Optimism, Faith and a Determination to Prevail

I am going to break away from my normal posts of informing what I've done with Monica or the kids and talk a little about what pushes me forward and motivates me.

It is pretty simple really, what pushes me daily is a knowledge that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and that we have living Prophets, Seers, and Revelators on the earth today. How does this help? Well, it helps to know that God knows me, He knows the current situation in the world, and that He speaks to us through His prophets and always has. The scriptures and writings of the Prophets are jam packed with prophecies and revelations of what is going to happen in the last days. None of it is coming at us unawares. In Amos we are told that the Lord will do nothing save He first reveal His secret unto His servants the prophets. Nothing that is happening scares me, it doesn't shake my faith, nor does it dampen my optimism. I have faith that God will help me and that His will, will be done. That gives me comfort! I know through personal experience that you can loose everything and none of it matters because it is all irrelevant in the eternal scheme of things.

I am optimistic about my future because although things are dark and uncertain in life, I have faith, and as Joseph Smith said, "should we not go on in so great a cause?" My answer is yes! I will push forward with a firm determination to prevail in the end, that is in the end of life, in the end of our current financial struggles, in the end of everything. Every day we arm ourselves for a battle, the battle that has been waging since the dawn of time. Satan wishes to destroy us and to tear down our faith. God has given us our armour, our weapons, and our protection. Just as the children of Israel when they were preparing to go forward to take over the land of Canaan, we have God on our side and we will prevail. We should not be counted with those spies who came back from spying out the land of Canaan and gave an evil report and weakened the resolve of the Israelites. Let us be as Caleb and Joshua and know that we have our Lord on our side and if He has decreed from the eternities that we His people shall prevail, then we shall.

That is why nothing is causing me to change my direction, I am preparing for tougher times ahead, because I know the prophecies which have been given, but I do not let them cause me to fear and shrink before my Maker in paralyzed fear. God will bless those who believe in Him and make Him their God. He is in our midst, we just have to open our eyes and recognize His loving arms extended toward us beckoning us to come unto Him and our burden will be made light.