Hope

[Palerider]

Today we had a combined lesson. Our lesson was taken from the book "Preach My Gospel". It was lesson 6 titled"Christlike Attributes. I was interested in the one topic we talked about and that was "Hope".

In the lesson it was stated that... Pres Faust taught that hope is the anchor of our souls and is trust in God's promises. Also mentioned was ....the unfailing source of our hope is that we are sons and daughters of God and that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, saved us from Death.

Elder Neal Maxwell taught us Being blessed with hope, let us, as disciples, reach out to all who, for whatever reason, have moved away from the hope of the gospel. Let us reach to lift hands which hang hopelessly down. (Colossians 1:23)

What about this....any opinions or ideas....is the world so bad right now that there is no hope.....do you think alot of people are feeling like there is no hope because of the stress and conflicts of the world??? Lets some hear some thought and opinions.

[pam]

I've always believed...where there is life there is hope.

[Palerider]

I am wondering what others think...it seems lately I have heard alot of people complaining.......

[Guest Username-Removed]

I think good members will understand, through the Holy Ghost that there is hope. I know things can seem hopeless. When we experience a loss of a house, a job, our retirement, life can seem hopeless. If you put your self-worth on the house, the job, the retirment, (for example) then there is a feeling of hopelessness when they are lost. When all that stuff is right in front of you, its hard to see beyond it. The fact is, there is so much more beyond the problems and issues of the day.

[Tough Grits]

I often wonder where the hope has gone when I hear members bemoan the state of the world and society, and focus too much on the bad.

LDS.org> Gospel Library> Gospel Topics> Hope

In the language of the gospel...the word hope is sure, unwavering, and active. Prophets speak of having a "firm hope" (Alma 34:41) and a "lively hope" (1 Peter 1:3). The prophet Moroni taught , "Whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God" (Ether 12:4) .

Yes, things are bad. But there have been "bad" things since Adam and Eve were thrust out into the loan and dreary world. Just look at what happened between their sons, Cain and Able.

But having a brightness of hope comes from looking at all the beauty amidst the turmoil. Yes, we must avoid the pitfalls of mortality and the temptations of Satan, but we have so much to be thankful for even as we overcome obstacles.

LDS.org> Gospel Library> Gospel Topics> Hope

When we have hope, we trust God's promises. We have a quiet assurance that if we do "the works of righteousness," we "shall receive [our] reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come" (D&C 59:23). Mormon taught that such hope comes only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ: "What is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise" (Moroni 7:41).

What do I hope for? What differentiates my hope from my faith?

I hope that I will have a happy life full of learning and progression.

I have faith in Heavenly Father that He will bless me with the appropriate blessings and trials to achieve the very learning and progression that I hoped for.

LDS.org> Gospel Library> Gospel Topics> Hope

As we strive to live the gospel, we grow in our ability to "abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13). We increase in hope as we pray and seek God's forgiveness. In the Book of Mormon, a missionary named Aaron assured a Lamanite king, "If thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest" (Alma 22:16). We also gain hope as we study the scriptures and follow their teachings. The Apostle Paul taught, "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4).

Yes, we should be concerned enough about the ills of society to do that which is righteous, but there is no need to run around in a panic as if we were Chicken Little shouting that the sky is falling.

I wonder if those (even some members) who are of a doomsday mindset have simply fallen away from reading their scriptures, FHE, daily prayer, repentance, and/or listening to the messages of joy and hope from our leaders.

LDS.org> Gospel Library> Gospel Topics> Hope

The principle of hope extends into the eternities, but it also can sustain us through the everyday challenges of life. "Happy is he," said the Psalmist, "that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God" (Psalm 146:5). With hope, we can find joy in life. We can "have patience, and bear with . . . afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions" (Alma 34:41). We can "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life" (2 Nephi 31:20).

