Hope Is Not a Magic Wand

When the problems seem too large, remember these lines from an essay by David Batty:

“Hope is not a feeling—it’s not a tidal wave of joy in the middle of a problem.

“… Hope is not the magic wand that makes the problem disappear. Hope is the lifeline that can keep you from being overwhelmed by the storms in your life.

“When you place your hope in Jesus, you place your confidence in His promises that He will never leave you or forsake you—that He will do what is best for you. Even though you may be in the middle of a huge problem, hope enables you to be at peace, knowing that Jesus is with you every step of the way.”

David Batty, “Finding Hope in the Midst of Life’s Problems,” livingfree.org.

What is our reason for hope?

What is our reason for hope?

“If we give our heart to God, if we love the Lord Jesus Christ, if we do the best we can to live the gospel, then tomorrow—and every other day—is ultimately going to be magnificent, even if we don’t always recognize it as such. Why? Because our Heavenly Father wants it to be! He wants to bless us. A rewarding, abundant, and eternal life is the very object of His merciful plan for His children!”

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You,” Ensign, May 2016, 127.

Insurmountable Odds

When we are faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, we can still choose to have hope. We do all that we can to prepare for life’s challenges, but ultimately we must have faith in our Heavenly Father’s plan for us. Along our journey, He sends us encouraging reminders of His love. We just have to look for them.

Kerry Griffin Smith, "Staying the Course," Ensign, Jan 2015, 37. 

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. 

Develop Confidence

“Confidence is the breeding ground for hope. Confidence is generated by confronting challenges and striving for and achieving meaningful goals. We can gain confidence by tackling a task we have been putting off, engaging in a difficult conversation we might have been avoiding, or working on developing a talent. We should focus on effort and progress rather than complete success. Confidence is not the certainty of success but rather the conclusion that failure does not determine our worth—we lose nothing by trying.”

Vaughn E. Worthen, Associate Director, Counseling and Career Center, Brigham Young University, “The Healing Balm of Hope,” Ensign, Sept. 2013, 66.

Identify and Challenge Negative Beliefs

“Negative thoughts are the termites of the soul. If we find ourselves frequently thinking or saying, “I can’t,” “It’s too hard,” or “It’s unfair,” then we might ask ourselves if such thoughts are accurate and if they are helping us build the lives we want. It may help to replace these inaccurate assumptions with more constructive thoughts, such as, “I will try,” “I will give it my best,” and Life is what I make of it.” If unproductive, negative thinking remains persistent and significantly impairs our growth, we should consider seeking help, including the aid of a professional counselor.”

Vaughn E. Worthen, Associate Director, Counseling and Career Center, Brigham Young University, “The Healing Balm of Hope,” Ensign, Sept. 2013, 65. 

Always Have Hope

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has implored us to remember that “regardless of how desperate things may seem or how desperate they may yet become, . . . .you can always have hope. Always.”

M. Russell Ballard, “The Joy of Hope Fulfilled,” Ensign, Nov. 1992, 32.

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. 

Where Can I Find Hope?

“Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better. . . . My declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness. . . . Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. . . . It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come. . . . Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.”

Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve, “An High Priest of Good Things to Come,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 36, 38. 

Face the Future With Hope

 “We should all face the future with hope because we know that the forces of evil will be overcome. We should all maintain a positive outlook as we face challenges because today we have the scriptures, the teachings of living prophets, priesthood authority, temples, and the support of each other as members of the Church. We should all “come off conqueror” because of prayer (D&C 10:5). And most important, we should have hope in eternal life because of the Lord’s perfect atoning sacrifice (see Moroni 7:41).

“When our priorities are right, we will live a richer and more abundant life. Putting the Lord, His kingdom, and our families first will give us the hope we need to face present and future challenges.”

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

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. 

Being Always in the Middle

“Being always in the middle means that the game is never over, hope is never lost, defeat is never final. For no matter where we are or what our circumstances, an eternity of beginnings and an eternity of endings stretch out before us.

“We are always in the middle.”

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Always in the Middle,” Ensign, Jul 2012, 5. 

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."