Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Fear and Knowledge

Elder Nattress shared with us a story of asking the brethren a question at an area meeting he attended. He asked them, "What can we teach the youth of this world, with everything going to crazy and spiriling downward?" {this question is paraphrased ... I didn't write down the exact question word for word}
After asking this question, Elder Hales stood {I believe that's who he said was there} and said, "I'd like to answer that questions. I would teach the youth to love their Savior; I would teach them who they are; and I would teach them about the sacrament."

I thought this quote was so amazing, because it immediately gave me three things to thing about in regards to my testimony of them and my ability to teach my own children someday about them. I wondered if my own testimony was strong enough to teach these concepts to my children so that they can be strong, and also so that I can be strong.

Then after sharing that thought from Elder Hales, Elder Nattress said:
"You'll never see fear in the eyes of the brethren because they know who they are and they know our Savior."

This is so powerful! I may not be an apostle and I know I have much to learn in this life, but this thought was so powerful to me and really made me realize just what a testimony of these two things alone does for a person. I don't want to be afraid of things going on in the world - I don't want to worry all the time about things I can't control. I know how I can combat that fear: faith. But this thought really helped me to understand just how faith keeps us from being afraid. If we have a strong testimony of our Savior and His mission & Atonement and we understand and have a testimony of our relationship to our Heavenly Father, then fear just won't be a part of who we are - just that alone strengthens me and helps me to not be afraid.

No comments: