Elisha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8LN1py7XxQ

“Elisha, with a power known only to the prophets, had counseled the king of Israel on how and where and when to defend against the warring Syrians. The king of Syria, of course, wished to rid his armies of this prophetic problem. So—and I quote:

Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.. . . an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. [2 Kings 6:14–15]

If Elisha is looking for a good time to be depressed, this is it. His only ally is the president of the local teachers quorum. It is one prophet and one lad against the world. And the boy is petrified. He sees the enemy everywhere—difficulty and despair and problems and burdens everywhere…With faltering faith the boy cries, “Alas, my master! How shall we do?”

And Elisha’s reply? “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kings 6:15–16).

“They that be with us?” Now just an Israelite minute here. Faith is fine and courage wonderful, but this is ridiculous, the boy thinks. There are no others with them. He can recognize a Syrian army when he sees one, and he knows that one child and an old man are not strong odds against it.

But then comes Elisha’s promise:

Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. [2 Kings 6:16–17]

In the gospel of Jesus Christ you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strike—and they will—you remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abraham’s seed.

I close with this promise from heaven.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. [D&C 78:17–18]

I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, . . . and mine angels [shall be] round about you, to bear you up. [D&C 84:88]

The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours.” [D&C 78:18]

-         Jeffrey R. Holland, For Times of Trouble, 1980

Darkness Must Pass

www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6C8SX0mWP0

Then out spake brave Horatius,

The Captain of the Gate:

To every man upon this earth

Death cometh soon or late.

And how can man die better

Than facing fearful odds,

For the ashes of his fathers,

And the temples of his gods.

- Thomas Babington Macaulay,

Lays of Ancient Rome

There is a purpose. You can and must go on. The end result will always be worth the fight.

“…Has the day of miracles ceased? Or have angels ceased to appear unto the children of men? Or has he withheld the power of the Holy Ghost from them? Or will he, so long as time shall last, or the earth shall stand, or there shall be one man upon the face thereof to be saved? Behold I say unto you, Nay; for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief, and all is vain.”

- Moroni 7: 35-37

The Parting of the Red Sea

www.youtube.com/watch?v=avShZS2GJMc

We may not see miracles on this scale performed on a regular basis in our day, but I have repeatedly witnessed things that were not physically or logically possible to our mortal understanding. God is in charge. He is at the wheel. The winds and the sea obey him. Through his power and our faith nothing is impossible.

In the 1994 Miracle on 34th Street, Dory Walker doesn’t believe in Santa Claus, nor does she want her daughter to believe in Santa Claus. In a conversation with Kris Kringle, he helps her to understand that Santa Claus is more than he appears. He says:

“I’m not just some whimsical figure who wears a charming suit and affects a jolly demeanor. I’m a symbol; I’m a symbol of mankind’s ability to suppress the selfish and hateful tendencies that rule that major part of our lives. If you can’t believe in me, if you can’t accept anything on faith, then you’re doomed to a life dominated by doubt.”

In our fallen world, it’s very easy to let faith be smothered by the overwhelming influence of doubt and negativity. With so many contrasting messages plastered everywhere, bombarding us from every side, are we listening to the right voices, the ones that promote faith? Are we giving the Holy Ghost a chance to get a word in edgewise? Or do we doubt the Lord’s power, his love, or his plan for us?

We must remember that the Lord’s slogan, as he repeats it time and time again, are the words, “Doubt not, fear not.” With the Spirit of the Lord on our side, it is possible to suppress the doubts and fan the flame of faith in his plan and ourselves. It is possible to find faith, even in such a confusing world, if we are deliberately and consistently seeking it out.

When You Believe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NieC8KA0EvI

From Now On

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyIDxpUJ10Q

“Thomas Edison devoted ten years and all of his money to developing the nickel-alkaline storage battery at a time when he was almost penniless. Through that period of time, his record and film production was supporting the storage battery effort. Then one night the terrifying cry of fire echoed through the film plant. Spontaneous combustion had ignited some chemicals. Within moments all … had gone up with a roar. Fire companies from eight towns arrived, but the fire and heat were so intense and the water pressure so low that the fire hoses had no effect. Edison was sixty-seven years old—no age to begin anew. His son Charles was frantic, wondering if he were safe, if his spirits were broken, and how he would handle a crisis such as this at his age. Charles saw his father running toward him. He spoke first.

