To You Who Are Surviving

 

He Is Risen with Healing in His Wings:

We Can Be More Than Conquerors

By Elder Patrick Kearon

Of the Presidency of the Seventy

April 2022 General Conference

Imagine the Lord speaking these words to you—to you who are surviving—because they are for you:

Fear not.⁵

I know your sorrows, and I have come to deliver you.⁶

I will not leave you.⁷

My name is upon you, and my angels have charge over you.⁸

I will do wonders among you.⁹

Walk with me; learn of me; I will give you rest.¹⁰

I am in your midst.¹¹

You are mine.¹²...

You are a survivor, you can heal, and you can trust that with the power and grace of Jesus Christ, you will overcome and conquer.

Overcoming Fear

Who among us can say that he or she has not felt fear? I know of no one who has been entirely spared. Some, of course, experience fear to a greater degree than do others. Some are able to rise above it quickly, but others are trapped and pulled down by it and even driven to defeat. We suffer from the fear of ridicule, the fear of failure, the fear of loneliness, the fear of ignorance. Some fear the present, some the future. Some carry the burden of sin and would give almost anything to unshackle themselves from those burdens but fear to change their lives. Let us recognize that fear comes not of God, but rather that this gnawing, destructive element comes from the adversary of truth and righteousness. Fear is the antithesis of faith. It is corrosive in its effects, even deadly.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).

We need not fear as long as we have in our lives the power that comes from righteously living by the truth which is from God our Eternal Father.

Nor need we fear as long as we have the power of faith.

Gordon B. Hinckley, "God Will Make a Way," New Era, Jan. 2002, 6-7.

When You Face Challenges and Need Capacity Beyond Your Own

There is no sin, no guilt, no shame, no fear, no loneliness, no heartache, no loss, no depression, no sadness, no terror, no pain, no challenge, no weakness that Jesus has not experienced and overcome. He has all power over all things....

If you turn to Christ when you face challenges and need capacity beyond your own, He can strengthen you and magnify your capacity....

In times of trial and at other times, these marvelous blessings can be ours when we look forward with the eye of faith and take righteous action. Looking forward with the eye of faith in times of trial, however, is not easy. The natural man in us looks forward with the eye of fear and sees only darkness, failure, and pain.

Fear does not go away easily. It resists our efforts to overcome it and returns easily...

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The Redeeming and Strengthening Power of the Savior’s Atonement

By Elder Kim B. Clark

Of the Seventy

From a devotional address, “All Things Which Are Good Cometh of Christ,” delivered at Brigham Young University–Idaho on March 31, 2015. For the full address, go toweb.byui.edu/devotionalsandspeeches.

How Do We Develop Godly Fear?

How do we develop godly fear?

“Godly fear is loving and trusting in Him. As we fear God more completely, we love Him more perfectly. And ‘perfect love casteth out all fear’ (Moroni 8:16). I promise the bright light of godly fear will chase away the dark shadows of mortal fears (see D&C 50:25) as we look to the Savior, build upon Him as our foundation, and press forward on His covenant path with consecrated commitment.”

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Therefore They Hushed Their Fears,” Ensign, May 2015, 49.

The Light of Hope

“There may be some among you who feel darkness encroaching upon you. You may feel burdened by worry, fear, or doubt. To you and to all of us, I repeat a wonderful and certain truth: God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things [see D&C 88:11-13]. It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing bal, for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn.”

President  Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Hope of God’s Light,” Ensign, May 2013, 75. 

No Fear

 “In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we need have no fear. We need not fear death, because we have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His gift of the Resurrection.  We need not fear what man can do to us, because we know that if God is with us and if we have faith in Jesus Christ, we can accomplish whatsoever thing is expedient to His work (See Moroni 7:33). We need not fear the future, because we know that as we keep the commandments, the Lord will bless us.”

Elder Brent H. Nielson, “Move Forward With Faith,” Ensign, Jun 2013, 52. 

Strength Beyond Our Own

“Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have the power and the desire to help us overcome our feelings of grief, despair, inadequacy, discouragement, pain, and temptation. They constantly offer us comfort, peace, hope, love, and strength. They can heal our feelings of fear, distrust, anger, self-doubt, sorrow, discouragement, and inadequacy. They can be the best resource we have to help us get through difficult days and trying times. If we but come unto Christ, He will lead us to the Father and a fullness of joy in Their presence.”

Carolyn J. Rasmus, “The Enabling Power of the Atonement,” Ensign, Mar 2013, 21. 

Perilous Times

“Even though times become perilous . . . if we only trust in God and keep his commandments we need have no fear.”

Ezra Taft Benson, in Conference Report, Oct. 1950, 146. 

Facing Fear

“Fear of the unknown of fear that we don’t have the scriptural skills or language required can cause reluctance to serve. But the Lord has said, ‘If ye are prepared ye shall not fear’ (D&C 38:30). Your life is your preparation. . . . Just go and be yourselves.”

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Ensign, May 2001, 25. 

Conquer Fear and Despair

“One of today’s great challenges is learning to conquer fear and despair in order to overcome trials and temptations. It takes only a few moments for us to open a newspaper, scroll the web, or hear a news broadcast on radio or television to be confronted with distressing accounts of crime and natural calamities that happen every day.

“Understanding the promises in scripture concerning how the Lord will conquer evil and how truth will conquer error can help us face the future with hope and optimism. In today’s world we see war, natural calamities, and economic crises. At times these events are not just things we observe from a distance but are things that affect us personally.

“There is no need for us to mourn lost worldly possessions or to fixate on the temporal, for those things can rob us of the joy of the simple, sublime things of life.”

Elder Jose A. Teixeira, “Facing the Future With Hope,” Ensign, July 2012, 16-17. 

How Can We Find Peace and Hope in Troubled Times?

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles helps answer this question in "This, the Greatest of All Dispensations" (Liahona, July 2007, 18; Ensign, July 2007, 53):

1. "Live as faithfully as we possibly can. . . . We must not be paralyzed just because [of events] ahead of us somewhere."

2. "Never let fear and the father of fear (Satan himself) divert us from our faith and faithful living."

3. "Be faithful. God is in charge. He knows your name and He knows your need."

Fear is the Opposite of Faith

“Your generation is filled with uncertainties. A life of fun and games and expensive toys has come to an abrupt end. We move from a generation of ease and entertainment to a generation of hard work and responsibility. We do not know how long that will last….

“It may seem that the world is in commotion; and it is! It may seem that there are wars and rumors of wars; and there are! It may seem that the future will hold trials and difficulties for you; and it will! However, fear is the opposite of faith. Do not be afraid! I do not fear.”

Boyd K. Packer, “Counsel to Young Men,” Ensign, May 2009, 52.