Sure, I am concerned about the world...especially in regards to my children, but because of my faith and hope, which is constantly nourished by my prayers, studying, FHE, repentance, and listening to the messages of joy and hope from our leaders, I am able to see the brightness all around me rather than the darkness.

[Palerider]

Hey Tough.....I agree with what you said....our stake is spread out. Going to most units inour stake is an hour or more drive. As a Stake Young Mens President I hear alot of complaining...like....I hope I never get a stake calling due to the driving and the expense of gas and etc. I wonder to if most have given up "Hope".

[hethathathears]

It is an amazing culture that we have become. Many feel that if we loose our homes, our jobs, our cars, our boats,... then we won't have any hope. What did the human race do for the last 6000 year that didn't have any of these things. Here's the deal, we are not promised for life to be all down hill, at the perfect temperature of 70 degrees, with $5,017 in our bank account, and never having to eat our mother in law's cooking until the Savior comes again. Life is going to get a little choppy, and yet we still will have hope.

[Justice]

Heb. 11:

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

We're always told that this scripture is one of the best definitions of faith that we have. But, at first glance it looks like faith is something we hope for and evidence of faith is not seen.

This scripture couldn't be farther from that.

faith is the substance of things hoped for

Faith is... or the definiton of faith will follow.

the substance... or what makes it up, or what we can see to know when faith is present.

of things hope for... the things we hope for, what we dream of and work toward.

It is saying that faith is substance; it's real; tangible. Faith isn't something we hope for. Faith is the result of hope in Christ.

When we learn of Christ we learn of our fallen state because of sin and disobedience. We realize what that has done to our standing with our Father in Heaven. When we learn what Christ did for us, and what is possible because of Him, we have hope that we can be saved and return to live with our Father in Heaven. Without this hope, there is no reason for faith that follows. All things become meaningless and pointless without Christ and the hope He brings.

Yes, there is no hope without Christ. But, because of Christ, we can hope for everlasting life. This hope drives anything and everything we do in the Gospel.

Edited June 30, 2008 by Justice

[bert10]

Hi Palerider.

The people shall perish when the people have no vision. Without vision there can be no hope. And without Hope there can be no faith in which to overcome. We LDS have been given a vision which to hope for.

Proverbs 29:18 - Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Romans 8:24 - For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

Romans 8:25 - But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Peace be unto you

bert10

Today we had a combined lesson. Our lesson was taken from the book "Preach My Gospel". It was lesson 6 titled"Christlike Attributes. I was interested in the one topic we talked about and that was "Hope".

In the lesson it was stated that... Pres Faust taught that hope is the anchor of our souls and is trust in God's promises. Also mentioned was ....the unfailing source of our hope is that we are sons and daughters of God and that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, saved us from Death.

Elder Neal Maxwell taught us Being blessed with hope, let us, as disciples, reach out to all who, for whatever reason, have moved away from the hope of the gospel. Let us reach to lift hands which hang hopelessly down. (Colossians 1:23)

What about this....any opinions or ideas....is the world so bad right now that there is no hope.....do you think alot of people are feeling like there is no hope because of the stress and conflicts of the world??? Lets some hear some thought and opinions.

[Misshalfway]

In my last ward, I was talking to the RS pres. She shared with me that she didn't know a family in the ward that hadn't or wasn't dealing with really heavy burdens -- burdens of all kinds. I wonder sometimes if it isn't the weight of these burdens that gets us down and questioning. Satan is so good at dowsing our hope. I think there are dark days for some. Dark days of confusion and loneliness and perhaps even shame. No wonder your lesson focused on reaching out to help lift the hands who hang down.

I get a little impatient with Saints that say we "should" hope, as if to say that someone who is struggling with hope at the moment is somehow flawed or sinful or less than. Such sanctimony isn't helpful to someone caught in the throws of trial. We are invited to help lift the hands that hand down, not judge them.

I think the message should be one of invitation and perhaps thru kind and empathetic communication helping someone to remember or maybe even learn for the first time the true breadth of hope thru Christ.