He said, “Where’s your mother? Go get her. Tell her to get her friends. They’ll never see another fire like this as long as they live!”

At 5:30 the next morning, with the fire barely under control, he called his employees together and announced, “We’re rebuilding.” One man was told to lease all the machine shops in the area, another to obtain a wrecking crane from the Erie Railroad Company. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “Oh, by the way. Anybody know where we can get some money?” (Paraphrased from Charles Edison, “My Most Unforgettable Character,” Reader’s Digest, December 1961, pp. 175–77.)

Virtually everything you now recognize as a Thomas Edison contribution to your life came after that disaster. Remember, “Trouble has no necessary connection with discouragement— discouragement has a germ of its own.”

If you are trying hard and living right and things still seem burdensome and difficult, take heart. Others have walked that way before you.”

-         Jeffrey R. Holland, For Times of Trouble, 1980

I’ve done a lot of things that make me cringe - some when I was conscious and very responsible, sometimes when I wasn’t. I’ve had a lot of unexpected, entirely unjust things come crashing down on me. But as Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said, “It’s your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life’s story will develop.” Our choices and our attitude truly are what make all the difference.

“Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’”

- Thomas S. Monson

Eowyn vs the Witch King

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ_-rmuPZC4

I don’t think anyone expected a woman and a hobbit to take down the Witch King. It was said that “no living man could kill him” and no one chose to think outside the box, but labeled it as an impossible task. Neither Eowyn’s or Merry’s presence on the battlefield were an accident, but a fulfillment of prophecy.

We read in the Old Testament that Esther boldly went before the king to save the lives of her people. But she was not in the right place at the right time by coincidence. She was chosen and equipped with all of the tools she needed in order to accomplish this dangerous task - including courage, selflessness, outward beauty, and faith; everything that would place her in the right position at the right time to do it.

But we may think, "Yeah, well. My personal destiny looks pretty laughable compared to that." But is it any less important than Esther's? YOU TOO were specifically chosen "for such a time as this." When the task at hand looks impossible, sometimes your brand of unique is exactly what’s needed to make it possible.

As God is My Witness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu0MGDxqzSM

One of the greatest literary masterpieces of the 20th century takes place during the American Civil War, and centers around a green-eyed piece of work named Scarlett O'Hara. If Scarlett has one desire above all others, it is to become like her mother, a true southern belle known throughout the community to be a great lady. Unfortunately, Scarlett has a few personal quirks that make her despised by most people she meets, such as selfishness, behaving in a distinctly unladylike fashion for her time, and using any means to achieve her ends. Despite these seemingly negative traits, throughout the course of her story Scarlett learns the meaning of extreme sacrifice, courage in the face of adversity, perseverance, determination, and doing what must be done in order to survive. Though very few understand her motives, and though we may not agree with her choices, we cannot ignore her grit, nor the fact that it and it alone ensured her survival. Though the refined and delicate character of her mother was all that Scarlett ever wanted to be, we all know that Mrs. O'Hara could not have survived the same challenges that Scarlett faced - and she didn't - and that Scarlett, though unconventional, is ultimately the stronger of the two.

Though my own trials have been unconventional and hard to put to words, I know for myself that had I not experienced these things, I would not be who I am today. Had I not trudged through months and years of never-ending frustrations, I would not have learned the meaning of the words "empathy", "understanding", "compassion", and "Christ-like love". I would not have come to look in the mirror and see a survivor. Did it hurt? Excruciatingly. Was it all worth it? Yes. Because I know for myself - I am one tough cookie. I am not a push over. I do not give up.

"Though she be but little, she is fierce."

- Helena, A Midsummer Night's Dream

All of us are children of the most High God, who loves us enough to let us experience adversity.