"Hope is a Good Thing, Maybe the Best of Things"

In January I gave a talk in my YSA ward.  Although it is a little nerve-wracking, I enjoy giving talks, and I wanted to record it here so that I can remember this talk and the Spirit I felt when I gave it.  This is the written version, but I'm sure I changed a couple of things when I said it over the pulpit. This talk was given on Sunday, January 11, and it is based on Linda K. Burton's talk "Prepared in a Manner That Had Never Been Known."

            Good morning brothers and sisters.  My talk today will be based on Sister Linda K. Burton’s message from the General Women’s session in this past general conference.  Her talk is titled  “Prepared in a Manner That Had Never Been Known.”  Honestly, that title confused me when I first read it, but I looked up the scripture she based it on, which is found in Alma 49.  This part of Alma talks about when Captain Moroni and his armies were battling Amalickiah.  Alma 49, verse 8 says, “But behold, to their uttermost astonishment, they were prepared for them, in a manner which never had been known among the children of Lehi.  Now they were prepared for the Lamanites, to battle after the manner of the instructions of Moroni.”  In Alma 48, it says that Amalickiah was “obtaining power by fraud and deceit,” but Moroni was “preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God.”  I like this contrast in the scripture because it reminds me to be aware of where my priorities are.  We cannot be prepared to make and keep our covenants if our priorities are not in the right place.  We are here on earth to prepare to meet our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the next life.  Amalickiah and Moroni are great examples of this concept.  Amalickiah was deceiving others and gaining power dishonestly.  Moroni wanted to help his people and defend them from the trials in their lives.  Alma 48:10 says, “And thus he was preparing to support their liberty, their lands, their wives, and their children, and their peace, and that they might live unto the Lord their God, and that they might maintain that which was called by their enemies the cause of Christians.”  This scripture is a perfect outline of what our priorities should be.  Because Moroni focused on the important things in his life, he was prepared to meet Amalickiah in battle because the Lord helped Moroni, both spiritually and physically. 

            Sister Burton also speaks about the story of the ten virgins, which is an important lesson about preparing to meet our Savior and making righteous covenants.  This story is a great parable for us to learn about, but I feel like we have all heard it in our lessons about preparation.  Today I will focus instead on the story about Joseph in Egypt.  I already spoke about how we need to prepare ourselves with the story about Moroni, but sometimes the Lord is preparing us in ways we do not know about.  I love Joseph’s story because of his attitude he had through each trial.  He went through so many different trials, yet he kept a positive attitude through each one.  He was taken from his family, made a servant, put in jail, and ultimately was taken all the way to Egypt.  However, through each experience, he tried to learn whatever he could.  Because of his attitude, the Lord was able to prepare him for his ultimate place in Pharaoh’s court.  Because he helped all of Egypt throughout the famine, Joseph was eventually able to help his family who desperately needed food.  The Lord was preparing Joseph in a manner he had never known.  Joseph didn’t know that after years of being separated from his family that God would be preparing him spiritually, physically, and temporally so that he could help his family in their need.  I love this story because God prepared Joseph, yet Joseph had to do his own part.  Joseph had to trust in the Lord’s preparation and accept God’s will for his life.  Accepting God’s will for our own is an important part of being righteously prepared to meet our Savior.  We cannot go through life expecting to do whatever we want.  When we go through trials like Joseph did, we have to accept God’s will.  I testify that when we accept Heavenly Father’s will, it makes it so much easier to endure our trials.  Yes, encountering adversity will always be hard, but we can be prepared to overcome it when we realize that Heavenly Father is only trying to prepare us to endure to the end and ultimately make it to the Celestial Kingdom to live with Him. 