[Avrham]

I suppose with all thats going on in the world bad/good we should individually look out are own front door and see what we can do in our own way to help others find hope/faith or just smile nothing like a good smile too brighten up anyones day

We all need hope it teachs the bigger picture if you can or want to see it

[Palerider]

sometimes the 13th Article of faith comes to mind....:)

[Tough Grits]

Looking back at my mental break-down in 2005, I could say that I had no hope. Not because I had lost my faith, but because my mind was so broken, that I could only think of leaving this earth.

Yet I am still here. How is that?

I have seriously pondered this. The answer means a lot to me, because my life was spared as a result.

Maybe all the hope, faith, studying, praying, pondering, listening to my leaders, and reading of the scriptures that I had done prior to my breakdown had me on such a forward momentum, that when I went through my breakdown, I was able to coast forward still on the momentum of the hope and faith that I had before my breakdown.

Also, there were MANY family members and friends praying for me. I was certainly lifted up and protected by their prayers, their faith, and their hope.

Now, at the bottom of it all was God's will. It was not His will for me to succumb to the dark thoughts of depression.

True, I was not actively using my hope/faith during my breakdown, because I was not mentally able to do so. But it is my own personal belief that because I had followed correct principles BEFORE my breakdown, that I was able to better endure that horrendous trial. I can't even begin to imagine how I would have endured without this Gospel.

It is not folly to teach correct principles. Yes, there are some who use their knowledge to bash those they see as sinners, but we are all sinners to some degree. Therefore, correct principles are for each of us. When a person states that we should never lose our brightness of hope, we should choose to see their words as concern for us and their way of trying to help us. Some people are better at expressing themselves than others.

Did I really lose my brightness of hope amidst my breakdown?

My personal belief is that all my faith and hope was still within my spirit, but because of the severity of my depression, it just became harder for that hope and faith within my spirit to penetrate the dark thoughts of my mind.

Just my thoughts.

[tubaloth]

I never completely understood the relationship with Hope and Faith… That is until I read this last year, by A BYU Philosophy Professor Dennis F. Rasmussen. Its kind of deep, and because of time I didn’t really sift through it much, so here is a big chunk of it.

We may approach this viewpoint in terms of hope. Hope is confidence in the future, the time when the things not yet seen will appear. Hope, then, requires an awareness of time and a power to conceive what has not yet occurred. We say "tomorrow" or "next week" or "next year," and often fail to note the marvel: we can speak and think about what has not yet happened and does not yet exist. All the world is immersed in time, but only intelligent beings understand this, and they alone can hope. This power to look forward to the future is two-sided. We may face the future with hope but also with fear. Those creatures that cannot conceive the future as we can do not share our plans and purposes, but neither do they bear our worries and cares. To be filled with hopeless thoughts of the morrow is surely more painful than to have no awareness of the future at all.

But human beings do face the future, an unknown yet all-embracing realm toward which and into which every path of life leads. By means of our power to consider the future, we may introduce purpose and aim into the course of our lives. We may, if we will, guide our lives by thoughtfulness and hope. But hope alone is not enough. Faith gives confidence or assurance to hope that it can find the things it seeks. By giving assurance concerning the future, faith helps us to plan our present actions with an eye to the future. Faith sustains our imagination and strengthens our will. For faith is the principle of action. This means that faith is the beginning or origin of action. Because we are intelligent beings who possess faith as well as hope, the things we seek in the future can affect our present plans. These plans, when faith puts them into action, can in turn help to secure what we seek. As the very "substance of things hoped for," faith thus makes genuine hope possible. We may, perhaps, believe we can do something without hoping to do it. But we cannot hope to do something without believing we are able to do it. In the words of Mormon, "without faith there cannot be any hope" (Moroni 7:42).

