Elder Holland once said, in a talk given at a BYU devotional on January 13th, 2009:
(Where this quotation begins is where Elder Holland looks to the youth there, and looking ahead, amiss challenges and struggles... many youth, but even not youth alone, look ahead in life, and ask some of the very questions that this quote begins with.)
"Is there any future for me? What does a new year, or a new semester, or a new major, or a new
romance hold for me? Will I be safe? Will life be sound? Can I trust in the Lord and
in the future? Or would it be better to look back, to go back, to go home?
To all such of every generation I call out, "Remember Lot's wife." Faith is for the future.
Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things
in store for each of us and that Christ is the "high priest of good things to come."
That, Brethren, is a wonderful means of Faithful understanding. Faith, like the featured talk, and lesson show, is "A Principle Of Action" and not just a word that says "I believe" and rightly left alone at just.... "I believe".
President Howard W. Hunter said: “If our lives and our faith are centered on Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right” (The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1997], 40). My, how true this is brethren! How true!
Often we are thrown into problems which seem ever meant for our demise; But I know and can promise you this... Our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Our Savior Jesus Christ do love us unconditionally! Because they do, we can enlist their help if we have Faith that they can help us. Only by our Faith can the familiar phrase spoken by the Savior himself, come to pass;
“According to your faith be it unto you” (Matt. 9:29)
“Thy faith hath made thee whole” (see Mark 10:46–52).
“… Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed the selfsame hour.” (Matt. 8:10, 13.)
There is the woman whose serious affliction had continued 12 years; she pleaded, “If I may but touch his garment I shall be whole.” She touched the hem of his garment and recovered from that hour: “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Matt. 9:21–22.)
Such powerful witnesses of what Faith can do! But as important as it is to remember what Faith can do, most important is to review and carefully ponder the warnings given to us in the scriptures of what can and will happen when none have Faith. We all know that The Lord is an unchangeable being, and is the same, "Yesterday, today and forever..." but seem to fall short of full understanding that this applies to everything. Yes, even Faith. Look to Mormon Chapter 9 where it says:
15 And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do ano miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.
16
Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous aworks of God?
17
Who shall say that it was not a miracle that by his aword the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word man was bcreated of the cdust of the earth; and by the power of his word have miracles been wrought?
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And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty amiracles? And there were many bmighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles.
19
And if there were amiracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he bchangeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.
20
And the reason why he ceaseth to do amiracles
among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and
depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should btrust.
21
Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, awhatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this bpromise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.
"....and this bpromise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth." That's quite a promise to give! He can, and will work miracles brethren. Through the Priesthood, and its righteous application in our lives (But not limited to our life, but also to the life of others) which includes righteous exercise of its power... we actually water that seed of Faith planted deep within us.
I know that my Faith has ever increased, I know it because the Spirit has bourne witness to me, that has continually caused my heart to burn within me. As I magnify my calling, as I prepare to go to the temple, to do all the Lord would have me do, I have ever seen him sustain me. He has sustained me as he promised...
"And whoso areceiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go bbefore your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my cSpirit shall be in your hearts, and mine dangels round about you, to bear you up." (See D & C 84:88)
There never has been many scriptures that have hit my heart, even my very soul as that one has.... and continues to do! I am humbled that the Lord would ever call such a sinner, even I, a sinner..... to any honorable calling in his kingdom.
My flesh can be weak all it wishes, and the gates of Hell can stand open to cast forth fury at me all it wishes... But comfort I take it that scripture, even the very one that reminds me yet again;
".......there I will be also, for I will go bbefore your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my cSpirit shall be in your hearts, and mine dangels round about you, to bear you up." (See D & C 84:88)
I stand hated of my family, rebuked by my family members for being "True to the Faith for which martyrs have perished..." and regardless of how they continue in hating me I shall remain loyal, "To God's command, Soul, Heart & Hand.... Faithful and True I Will ever stand."
We can do it brethren. We can bring the world his truth. I bear testimony to you in all truthfulness brethren, in soberness and humility, that I "Know that My Redeemer Lives", That Jesus is the Christ.... the Son of our Eternal Father who so lovingly gave his life so that all of us could return to the presence of the Father. "Awake My Soul, No longer droop in sin, rejoice my heart and let me praise again, The Lord my God, who is my rock and stave.... To keep me straight upon his straight plain way... O let me shake at the first sight of sin, and thus escape my foes.... I love the Lord". I know that only in and through my Savior, can the scripture be, that says, "I am the way, the truth and light....No Man cometh unto the Father but by me."
When the Savior says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." That rest is the peace and happiness that invades my very heart now, as it does any time I sing, any time that I read, and any time I pray. I pray the Lord sustain you all brethren, that the very peace I have may be fully in your heart. He will do as he says he will, so in conclusion, I leave you with this scripture;
"I, the Lord, am abound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no bpromise." (See D & C 82:10)
I say these things in the name of Our Savior, even Jesus Christ, amen.
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Plainview Texas Branch; Lubbock Stake Announcements;
Sunday October 25th, 2009: **FAST SUNDAY** ; 1:15 PEC/BYC
Wednesday October 28th, 2009: Branch Halloween Social [a.k.a. "Trunk-R-Treat"] 6:00pm
Saturday October 31st, 2009: 4:00p.m. Priesthood Leadership @ Stake Center
Saturday October 31st, 2009: 7:00p.m. Adult Session
Sunday, November 1st, 2009: 10:00a.m. Stake Conference
Sunday, November 1st, 2009: CES Fireside for Young Adults
Sunday, November 1st, 2009: ***Daylight Savings Ends*** Set clocks back by One Hour
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009: YM/YW Combined Activity : 7:00p.m.
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