            I love stories from the scriptures, but I also believe that we can learn lessons from modern day examples.  My uncle Ricky was born with many physical problems.  He had spina bifida, which caused him to be paralyzed from the waist down.  He used a trach so that he could talk and breathed through an oxygen tube.  Ricky had countless surgeries in his life, with just forty before turning eight years old.  Despite all these physical ailments, Ricky still had a quick mind and an engaging personality.  Six years ago he finally passed away at the age of twenty-four after battling adult pulmonary distress syndrome.  Ricky’s whole life is an example of being prepared in a manner that had never been known.  His life was so unique and challenging, yet Ricky overcame every trial that came his way.  He wasn’t supposed to live past his first birthday, yet he lived a full life of twenty-four years, despite the many illnesses, surgeries, hospital stays, doctors’ visits, and limitations due to his handicap.  Despite all these afflictions, he always spent time with us.  Not gonna lie, he was my favorite uncle.  Not only because he spent time with me, but because through his example, I learned many life lessons.  One time Ricky said, “I have learned you have to be happy.  If you aren’t happy, nothing is worth it.  You just have to deal with your problems and get on with it.”  My nana described him as the happiest of her six children.  The one child with the hardest trials, most problems, and greatest limitations was the happiest.  This happiness is another example of being prepared in a manner that had never known.  I think Ricky was right.  Just deal with your problems and get on with it.  We can prepare ourselves to go through our trials by keeping a happy and positive attitude.  I can testify that keeping a positive attitude throughout all my trials has prepared me to follow my Savior’s example and reach my potential.  My uncle Ricky is my example for whenever I go through adversity.  Because he was happy and positive throughout his whole life, he overcame his trials.  Like he said, his happiness made it all worth it.  Being a part of this gospel helps me see an eternal perspective and helps me realize that we can overcome any trial the Lord gives us. 

            One of my family’s favorite movies is the edited version of The Shawshank Redemption.  Falsely accused for the murder of his wife, the main character Andy is sent to a life-sentence in prison.  However, like Joseph in Egypt, he makes the most of his situation.  He gains the respect of his inmates and guards and even helps out with some of the responsibilities of the prison.  Because Andy made the most of his situation, he eventually overcame this giant trial in this life.  Hope is the central theme of this movie.  In the movie, Andy says, “hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”  I believe that this statement is true.  Hope is a good thing.  And in this gospel hope develops into faith.  Andy was prepared in a manner that had never been known.  His belief in hope prepared him for the many things that happened to him in his life.  Because of his hope, Andy strived to do his best in his situation.  His preparation through hope and faith is an example of how we must develop our hope and faith in this gospel.  We can have faith in our Savior that He will help us through any trial and that we can escape our own prison-like walls of adversity that trap us.

            The ultimate example of being prepared is that of the Savior.  Throughout His life and ministry, Jesus Christ taught through word and example the way we should be prepared.  In this modern day, following His example is being prepared in a manner that had never been known.  Everything Christ did ultimately prepared Him for His great sacrifice of the Atonement.  Because of the Atonement, we can prepare ourselves to make sacred covenants to return to our Heavenly Father.  If we make a mistake in this journey of preparation, we can repent and return to our Savior.  His life is the ultimate and best example we can learn from.   

            Sister Burton reminds us that the Lord “will bestow a multiplicity of blessings upon us” when we are faithful to the covenants we have prepared ourselves to make.  She quotes Bonnie Oscarson, who said, “where much is required, much more is given.”  The Lord wants to bless us.  As we prepare ourselves by following His commandments, we will be blessed, despite our many trials.  Captain Moroni taught us to focus on our priorities.  Joseph in Egypt reminded us to accept God’s will for us.  My uncle Ricky demonstrated having a happy and positive attitude, and Andy in The Shawshank Redemption gave us the example of always having hope and faith.  All these people had difficult trials in their lives, yet they were prepared in a manner that had never been known to them.  They all reached their full potential, just like Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate example for us in this gospel.  I know that all this is true.  I know that my Savior understands everything I’m going through and as I seek His guidance, He will prepare me to not only make and keep my sacred covenants, but to also overcome any trials that come my way.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.