When the resurrected Lord appeared on the American continent, He told the assembled multitude, “So great faith have I never seen among all the Jews; wherefore I could not show unto them so great miracles, because of their unbelief.” As a consequence of the multitude’s great faith, their little children experienced the ministering of angels, healing, and other marvelous blessings.

The Savior was disappointed when His disciples and others demonstrated little or no faith in Him. On one occasion, Jesus boarded a small ship to cross the Sea of Galilee. There arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship. The Savior slept, oblivious to the danger and weary from the day’s labors. The Apostles, fearing that the ship would sink, awoke Him, crying,

“Master, carest thou not that we perish?

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

Jesus then asked, “Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”

Matthew wrote that Jesus did not do many mighty works in Nazareth, his home village, “because of their unbelief.” How often do we go without intended blessings because of our little faith? No wonder the early Apostles pleaded to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

Increased faith is as vital and necessary today as it was when Jesus walked the earth. Our modern world struggles with insufficient faith. President Gordon B. Hinckley said in a conference talk: “This is my prayer for all of us. … Increase our faith to bridge the chasms of uncertainty and doubt. … Grant us faith to look beyond the problems of the moment to the miracles of the future. … Give us faith to do what is right and let the consequences follow.”

In fact, the Restoration of the gospel occurred as the result of great faith on the part of the Prophet Joseph Smith while he was yet a boy in his early teens. The coming forth of the Book of Mormon was an act of faith in Jesus Christ on the part of ancient American prophets who wrote their revelations and spiritual experiences upon metal plates. They had faith that their record would be a significant part of a glorious restoration of the gospel in latter days. The angel Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith on a September night in 1823 when he approached the Lord in faith. He later wrote, “For I had full confidence [faith] in obtaining a divine manifestation, as I previously had one.”

What Is Faith?

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that faith is “the first principle in revealed religion, and the foundation of all righteousness.” The Apostle Paul defined faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The Prophet Joseph Smith further revealed through his inspired revision of the Bible (the JST) that faith was the “assurance of things hoped for” (substituting assurance for substance). He explained that faith “is the assurance we have of the existence of unseen things. And being the assurance, … [faith] must be the principle of action in all intelligent beings.”

A song that Primary children sing teaches the nature of faith:

Faith is knowing the sun will rise, lighting each new day.

Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time I pray.

Faith is like a little seed:

If planted it will grow.

Faith is a swelling within my heart.

When I do right, I know.

President Hinckley observed, “When I discuss faith, I do not mean it in an abstract sense. I mean it as a living, vital force with recognition of God as our Father and Jesus Christ as our Savior. When we accept this basic premise, there will come an acceptance of their teachings and an obedience which will bring peace and joy in this life and exaltation in the life to come.”

Faith, belief, and hope are often used interchangeably, and it may be difficult to distinguish between these words. There is a difference, however. Although we cannot have faith without belief and hope, we can believe without having faith. Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained, “Belief, in one of its accepted senses, may consist in a merely intellectual assent, while faith implies such confidence and conviction as will impel to action.” The Savior taught, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” The Apostle James said it another way: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” So-called faith without works is not faith at all!

Faith is interwoven with other gospel attributes, especially hope and charity. All three help bring us to Christ. Feelings of doubt, fear, despair, or discouragement are the opposite of faith, hope, and charity. Faith requires action, and action is inhibited by fear and doubt. Doubt and fear diminish as one’s faith increases. In the parable of the talents, the slothful servant’s underlying problem was lack of faith. On the day of reckoning, he rationalized, “And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth.” The two servants who were given five and two talents, respectively, multiplied them through faith and personal effort. They were rewarded, while the faithless, fearing servant lost what he had received. Shakespeare described the negative effects of little faith, “Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”

Faith Is in the Lord and His Promises

Our faith is in our Heavenly Father and His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Although we talk of having faith in people, in principles, or in things, real faith focuses on eternal life through knowing “the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent.” Faith takes us beyond mere acceptance of the Savior’s identity and existence. It includes having complete confidence in His infinite and eternal redemptive power to save us from sin and death. Faith permits us to acknowledge Christ’s divine attributes, including infinite love for both the innocent and the sinner. It acknowledges the Lord’s limitless capacity to forgive and heal when we cast our burdens upon Him. Faith also includes certitude that His promises in the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets will be kept. Thus, integrity and obedience to the law of tithing, Word of Wisdom, and law of chastity are matters of faith. Those who pay tithing are able to enthusiastically testify that the Lord does “open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Gaining Faith That Saves

Jacob, Nephi’s younger brother, wrote that his faith and his people’s faith became “unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.” Our goal today should be the same, to have unshakable faith.

Some seem to acquire strong faith almost naturally as they grow up. For me, gaining strong faith was somewhat of a struggle. I was born of goodly parents and raised in a home where I grew up under the influence of the gospel. However, when I reached missionary age, my faith was not strong enough to enable me to feel comfortable teaching and testifying to others not of our faith. This unbelief led me to turn down my bishop’s urging that I serve a mission.

After one of our interviews, the bishop pointedly asked if I was going to live my entire life without knowing whether the gospel was true. He made it quite clear that it was up to me to do something about my lack of faith and encouraged me to make this a matter of urgent study and prayer.

Unfortunately, my desire was weak and I was unwilling to give the needed time and effort. As a university student, however, I found myself increasingly confronted with choices relating to gospel standards. This helped me understand that I did need to know if the Church was true and, if it was, the necessity of leading a life consistent with its teachings. Therefore, I did not register for the next quarter’s university classes. I devoted several months to a careful reading of the Book of Mormon, the New Testament, and many chapters of the Old Testament. I knelt down frequently to ask God to help me understand the things I was reading and to give me a testimony of the Book of Mormon.

The fulfillment of the promise in the Book of Mormon that the Lord would “manifest the truth of it … by the power of the Holy Ghost” did not happen immediately. One Sunday, not long after I finished reading the Book of Mormon, I attended fast and testimony meeting in my ward. A sister gave a beautiful testimony of the Savior and the gospel. I remember wishing I had such a testimony. As she sat down, I found myself getting to my feet. At that moment I experienced something indescribable in my heart and mind. The impressions were so powerful I felt like my hair was standing on end. I testified with certitude that the Book of Mormon was true and that Jesus, the living Christ, was my Redeemer. I gladly received a call to serve a mission soon after that marvelous experience. My mission turned out to be one of the most important and fulfilling experiences of my life. My faith, to this day, continues to increase.

Those seeking faith in Jesus Christ, which motivates us to action, may not realize there is a price to pay. Many, like leprous Naaman, expect some great thing without obedience and hard work.

Desire is the foundation of faith. Alma taught the Zoramites how to begin the process of gaining faith. He encouraged, “Arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you.” Desire may be either augmented or quenched by circumstances. For example, the riches of the world, the honors of men, popularity, peer pressure, or keeping up with the Joneses may diminish our desire for faith, whereas pain, suffering, loneliness, or loss of loved ones often create deep emotions and a yearning for hope and faith.

Increasing Our Faith

Four steps, when coupled with desire, help us gain faith in Jesus Christ. They are study, prayer, service and sacrifice, and personal righteousness.

Study. We gain faith like any other attribute. The Prophet Joseph Smith instructed, “Faith comes by hearing the word of God, through the testimony of the servants of God.” Thus, we see the importance of attending Church, studying the scriptures, viewing or listening to general conference where possible, and reading the reports of general conference.

Prayer. The Apostle Paul counseled that through our prayers we “might perfect that which is lacking in [our] faith.”

Service and sacrifice. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things.” We must be willing to pass the same tests of faith and devotion as did Abraham.

Personal righteousness. The Savior taught, “If any man will do [God’s] will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” Sin is the greatest of all faith destroyers. Pride, anger, selfishness, greed, or any other form of disobedience diminishes faith, while righteousness leads to greater faith.

What if we apply the four steps and the reward of faith is not forthcoming? We may need to evaluate our efforts. Moroni, for example, stipulated that in a quest for a testimony of the Book of Mormon, one shall ask with a sincere heart and with real intent. He taught us, “Wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.” Ultimately, unshakable faith in Jesus Christ is a gift of the Holy Ghost.

