little bit of hope

FEAR 

I don’t know if anyone has had the same experience I have. Lately I have been very depressed with what is in the news. Even what I learned within my classes at BYU Idaho fill me with dread and doubt. There’s so much going on in the world to fear. Not only is there war in contention but there also attacks on her personal liberty.

There is a UN document called the Convention On the Rights of the Child that wouldn't act policies that trump our U.S. Constitution and take away a lot of parental rights. This document includes such things as allowing children to seek government intervention if they don’t like what their parents are teaching them. There is a clause that would demand children of even very young ages the right to not attend religious services of their parents. And the one that scares me the most is that children would be able to seek sexually related medical advice without the consent or knowledge of their caregivers.

This is only one of the very many laws and policies in general feelings towards the family that are starting to creep into our lives. Most of them fill me with dread. How my spouse to raise a child in this kind of world?

Well here’s a few words of hope.

The first is that there is a God in heaven who is still very active in the minds of his mortal children. He loves children and families and will do all he can to see their protection without taking away our free agency.

We’ve been promised that if we follow his commandments then we will receive blessings. This applies to communities, states, nations, individuals and families. If I am doing my best to love and care for my children follow God’s commandments my family will be blessed.

 Read

Isaiah 55:8–11; 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Jacob 4:8; Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God.

1 Corinthians 2:14–16, 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

How is the message of these verses one of comfort?

                I received comfort from these verses because I know that the Lord’s ways are higher than the ways of carnal men. He has greater knowledge and power than all the people on the earth who have ever lived or ever will live combined. This means that if I put my trust in him I am picking the best soldier to fight my war. If he wants to see families strengthened and protected it will be done. If I follow in his ways I will find a way through the murky darkness and confusion that the world offers. In this way will be a way of happiness.

How can we come to better understand God’s thoughts and ways?

                God is not silent. He speaks to his children on earth. We can receive his thoughts and ways through three means.

                The first is by kneeling down in honest and sincere prayer and asking for his help. Our answers will most likely not come in the ways we expect. They will be a feeling in her heart, a voice in her mind, or an event that reveals something to us.

                The second is by reading the Scriptures. These are the words of ancient prophets.

                The last is by listening to the Council of his modern living prophets. These are men who have been called of God and given special keys to act as the Lord’s advocate on earth for his people. They can be found within the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints.

Give an example of when you have observed a clear example of God’s ways being higher than man’s ways.

                I have observed an example in my own life of how God’s ways are higher than man’s. In Mansfield marriage is something that two people do when they are “in love”. But the way the world the finds love is different than the real thing. The world sees love as an emotion. God sees love as an action. In my marriage I and my husband have been able to overcome several obstacles. Including discontent with each other. This is because we understand that love isn’t something that just happens. It is something that you have to work at. It is something you have to take action on to find.