Things are getting increasingly scary and overwhelming as we continue the battle against COVID-19 in our world. Something we thought would go away quickly is continuing on without an end in sight. In fact, the numbers are on the rise again. It seems that everything is in tumult with the virus, the presidential election looming, and everything else going on in the world.
In Come Follow Me this week we are beginning in Mormon. In chapter 2, he talks about all of the wickedness and turmoil around him, but he says, "nevertheless, I know that I shall be lifted up at the last day." So much hope. He held on to what he had been promised by Heavenly Father. That one little smidge of hope in something far greater than he could imagine sustained him through the tough times.
Reading through Mormon, there are 6 ways to survive when the world is falling apart around you.
1. Mormon 1:15- Gain your own testimony. Assess where you are. What can you do to improve it? Can you say you KNOW of the goodness of Jesus? If you can't, what should you do to be able to say you do know?
2. Mormon 2:17- Follow His teachings with strict obedience. We are so lucky to have the record of the Bible as well as The Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ. We are even more lucky to have a modern-day prophet and other leaders of the church that can receive revelation for us in our day.
3. Mormon 2:19- Have confidence in your personal standing with God. Never lose the ground you have already won. Pay attention to the small spiritual promptings and tender mercies you receive in your life. Hold fast to the testimony you have earned throughout your life with your experiences.
4. Mormon 3:11- If you need a time out. Take one. Don't be afraid or feel weak. Sometimes you need to take some time for yourself.
5. Mormon 5:1- Always try again. There are going to be good days and bad. This year (the year we all thought would be a fresh start) the bad seem to outweigh the good. The important thing is to start each day fresh and not hold on to the negative things of yesterday.
6. Mormon 7:1- Love everyone, even your enemies. Mormon is now addressing the Lamanites, the people he has been fighting against for years. He acknowledges that that are also part of the house of Israel and there are so many blessings available to them because of this. I think a lot in our world could be remedied if we loved one another.
May we all gather (in a more figurative sense during this socially distanced year) together to find a sense of love and peace during this time. Mormon drew strength from the good example of Captain Moroni. Think of all of the amazing examples we have! We not only have Captain Moroni and Mormon himself, but we have living spiritual giants today. We can draw strength from each of them, we can find it buried deep within ourselves, and we can ask for more from our Heavenly Father when we feel what we have just isn't quite enough to make it through the hard moments. He's there for us. We just have to hold tight and remember our promised blessings.