Nourishing and Maintaining Faith

Faith, if lost, is difficult to regain. Acquiring faith is not a one-time thing. It, like much else in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is acquired “line upon line, precept upon precept.” Faith must be continually nourished by repentance, partaking of the sacrament, and keeping sacred temple covenants and marriage vows. Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles observed:

“If we cease nurturing our faith in any of these four specific ways [serving, studying, praying, and worshiping], we are vulnerable.

“Failure to study, for instance, is to be intellectually and spiritually malnourished. …

“A lack of deep personal prayer and deep genuine worship also erodes our faith.”

We nourish faith by recounting examples of faith. That is why histories and journals are important. We all have had experiences that promote and build faith. They should be remembered and passed down to future generations.

Faith Is Developed in the Home

The home is the best place to plant and nourish the seeds of faith. Elder A. Theodore Tuttle (1919–86) of the Seventy testified:

“I am a product of a household of faith. I learned faith in my home. I was taught it. It was drilled into me. …

“We’re not going to survive in this world, temporally or spiritually, without increased faith in the Lord—and I don’t mean positive mental attitude—I mean downright solid faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Parents are held accountable by the Lord to teach their children “to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, when eight years old.” When parents neglect this commandment, the Lord states, “the sin be upon the heads of the parents.” Family home evening, family scripture study, and family prayer provide settings where parents can carry out this God-given responsibility to teach their children.

Unfortunately, some of us grow to adulthood without the wonderful opportunity to develop faith as a child. Lack of opportunity in the home, however, does not excuse anyone from gaining faith or being faithful. It is never too late; we are never too old to begin the steps leading to faith in Jesus Christ, which leads to action.

The Blessings of Faith in Jesus Christ

Many go without the matchless blessings that flow from God when we have abiding faith in Him and His Only Begotten Son. Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles observed: “As an abstract principle faith is nothing; it is of no more worth than an abstract principle of mathematics. But faith in the heart of a man—a living, vibrant faith—can raise the dead, create worlds, and save souls.” Faith is the motivating power for the 11 million members of the Church living in more than 160 countries. It is the force behind the 60,000 full-time missionaries who leave home and loved ones to build up the kingdom by preaching the gospel and magnifying special assignments. It is faith that leads, in our days, to the building of an unprecedented number of temples. Faith motivates members to become and remain worthy to enter these temples and to perform ordinances in behalf of themselves and their kindred dead. Faith compels members of the restored Church to labor with might and strength to move the latter-day work forward to prepare for the return of our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Thomas exclaimed, after he felt the wounds in the hands, feet, and side of the resurrected Lord, “My Lord and my God.” Jesus gently rebuked His doubting disciple and, in so doing, left us a marvelous promise: “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

May we be eager to merit the priceless gift of faith. May we have faith like Nephi of old, who was unequivocally able to say, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.” I bear my personal witness that whoever desires and is willing to take the necessary steps will receive the joy and promised blessings of saving faith, which is faith in Jesus Christ.

James O. Mason, “Faith in Jesus Christ”, Ensign, Apr. 2001, 22

With a tear of sadness, we leave our beloved Tabernacle, the traditional site for general conference. As President Hinckley has said, “We have outgrown it.” We pause to pay tribute to the faith, vision, and inspiration of Brigham Young and his associates who in faith built the Tabernacle, the construction of which is truly remarkable. I have been in the ceiling area of the Tabernacle, where the original rawhide bindings are still wrapped around the timbers of the roof structure. Although the timbers have since been reinforced with steel, the creative handiwork of the faithful pioneer Saints still stands as a symbol of their great faith.

I believe the future will be great and marvelous in many respects. Opportunities for education and learning have increased and will continue to increase dramatically. One person defined it this way: “Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don’t.” Now and in the future, vast amounts of information are becoming more accessible worldwide through electronic devices in the home, the workplace, or the local library. However, great will be the challenges and endless the problems, because with this wave of knowledge, life actually becomes more complicated. Brigham Young said, “It was revealed to me in the commencement of this Church, that the Church would spread, prosper, grow and extend, and that in proportion to the spread of the Gospel among the nations of the earth, so would the power of Satan rise.”