We not only consider the future but also remember the past—both our own and that of others. The past contains the lessons mankind has learned. We ignore it at great risk. But of the two, past and future, the future must be regarded as the more vital. The idea of progress, so important in the gospel and in Western civilization where Christianity took root, is clearly a product of faith and hope. We keep the ideal of progress vivid and strong when we seek to go forward and do better than we have. If ever we begin to think more about past deeds than about future deeds, then progress has ceased to beckon us. But though we look to the future, we live in the present, which is the time for action, the day, as scripture says, in which our labors are to be performed (see Alma 34:32-33).

What, then, is action? An action occurs when an intelligent being living in a world of time carries out a choice or plan first conceived in his mind. The idea precedes the act. Even actions performed by habit, which seem to involve no aim, were not always so. They were once subject to choice, and they became habits by choice, even if the choice was simply a passive refusal to prevent them. To choose something actively means to pursue it as an end to be achieved in the future, even if that future reaches no further ahead of the present than a brief moment. An action is voluntary, chosen, done on purpose. The aims of actions may vary, but every action has an aim, some result intended. Because faith is the principle of action, action has faith as its source. Action is faith at work; without faith, there would be no action.

(Larry E. Dahl and Charles D. Tate, Jr., eds., The Lectures on Faith in Historical Perspective [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1990], 165.)

[Hemidakota]

Discussing this topic, it reminds me of the following scriptures Palerider.

Moroni 7...Mormon, which he spake concerning faith, hope, and charity; for after this manner did ... Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of ... brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith...

Ether 12 ...whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the ... partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen...

Romans 8 ...reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall ... redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see...

Moroni 10... there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope there must also ... not faith; neither can ye if ye have no hope. 22 And if ye have no hope ye must needs...

Jacob 4...know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before ... coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets ... having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch...

Lamentations 3...prosperity. 18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: 19 Remembering ... This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we ... portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD is good unto them ...

Jeremiah 17...man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree ... place of our sanctuary. 13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall ... 17 Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. 18 Let them be confounded...

Psalms 119...servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. 50 This is my comfort in my affliction ... soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word. 82 Mine eyes fail for thy ... Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word. 115 Depart from me, ye evildoers...

Moroni 8...of iniquity; for he hath neither faith, hope, nor charity; wherefore, should he be cut ... Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by...

Colossians 1...which ye have to all the saints, 5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ... settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and ... the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 28 Whom we preach, warning every...

As we have hope that the Savior will be there when we face those trials in our own lives.

There Is Always Hope in BYU Speeches 1984 by John H. Groberg - 3 June 1984..."subject I wish to speak on is one that I hope you will appreciate. I know I do. It is simply this: there is always hope. I have read and heard from different ..."

But pertaining to your article you reference, I do believe it was this one: "Brightness of Hope" in Ensign Nov. 1994 by Neal A. Maxwell.

[Hemidakota]

Looking back at my mental break-down in 2005, I could say that I had no hope. Not because I had lost my faith, but because my mind was so broken, that I could only think of leaving this earth.

Yet I am still here. How is that?

I have seriously pondered this. The answer means a lot to me, because my life was spared as a result.

Maybe all the hope, faith, studying, praying, pondering, listening to my leaders, and reading of the scriptures that I had done prior to my breakdown had me on such a forward momentum, that when I went through my breakdown, I was able to coast forward still on the momentum of the hope and faith that I had before my breakdown.

Also, there were MANY family members and friends praying for me. I was certainly lifted up and protected by their prayers, their faith, and their hope.

Now, at the bottom of it all was God's will. It was not His will for me to succumb to the dark thoughts of depression.

True, I was not actively using my hope/faith during my breakdown, because I was not mentally able to do so. But it is my own personal belief that because I had followed correct principles BEFORE my breakdown, that I was able to better endure that horrendous trial. I can't even begin to imagine how I would have endured without this Gospel.

It is not folly to teach correct principles. Yes, there are some who use their knowledge to bash those they see as sinners, but we are all sinners to some degree. Therefore, correct principles are for each of us. When a person states that we should never lose our brightness of hope, we should choose to see their words as concern for us and their way of trying to help us. Some people are better at expressing themselves than others.

