To finish up my study of President M. Russell Ballard, I wanted to share one of my favorite messages he gave on faith. Faith was the third most common topic he taught. The message I want to highlight is called, The Joy of Hope Fulfilled and was given in the October 1992 General Conference.
In this message, President Ballard spoke of the three divine principles of faith, hope, and charity. It was like a message from a tender grandparent. He spoke with understanding and encouragement. He offered a message of peace in a world that can feel so very heavy at times.
My favorite part though was how he taught about how God is in control. I think I sometimes forget that. I know when I sit down and think about it, that that is true. But sometimes when you see and hear endless hard in the world, it can be distracting and you wonder if there is any hope. But there is always hope, regardless of what happens outside of our homes, or even inside our homes for that matter, there is always hope in Christ that we can feel very personally and individually. He loves each of us. He never gives up on any of us. And if we put our faith and trust in Him, that hope will burn within us.
Promise
Our Heavenly Father is aware of us, individually and collectively.
Prompting
Trust in the Lord. Trust that He is in control. And never lose hope.
My Favorite Takeaways
“My message to you today, my brothers and sisters, is simply this: the Lord is in control. He knows the end from the beginning. He has given us adequate instruction that, if followed, will see us safely through any crisis. His purposes will be fulfilled, and someday we will understand the eternal reasons for all of these events. Therefore, today we must be careful to not overreact, nor should we be caught up in extreme preparations; but what we must do is keep the commandments of God and never lose hope!
Our one hope for spiritual safety during these turbulent times is to turn our minds and our hearts to Jesus Christ.
Faith in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ, is absolutely essential for us to maintain a balanced perspective through times of trial and difficulty. Remember, nothing will occur in our lives that He does not understand.
Please turn to Him if you are discouraged and struggling for direction in your life. Armed with the shield of faith, we can overcome many of our daily challenges and overpower our greatest weaknesses and fears, knowing that if we do our best to keep the commandments of God, come what may, we will be all right.
Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – real faith, whole-souled and unshakable – is a power to be reckoned with in the universe. It can be a causative force through which miracles are wrought. Or it can be a source of inner strength through wihch we find peace, comfort and the courage to cope.
As we put our faith and trust to work, hope is born. Hope grows out of faith and gives meaning and purpose to all that we do. It can even give us the peaceful assurance we need to live happily in a world that is ripe with iniquity, calamity, and injustice.
Hope is a precious principle by which to live…Regardless of how desperate things may seem or how desperate they may yet become, please believe me, you can always have hope. Always.
Hope helps faith develop. Likewise true faith gives birth to hope…The principles of faith and hope working together must be accompanied by charity, which is the greatest of all…It is the perfect manifestation of our faith and hope.
Working together, these three eternal principles will help give us the broad eternal perspective we need to face life’s toughest challenges, including the prophesied ordeals of the last days. Real faith fosters hope for the future, it allows us to look beyond ourselves and our present cares. Fortified by hope, we are moved to demonstrate the pure love of Christ through daily acts of obedience and Christian service.
I assure you, my brothers and sisters, that our Heavenly Father is aware of us, individually and collectively. He understands the spiritual, physical, and emotional difficulties we face in the world today. In fact, they are all part of His plan for our eternal growth and development. And His promise to us is sure: “He that endureth in faith and doeth my will, the same shall overcome.”
May we all find the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding”, which can be found only through charity, faith, and hope.”