As we move into a new era, we have only one safe course: to press forward in faith. Faith will be our strong shield to protect us from the fiery arrows of Satan. Values should not change with time, because faith in Jesus Christ is indispensable to happiness and eternal salvation. The greatest century of advancement in science and technology has just ended. Yet a spirit of darkness prevails in our day as it did many centuries ago when Jesus Christ was about to be crucified. Even so, as the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “Great blessings await us at this time, and will soon be poured out upon us, if we are faithful in all things, for we are even entitled to greater spiritual blessings than they were, because they had Christ in person with them, to instruct them in the great plan of salvation. His personal presence we have not, therefore we have need of greater faith.” Faith is the first principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ as set forth by the Prophet Joseph: “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” This faith will be the sanctuary for our souls.

Never before in the history of the world has the need for faith in God been greater. Although science and technology open up boundless opportunities, they also present great perils because Satan employs these marvelous discoveries to his great advantage. The communication highway that spans the globe is overloaded with information for which no one bears responsibility for its truth or its source. Crime has become much more sophisticated and life more perilous. In war, killing has become far more efficient. Great challenges lie ahead unless the power of faith, judgment, honesty, decency, self-control, and character increases proportionately to compensate for this expansion of secular knowledge. Without moral progress, stimulated by faith in God, immorality in all its forms will proliferate and strangle goodness and human decency. Mankind will not be able to fully express the potential nobility of the human soul unless faith in God is strengthened.

In our time the belief that science and technology can solve all of mankind’s problems has become a theocracy. I would despair if I thought our eternal salvation depended on scientific, technical, or secular knowledge separate from righteousness and the word of God. The word of God as spoken by His prophets through the centuries justifies no other conclusion. Many believe that the transcendent answers to life’s questions lie in the test tube, in the laboratories, in the equations, and in the telescopes. This theocracy of science leaves out the ultimate answer to the overarching question, “Why?” Knowing cause and effect is fascinating but does not explain why we are here, where we came from, and where we are going. As Albert Einstein said, “I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world.”

President Harold B. Lee once said: “No matter what his progress in science, man must always be subject to the will and direction of Divine Providence. Man has never discovered anything that God has not already known.”

I do not believe that this great outpouring of knowledge happened by chance. All of this secular knowledge did not come solely from the creative minds of men and women. Mankind has been on the earth a long time. Over the centuries, knowledge came at a snail’s pace.

I believe that the appearance of God the Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in 1820 to Joseph Smith unlocked the heavens not only to the great spiritual knowledge revealed in this dispensation but also to secular knowledge. “Anthropologists inform us that for thousands of years the average human being could expect to live about 25 to 30 years.” But since the late 19th century, life expectancy worldwide has risen to 64 years. New ideas, including scientific inventions and discoveries of better ways of doing things, were being produced annually at 39 a year from 4,000 b.c. to a.d. 1, contrasted to 3,840 new ideas a year in the 19th century, while today they are created at the rate of 110,000 a year.

Now comes the challenge to prevent the scientific, technical, and intellectual from stifling the spiritual enlightenment in our lives. As someone once said, “The greatest of undeveloped resources [in our country] is faith; the greatest of unused power is prayer.” Technology may help us communicate with each other and the world, but not with God.

I wish to sound a voice of warning to this people. I solemnly declare that this spiritual kingdom of faith will move forward with or without each of us individually. No unhallowed hand can stay the growth of the Church nor prevent fulfillment of its mission. Any of us can be left behind, drawn away by the seductive voices of secularism and materialism.

To sustain faith, each of us must be humble and compassionate, kind and generous to the poor and the needy. Faith is further sustained by daily doses of spirituality that come to us as we kneel in prayer. It begins with us as individuals and extends to our families, who need to be solidified in righteousness. Honesty, decency, integrity, and morality are all necessary ingredients of our faith and will provide sanctuary for our souls.

Simple faith in God the Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost is like a supercharger operating in our lives. As Elder Charles W. Penrose said: “Some people will not believe anything they cannot grasp with their human reason or cannot see with their natural eyes. But blessed is the man of faith, blessed is the woman of faith! For by faith they can see into things that cannot be discerned by the natural eyes. They can reach out to the regions of immortality, grasp eternal realities and lay hold upon the things of God!” This is so because through faith, our natural gifts and powers of achievement are increasingly enhanced.