Did I really lose my brightness of hope amidst my breakdown?

My personal belief is that all my faith and hope was still within my spirit, but because of the severity of my depression, it just became harder for that hope and faith within my spirit to penetrate the dark thoughts of my mind.

Just my thoughts.

My hope is learning what our forefathers of the faith knew [Enoch]...

[Hemidakota]

I suppose with all thats going on in the world bad/good we should individually look out are own front door and see what we can do in our own way to help others find hope/faith or just smile nothing like a good smile too brighten up anyones day

We all need hope it teachs the bigger picture if you can or want to see it

Welcome to the forum....

[WANDERER]

I like this saying: faith is the root, hope is the stem and charity is the flower.

You can have one without the other, but there is no fullness of life in them. Yet with a little nurturing stems can grow roots, roots can grow stems and flowers produce seeds.

[sixpacktr]

I think that hope is something that we we all need in order to make it thru this life. Without that hope that comes from understanding the role and mission of the Savior, life would be bleak indeed. I went thru a lot of my life without that hope. Satan had convinced me that I wasn't good enough anyway. I still did the things I was supposed to and even served in some leadership positions, but I truly believed I was lost.

I have since gained that hope that comes thru the Faith necessary to repent and believe on Jesus Christ as my Savior. My life is much more peaceful. Not easy, not by any means. It seems that Satan has targeted me for several things that have tried my faith, but the blessings of the Spirit help me to put things in perspective and have hope and trust in God.

Now, I have no hope for the world. I see it spiraling out of control into the abyss at a quicker and quicker rate. The minions of Satan are very active today in pushing agenda's and programs thru that are meant to destroy the family. Nehor DREAMED of this day.

So my hope is centered on Christ and that he will eventually triumph. But Satan is having his day to sift thru us and separate the wheat from the tares. We need to pray constantly that we won't give up at the end, but rather hang tough no matter what, so that our hope can become reality, and we can return to live with HF again because of our faith on his Son.

[Palerider]

Looking back at my mental break-down in 2005, I could say that I had no hope. Not because I had lost my faith, but because my mind was so broken, that I could only think of leaving this earth.

Yet I am still here. How is that?

I have seriously pondered this. The answer means a lot to me, because my life was spared as a result.

Maybe all the hope, faith, studying, praying, pondering, listening to my leaders, and reading of the scriptures that I had done prior to my breakdown had me on such a forward momentum, that when I went through my breakdown, I was able to coast forward still on the momentum of the hope and faith that I had before my breakdown.

Also, there were MANY family members and friends praying for me. I was certainly lifted up and protected by their prayers, their faith, and their hope.

Now, at the bottom of it all was God's will. It was not His will for me to succumb to the dark thoughts of depression.

True, I was not actively using my hope/faith during my breakdown, because I was not mentally able to do so. But it is my own personal belief that because I had followed correct principles BEFORE my breakdown, that I was able to better endure that horrendous trial. I can't even begin to imagine how I would have endured without this Gospel.

It is not folly to teach correct principles. Yes, there are some who use their knowledge to bash those they see as sinners, but we are all sinners to some degree. Therefore, correct principles are for each of us. When a person states that we should never lose our brightness of hope, we should choose to see their words as concern for us and their way of trying to help us. Some people are better at expressing themselves than others.

Did I really lose my brightness of hope amidst my breakdown?

My personal belief is that all my faith and hope was still within my spirit, but because of the severity of my depression, it just became harder for that hope and faith within my spirit to penetrate the dark thoughts of my mind.

Just my thoughts.

I can relate to what you are saying.....The first time I was called as a Bishop I was 32yrs old. Our 4 kids were ...10....8....6....4. My poor wife had her hands full sitting there in church trying to take care of the kids. I helped all I could by letting one of the younger ones come up to the stand and sit on my lap.

