God will never lose hope—even when you do

I grew up in a typical happy, church-attending Mormon family. I am the youngest of five, and my parents taught us all about gospel principles and choosing the right. My parents were stalwart. My mom was involved with seminary for over ten years, and she was wise in the way she taught us. My dad was in the stake presidency for over ten years. He has also served as a bishop, a branch president, and a temple worker. He has the warmest smile that lights up the room. He was a pillar of strength and an example of righteousness to all who observed him.

When I was a freshman in college (about seven years ago), my father was excommunicated from the church. I was shocked, hurt, and confused. I remember feeling like I finally understood the phrase, "my world was turned upside down." Amidst the pain, I was able to forgive my father for what he had done almost immediately. I was grateful that the Lord had granted me this tender mercy.

The hardest part about this experience has not been forgiving my father—the Lord enabled me to do this through His grace. The hardest part has been continuing to have hope that my dad will someday turn his life around. After months and years of my father's unchanging desire to stay away from the church, I started talking about the gospel with him less and less. I would occasionally bring it up, but it was a steady decline, and eventually the gospel was left out of our conversations altogether.

That is why the following scripture in the Book of Mormon has brought me so much strength. After His death and resurrection, Christ visited the people of the ancient Americas. Here in the book of 3 Nephi, chapter 18, verse 32, He is teaching the people about how they should treat others who no longer believe in His gospel:

"Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them."

When I read this verse for the first time after my freshman year of college, I was deeply moved. Tears came to my eyes as I realized that even when I lose hope for my own father, the Savior won't. He will never give up on us. I think this is because He sees us as the divine beings we can become, whereas we tend to see each other as we are currently—fallen, wandering, sinful, mortal.

“Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve.

“God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go. 

“…every day ought to be the start of a new year and a new life. Such is the wonder of faith and repentance and the miracle of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "Remember Lot's Wife"

Every day—any moment in time—can be the start of a new life. I now try to expect that more of others, instead of assuming they will be the same as they were yesterday. The Lord will never give up on us, even when we give up on each other. Even when we lose hope and give up on ourselves. As I remember this truth, my heart takes courage, and I am strengthened.

Is there life after death?

The Book of Mormon teaches us to have faith in life after death, through Jesus Christ. It also tells us  that God cares about what we do with our lives! He knows the works we are doing on earth.

Yesterday, I talked to a woman who is preparing to go to England as a missionary, Sister I. She is an amazing pencil drawing artist, and she has five children. As we discussed how we could help other people learn about Jesus Christ, she shared with me her favorite Book of Mormon scripture.  Her scriptures were worn and well loved. Highlighted in red pencil, I read these words:

"Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body? 

"I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?"

- The Book of Mormon, Alma 5:15-16

Sister I. told me she loves loves to imagine what it will be like when you see Jesus Christ after death, and hear His voice. She said she envisions Him powerful, above the mountains and the clouds. Everything He has will be ours, if we follow Him.

Can you imagine?

That Which is Good Comes from God

The Book of Mormon is a good book. Actually, Joseph Smith said that the word Mormon literally means "more good" in the ancient language it was translated from.

It has influenced me for the better. A couple years ago my parents were going through a divorce and I was having a hard time. I had anger that I did not want to have. I felt that I had problems I did not want to have either. And there was so much that was unclear to me. Maybe life has always been clear to you, but for me it is often like looking through a dark glass.

I remember one night in particular. I was sitting outside in my backyard. It was getting dark and it was just me. And I felt pulled in two directions. One was not a good direction, and it was basically a desire to give up believing in the good and abandon my moral compass and just go enjoy myself for the next few years. The other was a better one, to keep believing in a difference between right and wrong. As I struggled with this decision, a thought came to me, "Mormon is a good man." Now, what does that mean? Mormon abridged the Book of Mormon. He put the best words of the Nephite nation into one book, and then he added a few words of his own followed by a few words from his son. Us Mormons are called Mormons not because we worship the man but as a nickname coming from the book he compiled. But we do believe that he was a prophet called of God. And as I sat there that night, I realized that I had never read anything compiled by Mormon which inclined me to do something wrong. I knew I could trust him and his testimony of Jesus Christ.

I want to tell you all something. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is the collection and abridgment of some of the most important ever words spoken by people under the influence of the Holy Ghost. If you study it everyday you will find your inner compass refined, and you will want to stay on the path it prescribes back to our Heavenly Father. It will feel right. 

And then, you will say for yourselves, "This is a good book. Mormon is a good man. These are the words of Christ." 

Small and Simple Things

There’s a chill anxious happiness that crawls up my back as I delve into certain books. The feeling that my thoughts are about to run across a life altering quote which puts perfectly into perspective how I feel at that moment can be so motivating! Such authors like Jane Austen and C.S. Lewis, Alexander Dumas, and books like The Last Lecture have all sent those sorts of feelings pulsing through me. Such feelings, I’ve found, are inspired by the insatiable desire for discovery. Discovery of principles I know to be true but which I have yet to hear articulated.

Maybe thats why the Book of Mormon has so much power. It’s replete with principles, that when unfolded, give the reader new perspective. You feel your paradigm in life shifting as you read the extraordinary experiences which are in the Book of Mormon. Discovering the power God once gave to man, knowing that He is still willing to manifest Himself in the same way today, is an incredibly empowering experience. The feelings I get from reading the Book of Mormon inspire me to act upon the teachings of Christ. That chill, anxious happiness I feel when reading clever or inspiring literature takes on a new dimension. Rather than the feeling of discovery for what comes next in a book, I feel an insatiable desire to know what comes next in my life. And I find myself searching to apply the principles taught unto the discovery of what my life could really become. How much good can I really do? What sort of a difference can I actually make?

As I've started to make these discoveries, my thoughts often reflect upon the counsel of Alma, a prophet found in the Book of Mormon. He says, “…by small and simple things are great things brought to pass… and the Lord God doth work by [these] means to bring about His great and eternal purposes…”

It comforts me knowing our Father in His wisdom, uses us for the blessing of others. Despite being all powerful and all knowing, he allows us, very small and insignificant people, to bring about much good in the lives of those around us. Whether you have or have not already, I invite you to read and feel the Book of Mormon inspire you to go beyond literature and thoughts and into the lives and hearts of others.

What more would He want than that?