Faith intensifies and magnifies our gifts and abilities. There is no greater source of knowledge than the inspiration that comes from the Godhead, who have all understanding and knowledge of that which has been, is now, and will be in the future.

At Haun’s Mill, a heroic pioneer woman, Amanda Smith, learned by faith how to do something beyond her abilities and the scientific knowledge of her time. On that terrible day in 1838, as the firing ceased and the mobsters left, she returned to the mill and saw her eldest son, Willard, carrying his seven-year-old brother, Alma. She cried, “Oh! my Alma is dead!”

“No, mother,” he said, “I think Alma is not dead. But father and brother Sardius are [dead]!” But there was no time for tears now. Alma’s entire hipbone was shot away. Amanda later recalled:

“Flesh, hip bone, joint and all had been ploughed out. … We laid little Alma on a bed in our tent and I examined the wound. It was a ghastly sight. I knew not what to do. … Yet was I there, all that long, dreadful night, with my dead and my wounded, and none but God as our physician and help. ‘Oh my Heavenly Father,’ I cried, ‘what shall I do? Thou seest my poor wounded boy and knowest my inexperience. Oh, Heavenly Father, direct me what to do!’ And then I was directed as by a voice speaking to me.

“… Our fire was still smouldering. … I was directed to take … ashes and make a lye and put a cloth saturated with it right into the wound. … Again and again I saturated the cloth and put it into the hole … , and each time mashed flesh and splinters of bone came away with the cloth; and the wound became as white as chicken’s flesh.

“Having done as directed I again prayed to the Lord and was again instructed as distinctly as though a physician had been standing by speaking to me. Near by was a slippery-elm tree. From this I was told to make a … poultice and fill the wound with it. … The poultice was made, and the wound, which took fully a quarter of a yard of linen to cover, … was properly dressed. …

“I removed the wounded boy to a house … and dressed his hip; the Lord directing me as before. I was reminded that in my husband’s trunk there was a bottle of balsam. This I poured into the wound, greatly soothing Alma’s pain.

“ ‘Alma my child,’ I said, ‘you believe that the Lord made your hip?’

“ ‘Yes, mother.’

“ ‘Well, the Lord can make something there in the place of your hip, don’t you believe he can, Alma?’

“ ‘Do you think that the Lord can, mother?’ inquired the child, in his simplicity.

“ ‘Yes, my son,’ I replied, ‘he has showed it all to me in a vision.’

“Then I laid him comfortably on his face, and said: ‘Now you lay like that, and don’t move, and the Lord will make you another hip.’

“So Alma laid on his face for five weeks, until he was entirely recovered—a flexible gristle having grown in place of the missing joint and socket, which remains to this day a marvel to physicians. …

“It is now nearly forty years ago, but Alma has never been the least crippled during his life, and he has traveled quite a long period of the time as a missionary of the gospel and [is] a living miracle of the power of God.”

The treatment was unusual for that day and time, and unheard of now, but when we reach an extremity, like Sister Smith, we have to exercise our simple faith and listen to the Spirit as she did. Exercising our faith will make it stronger. As Alma taught:

“If ye will … exercise a particle of faith, … even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

“… It must needs be … that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding . …

“Now behold, would not this increase your faith?”

Righteousness is a companion to faith. Strong faith is earned by keeping the commandments. This helps us, as Paul said, to “put on the whole armour of God.”

There are for this people some absolutes upon which our faith must rest. They are basic, eternal truths. They are that:

1. Jesus, the Son of the Father, is the Christ and the Savior and Redeemer of the world;

2. Joseph Smith was the instrument through which the gospel was restored in its fulness and completeness in our time;

3. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and, as the Prophet Joseph Smith said, is the keystone of our religion and another testament of Jesus as the Christ and the Redeemer of all mankind;

4. Gordon B. Hinckley holds, as all of the preceding Presidents of the Church did, all of the keys and authority restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

This is the work of God. I believe and testify that, as Paul said, if we can “come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,” we can go forward with great hope and confidence into the future. We will be given strength to overcome all adversity. We will rejoice in our blessings and find peace in our souls. That we may do so I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

After recuperating for a few minutes, we journeyed to the feature with the longest line. It is called Splash Mountain. The crowd filed round and round in a serpentine pattern. The music, which was piped through the loudspeakers to the waiting throng, contained the words of the song:

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay,

My, oh my, what a wonderful day!

