Forward with Faith

I am guilty of being one of those people who is scared about the future. I look at myself, in my 21 years, and realize I have only started living, though I feel like I have felt, thought and experienced a lot. Then I have the realization that life is going to be so different. I have come to the conclusion that I am an idealist, and as such, I experience a lot of disappointment when myself and others do not live up to my ideals. Thus, as a natural result of my idealism, I am also a pessimist. I get scare of failure, of change, of anything that people get scared of. Indeed I am guilty of living in fear.

But I guess I want to make this post not just for you, but also to teach myself that I have little to fear. In his conference address this last April, Elder Russel M. Nelson taught about how my faith now will effect my posterity's faith later. And I guess conversely, how my fear will effect my children's fear. Yeah, I definitely want to stop that.

So what am I to do about it? I will include an outline and then reiterate Elder Nelson's promises and challenge you and myself to follow those promises. Indeed everywhere we look there is reason to have concern. But the way we combat the sadness and evil starts with our families.

1. Teach of God, Christ and the Holy Ghost to our children with deep conviction.

2. Teach the plan of salvation.

3. Warn children that people will choose wicked things and pick and choose to live certain commandments.

4. Teach obedience to God through our own obedience and that it provides physical and spiritual protection

5. Pray with your heart. If we keep an eternal perspective, we can be confident that God hears them. Which I interpret as being patient for God's blessings.

6. To develop faith, being a full tithe payer is essential. Teach tithing to children

Elder Nelson then points out that the reason we need all these things is because "Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint." That can be kinda scary to me, especially as I look to raise kids. I want my family to be faithful. This is the only way I can have any hope that they do and it starts with me.

I keep noticing how he uses the word "faithful Saint." This goes to show that there is a difference between being just a member of the church and someone whose faith is in entirely. He says, "You faithful Saints do not have to fight life's battles alone. Think of that! The Lord declared, 'I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.'"

I want to quote President Monson with,

“I testify to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, our knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith."

This gives me strength that as I build my faith, I will have little to fear and that God will help my husband and me and our children as we teach and practice these things. I guess what I want to challenge myself and others is to better live those six things he described and so we can know of our security in the future.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/face-the-future-with-faith?lang=eng