"A Perfect Brightness of Hope," by Elder Holland

A Perfect Brightness of Hope (by Elder Jeffrey Holland)

Sisters, as Barbara so appropriately shared in our last blog, I too miss seeing your beautiful faces and hearing the wonderful insights you have received from the spirit and your life experiences.  I hope that as you have listened to or read this wonderful conference address “A Perfect Brightness of Hope” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland that you will take just a minute and share with us one or two of your thoughts.  We all will be blessed and enriched.

 

“Because the Restoration reaffirmed the foundational truth that God does work in this world, we can hope, we should hope, even when facing the most insurmountable odds…..We all need to believe that what we desire in righteousness can someday, someway, somehow yet be ours….”  May I add my testimony and witness to the truth of Elder Holland’s message of hope, a hope born from exercising faith in Jesus Christ. 

 

I love an account shared by Sister Elaine Dalton in a past conference address of a young woman named Florence Chadwick.  “From the age of 10, Florence discovered that she was a talented swimmer. She swam the English Channel in record time of 13 hours and 20 minutes. She later attempted to swim between the coastline of California and Catalina Island—some 21 miles. On this swim she grew weary after swimming 15 hours. A thick fog set in that obscured the view of the coastline. Her mother was riding alongside her in a boat, and Florence told her mother that she didn’t think she could finish. Her mother and her trainer encouraged her to continue, but all she could see was the fog. She abandoned her swim, but once inside the boat, she discovered she had quit within one mile of the coastline. Later, when she was interviewed and asked why she had abandoned her swim, she confessed that it wasn’t the cold water and it wasn’t the distance. She said, “I was licked by the fog.” Later she attempted the swim again, and once more, a thick fog set in. But this time, she kept going until she successfully reached the coastline. This time when she was asked what made the difference, she said that she kept a mental image of the coastline in her mind through the thick fog and throughout the duration of her swim.

 

I believe that each of us during this mortal experience can feel “licked by the fog”, but as Elder Holland shared (echoing) “ the sentiment of a ...young returned sister missionary …..‘We did not come this far only to come this far’”.

 

Florence eventually succeeded in her swim though long, cold, hard, and again in thick fog, when she kept the image of the coastline in her mind.  In a similar way, I felt Elder Holland’s encouragement that we too can succeed, when we keep the mental image of Christ in our minds, “His power to lift us above any adversity we may face,” and remembering His goodness personally, and collectively as a church.

 

The memory of the coastline gave Florence hope.  For me, remembering that Christ’s promises are sure helps me to “press forward …with a perfect brightness of hope.  I hold on to the testimony and reassuring words of Elder Holland when he said…. “the future is going to be as miracle-filled and bountifully blessed as the past has been. We have every reason to hope for blessings even greater than those we have already received because this is the work of Almighty God…this is the gospel of Christ’s unlimited grace and benevolence.”  “We can hope….we should hope”. 

 

Additional Study suggestions:

-Ask yourself: “What does hope look like in my life?”

- “Good things to Come” a 5 minute video/ a personal experience of Elder Holland – found on: youtube; churchofjesuschrist.org; or Latter-Day Saints Channel

-“An High Priest of Good Things To Come” (October 1999 Conference Address) by Elder Holland

-“Hope, an Anchor of the Soul” (Conference Report, Oct. 1999) by James E. Faust

-Moroni 7: 40-44

"Hear Him," by President Russell M. Nelson

Dear Sisters…As I prepare these digital summaries of the lessons I have been assigned to share, I think of how much I miss looking into your beautiful faces and learning from you as you contribute your insights in class.  I LOVE YOU!

--Barbara Hoffman

                            “HEAR HIM” – PRESIDENT RUSSELL M. NELSON  

“The increasing darkness that accompanies tribulation makes the light of Jesus Christ shine even brighter.  Just think of the good each of us can do during this time of global upheaval.  Regardless of where you live or what your circumstances are, the Lord Jesus Christ is your Savior, and God’s prophet, Joseph Smith is your prophet. He was foreordained before the foundation of the earth to be the prophet of this last dispensation, when ‘nothing shall be withheld’ from the Saints.  Revelation continues to flow from the Lord during this ongoing process of restoration. The adversary is clever.  For millennia he has been making good look evil and evil look good.  His messages tend to be loud, bold and boastful.  However, messages from our Heavenly Father are strongly different.  He communicates simply, quietly, and with such stunning plainness, that we cannot misunderstand Him. For example, when He has introduced His Only Begotten Son to mortals upon the earth, He has done so with remarkably few words. To Joseph Smith, that profound declaration that opened this dispensation, God simply said, ‘This is My Beloved Son.  Hear Him!’ Our Father knows that when we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear, what will help us the very most is to hear His Son.  Because when we seek to hear—truly hear—His Son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance. The very first word in the Doctrine and Covenants is hearken. It means ‘to listen with intent to obey’.  To hearken means to ‘hear Him’—to hear what the Savior says and then to heed His counsel. In these two words—‘Hear Him’—God gives us the pattern for success, happiness and joy in this life. We are to hear the words of the Lord, hearken to them, and heed what He has told us! As we seek to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our efforts to hear Him to be ever more intentional.  It takes conscious and consistent effort to fill our daily lives with His words, His teachings, His truths.”

     President Nelson asks: “where can we go to hear Him?”  He reminds us to go to the scriptures every day.  He urges us to attend the temple, and do family history and indexing while the temples are closed.  He teaches us that we must refine our ability to recognize the whispering of the Holy Ghost to hear Him more clearly.  

“The Holy Ghost is the messenger.  He is the Comforter.  He will bring peace to your heart.  He testifies of truth and will confirm what is true as you hear and read the word of the Lord.  I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.  And finally, we hear Him as we heed the words of prophets, seers and revelators.”

       President Nelson blessed us all: “What will happen as you more intentionally  hear, hearken, and heed what the Savior has said and what He is saying now through His prophets?  I promise that you will be blessed with additional power to deal with temptation, struggles, and weakness.  I promise miracles in your marriage, family relationships, and daily work.  And I promise that your capacity to feel joy will increase even if turbulence increases in your life.”

      Sisters,  I testify of  the divinity and truths of our Prophet’s powerful message. MY  sincere prayer is that we will all hear, hearken, and heed.

 

I invite you to study the Bicentennial Proclamation and have it confirmed in your hearts and minds as truth.

I also invite you to make your own list of personal ways that you hear Him –some through seeing, that cause you to hear Him.  It was a wonderful experience for me!