Plenty of sunshine, headin’ my way,

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay!

By now we were ready to board the boat which would carry us in a vertical dive that evoked screams from the passengers in the boat ahead as it roared down the waterfall and glided to a stop in the water below. Just before taking the plunge, however, I noticed on one wall a small sign declaring a profound truth: “You can’t run away from trouble; there’s no place that far!”

These few words have remained with me. They pertain not only to the theme of Splash Mountain but also to our sojourn in mortality.

Life is a school of experience, a time of probation. We learn as we bear our afflictions and live through our heartaches.

As we ponder the events that can befall all of us—even sickness, accident, death, and a host of other challenges—we can say with Job of old: “Man is born unto trouble.” Job was a “perfect and upright” man who “feared God, and eschewed evil.” Pious in his conduct, prosperous in his fortune, Job was to face a test which could have destroyed anyone. Shorn of his possessions, scorned by his friends, afflicted by his suffering, shattered by the loss of his family, he was urged to “curse God, and die.” He resisted this temptation and declared from the depths of his noble soul: “Behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.”

“I know that my redeemer liveth.” Job kept the faith.

It may safely be assumed that no person has ever lived entirely free of suffering and tribulation, nor has there ever been a period in human history that did not have its full share of turmoil, ruin, and misery.

When the pathway of life takes a cruel turn, there is the temptation to ask the question “Why me?” Self-incrimination is a common practice, even when we may have had no control over our difficulty. At times there appears to be no light at the tunnel’s end, no dawn to break the night’s darkness. We feel surrounded by the pain of broken hearts, the disappointment of shattered dreams, and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea “Is there no balm in Gilead?” We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone.

To all who so despair, may I offer the assurance found in the psalm “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the blows of life, let us remember that others have passed the same way, have endured, and then have overcome.

There seems to be an unending supply of trouble for one and all. Our problem is that we often expect instantaneous solutions, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required.

Do any of the following challenges sound familiar to you?

• Handicapped children

• The passing of a loved one

• Employment downsizing

• Obsolescence of one’s skills

• A wayward son or daughter

• Mental and emotional illness

• Accidents

• Divorce

• Abuse

• Excessive debt

The list is endless. In the world of today there is at times a tendency to feel detached—even isolated—from the Giver of every good gift. We worry that we walk alone. You ask, “How can we cope?” What brings to us ultimate comfort is the gospel.

From the bed of pain, from the pillow wet with tears, we are lifted heavenward by that divine assurance and precious promise “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Such comfort is priceless as we journey along the pathway of mortality, with its many forks and turnings. Rarely is the assurance communicated by a flashing sign or a loud voice. Rather, the language of the Spirit is gentle, quiet, uplifting to the heart, and soothing to the soul.

Lest we question the Lord concerning our troubles, let us remember that the wisdom of God may appear as foolishness to men; but the greatest single lesson we can learn in mortality is that when God speaks and a man obeys, that man will always be right.

The experience of Elijah the Tishbite is illustrative of this truth. In the midst of a terrible famine, drought, and the despair of hunger, suffering, and perhaps even death, “the word of the Lord came unto him, saying: Arise, get thee to Zarephath, … and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.”

Elijah didn’t question the Lord. “He arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.

“And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.

“And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.

“And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

“For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.”

She did not question the improbable promise. “She went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.

“And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah.”

Let us now fast-forward the pages of history to that special night when shepherds were abiding with their flocks and heard the holy pronouncement: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

With the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, there emerged a great endowment—a power stronger than weapons, a wealth more lasting than the coins of Caesar. The long-foretold promise was fulfilled; the Christ child was born.

The sacred record reveals that the boy Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” At a later time, a quiet entry records that He “went about doing good.”

Out of Nazareth and down through the generations of time come His excellent example, His welcome words, His divine deeds. They inspire patience to endure affliction, strength to bear grief, courage to face death, and confidence to meet life. In this world of chaos, of trial, of uncertainty, never has our need for such divine guidance been more desperate.