What I am getting at is this....during this time my wife had a breakdown and hope was all we had.....we gained stronger faith and by going to the LDS Councilor with her for a full year, she was able to be healed thru the principles of the gospel. I blame myself for alot of this.....I was too busy saving the Ward instead of making sure my family was especially my wife was ok. If I had taken the time to listen to her I might have seen the signs.

[Tough Grits]

I can relate to what you are saying.....The first time I was called as a Bishop I was 32yrs old. Our 4 kids were ...10....8....6....4. My poor wife had her hands full sitting there in church trying to take care of the kids. I helped all I could by letting one of the younger ones come up to the stand and sit on my lap.

What I am getting at is this....during this time my wife had a breakdown and hope was all we had.....we gained stronger faith and by going to the LDS Councilor with her for a full year, she was able to be healed thru the principles of the gospel. I blame myself for alot of this.....I was too busy saving the Ward instead of making sure my family was especially my wife was ok. If I had taken the time to listen to her I might have seen the signs.

Thank you for sharing this.

I have learned quite a few things over the years...up there among the top things are these two:

1. Hindsight is often 20/20

2. Forgiving others also includes forgiving ourselves.

My heart goes out to you and your family. Lots of love...

~TG

[inspire]

From Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L Millet:

Hope that saves is born of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and leads one to it hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Hope is not merely wishful thinking, fantasizing, or emotional escapism. It is a moving confidence and a firm expectation of eternal life that comes from trusting in and following the Savior (see Mormon Doctrine, pp. 365-66). The hope that is an anchor to the souls of men is riveted to the infinite and eternal sacrifice of the Lord. It is by reason of the Atonement that we have hope for a better world. Hope in Christ that flows from faith is an abiding confidence in the fulfillment of God's promises and covenants to us. It is an inner peace that results from a personal relationship with Deity. This active hope in Christ makes one "sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." From Book of Mormon usage of the concept of hope it appears that hope is linked to the change of heart that comes with "faith unto repentance. " Faith leads one to desire righteousness, which in turn leads to repentance and a change of heart, which brings hope. Such hope leads one to continue to abound in righteousness and to a yearning for eternal associations with the pure in heart and those whose garments have been made white by the blood of the Lamb. Elder John H. Groberg declared: "The basis of all righteous hope is the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Him all hope has its existence. Without Him there is no hope. But because He was and is and ever will be, there was, is, and ever will be hope . . . . In Christ who lives and loves and works miracles now, there is always hope."

You may notice in the scriptures that "hope" is most often grouped with "faith" and "charity" (in the middle). It is my belief that true hope is brought about by that "mighty change of heart." Basically, it is a confidence that we are on the right path... manifestations of the Spirit that our obedience and faithfulness is producing abundant blessings. From there, active hope produces "charity."

I wish I could explain it better, but in my head it all makes sense.

[VisionOfLehi]

I think that hope and faith can be "saved" up, just as our other supplies for getting through emergencies. If we are diligent, faithful, and hopeful, I think it will carry use through the hard times, even if during them we don't feel as if we're gaining or having any hope.

Tough Grits's story touches perfectly on this.

Are we building up a year supply of hope with our food, money, clothing, and fuel?

[VisionOfLehi]

Adding on to this, it reminds me of a lesson in Church that I rather liked (But was accused of not paying attention to! Haha!)

This same topic was paralleled to bones in women.

As children and youth, girls who are physically active build up calcium in their bones. The activity causes those micro fractures that the body repairs and makes stronger.

This activity in youth makes stronger bones, and decreases the chance and severity of osteoporosis in the later years.

If we're diligent and obedient, then that will help us even when there's not a crisis, but during times when faith falters. In my experience, some weeks and even some months it's harder to want to be "active" in the Church, but the experiences and faith I've built up beforehand keep me going. I don't get osteoporosis of faith.

Also, I love milk, but it makes my breath stinky.

[Tough Grits]

Also, I love milk, but it makes my breath stinky.

:lol: