work, we see you fulfill your church obligations and serve so valiantly in the callings that you accept without hesitation. When I have interviewed students as a stake president and as I have listened to testimonies and talks during church meetings on campus, I have noticed a common theme which stands out and is unique to many of you. It is that A "this is the most difficult experience I have ever faced in my life!" Many of you have cried out like Amanda Smith did at the Haun's Mill massacre, "Oh Father in Heaven, what shall I do? Thou knowest my inexperience, Oh Heavenly Father direct me what to do!" As a parent and as a stake president, I know how devastating certain events can be in your lives. These experiences are real, they can be paralyzing, and they may be all that you can bear.
Perhaps you have not fully understood this pattern for courage in your own lives; but I would suggest that as you contemplate the trials that you have experienced, as you have cried in your hearts, "Oh Heavenly Father what shall I do?" that this is precisely what has happened to you. Think of how you have prayed with all of your hearts. Try to remember the feelings of peace and assurance that have come to you as you have prayed. Consider the increase of faith that you have felt as you have trusted in your Heavenly Father. Remember the hope that was renewed in your soul as the peaceful whisperings have come to you. And then focus on the renewal of courage that became yours as you determined to move forward. It is my testimony, that as you put your trust in the Savior, He will turn your fear into courage. I also testify that this power is available to you every day.
The Greatest of All Trials
As he Savior approached the end of his ministry, He faced the greatest of all trials. The Atonement that He was foreordained to perform was at the door step. He was alone, He was afraid, and He would that He could walk away from the challenge. Listen as I read the account in Matthew:
"And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me."[26]
The same pattern for courage that we have discussed this afternoon was also followed by the Savior when He went into the Garden of Gethsemane. As we read in Matthew, He began to be sorrowful and very heavy. He looked to his apostles for help and said to them, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me." As He walked back to in the garden, the record reads that He fell on His face and pled with Father in Heaven, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." The scriptures go on to read that "He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." He was alone; all of the apostles were asleep. And in His loneliness, as He faced the demands of the Atonement, He cried, "the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." He fell to His knees and He "prayed the third time, saying the same words." Then a peace came over Him and He spoke to His apostles and said, "Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand." His courage was manifest when He said to the apostles, "Rise up, let us be going."
In the Garden of Gethsemane, He saw you and me. There He heard our pleas and our cries. He felt of our pain, of our despair, and of our fear. He atoned for our sins so that we can approach Him for help. This is why this pattern works; it is because we engage Him, the Great Enabler, into our lives. We never need to fear or be alone as long as we understand and know that He is in the very details of our lives if we will but turn to Him each day. It is He that says, "Be of good cheer; It is I; Be not afraid."[27]
It is through the miracle of the Atonement, that the Savior understands all of our weaknesses, fears, and short comings. And more importantly, He understands how to succor and help us. His invitation to each of us is the same as it was to the Nephites of old when He asked, "will ye not return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?"[28] Through the infinite Atonement, He can enable each of us to find the courage to elevate ourselves far above the events of the day. If we will but follow our Savior's example as He experienced the pains of the Atonement and if we will always say in our hearts the same words that He said to Heavenly Father "nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt," He will be with us. Therefore, we too can find the courage as did Amanda Smith, as did Moses, and as did Alma to face all trials that come our way.
Remember this pattern:
We were afraid, we did pour our souls to God, He did visit us with assurances, He did grant unto us great faith, which did cause us to have hope, and we did go forward with courage.
As the Savior said to His apostles, "Rise up, let us be going." So He says to each of us, "Rise up, let us be going." I testify in the name of the Lord, that the Atonement is real and that it is operative in each of our lives. I testify that the young boy Joseph saw the Father and the Son in the grove that clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. I testify that the priesthood with all the rights, keys, and powers are upon the earth. I testify that we have a living prophet, even Gordon B. Hinckley and that we have living apostles and prophets chosen of the Lord to guide this church in these last days. The gospel is true and as long as we engage the Savior into our lives, we will never have to be afraid. I testify of that reality in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Matthew 14: 25-27
[2] Genesis 3:10
[3] Moroni 10:22
[4] 2 Nephi 1:9
[5] Mormon 5:18
[6] Mormon 6:8
[7] Proverbs 28:1
[8] Psalms 38:6
[9] Joshua 1:9
[10] Philippians 4:13
[11] Amanda Barnes Smith, quoted in Edward W. Tullidge, Women of Mormondom [1877], 124, 128
[12] Alma 56:47
[13] Alma 57:21
[14] Alma 58:7
[15] Alma 58:8
[16] Alma 58:10-12
[17] Moses 1: 19-22
[18] Moses 1:22
[19] Mosiah 23:26
[20] Mosiah 23:27
[21] Mosiah 23:28
[22] Alma 24: 12- 16; 20
[23] Alma 31:31
[24] John 14:27
[25] John 16:33
[26] Matthew 26: 37-46
[27] Matthew 14:27
[28] 3 Nephi 9: 13