Lessons from Nazareth, Capernaum, Jerusalem, and Galilee transcend the barriers of distance, the passage of time, the limits of understanding as they bring to troubled hearts a light and a way. Ahead lay Gethsemane’s garden and Golgotha’s hill.

The biblical account reveals: “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

“And he took with him Peter, [James, and John] and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

“Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

“And he went a little further, … and prayed, saying,”

“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

“And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

What suffering, what sacrifice, what anguish did He endure to atone for the sins of the world!

For our benefit, the poet wrote:

In golden youth when seems the earth

A summer-land of singing mirth,

When souls are glad and hearts are light,

And not a shadow lurks in sight,

We do not know it, but there lies

Somewhere veiled ‘neath evening skies

A garden which we all must see—

The garden of Gethsemane. …

Down shadowy lanes, across strange streams

Bridged over by our broken dreams;

Behind the misty caps of years,

Beyond the great salt fount of tears,

The garden lies. Strive, as you may,

You cannot miss it in your way.

All paths that have been, or shall be

Pass somewhere through Gethsemane.

The mortal mission of the Savior of the world drew rapidly to its close. Ahead lay Calvary’s cross, the acts of depravity committed by those who thirsted for the blood of the Son of God. His divine response is a simple but profoundly significant prayer: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

The conclusion came: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus,” the Great Redeemer died. He was buried in a tomb. He rose on the morning of the third day. He was seen by His disciples. Words that linger from that epochal event course through the annals of time and bring to our souls even today the comfort, the assurance, the balm, the certainty, “He is not here: … he is risen.” Resurrection became a reality for all.

Last week I received a faith-filled letter from Laurence M. Hilton. May I share with you the account of surviving personal tragedy with faith, nothing wavering.

In 1892, Thomas and Sarah Hilton, Laurence’s grandparents, went to Samoa, where Thomas was set apart as mission president after their arrival. They brought with them a baby daughter; two sons were born to them while they served there. Tragically, all three died in Samoa, and in 1895 the Hiltons returned from their mission childless.

David O. McKay was a friend of the family and was deeply touched by their loss. In 1921, as part of a world tour of visits to the members of the Church in many nations, Elder McKay stopped in Samoa, accompanied by Elder Hugh J. Cannon. Before leaving on his tour, he had promised the now-widowed Sister Hilton that he would personally visit the graves of her three children. I share with you the letter David O. McKay wrote to her from Samoa:

“Dear Sister Hilton:

“Just as the descending rays of the late afternoon sun touched the tops of the tall coconut trees, Wednesday, May 18th, 1921, a party of five stood with bowed heads in front of the little Fagali’i Cemetery. … We were there, as you will remember, in response to a promise I made you before I left home.

“The graves and headstones are in a good state of preservation. … I reproduce here a copy I made as I stood … outside the stone wall surrounding the spot.

“Janette Hilton

Bn: Sept. 10, 1891

Died: June 4, 1892

‘Rest, darling Jennie’

“George Emmett Hilton

Bn: Oct. 12, 1894

Died: Oct. 19, 1894

‘Peaceful be thy slumber’

“Thomas Harold Hilton

Bn: Sept. 21, 1892

Died: March 17, 1894

‘Rest on the hillside, rest’

“As I looked at those three little graves, I tried to imagine the scenes through which you passed during your young motherhood here in old Samoa. As I did so, the little headstones became monuments not only to the little babes sleeping beneath them, but also to a mother’s faith and devotion to the eternal principles of truth and life. Your three little ones, Sister Hilton, in silence most eloquent and effective, have continued to carry on your noble missionary work begun nearly 30 years ago, and they will continue as long as there are gentle hands to care for their last earthly resting place.

By loving hands their dying eyes were closed;

By loving hands their little limbs composed;

By foreign hands their humble graves adorned;

By strangers honored, and by strangers mourned.

“Tofa Soifua,

“David O. McKay”

This touching account conveys to the grieving heart “the peace … which passeth all understanding.” Our Heavenly Father lives. Jesus Christ the Lord is our Savior and Redeemer. He guided the Prophet Joseph. He guides His prophet today, even President Gordon B. Hinckley. Of a truth I bear this personal witness.

That we may shoulder our sorrows, bear our burdens, and face our fears—as did our Savior—is my prayer. I know that He lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.