hope is real

Barbara Streisand is not my model of womanliness. However, the premise of the beginning of this movie moved me when it came out in the 80s. This girl wanted to know God and His mysteries for herself. That's how I feel about it.

 The power of God can restore us to complete spiritual health no matter how the spirit became weak or sick. Many refuse to seek or accept God's will. It's as if they are stripped of hope if they acknowledge their powerlessness. After running into dead end after dead end, they think they are unlucky. Or if they knew God at some time in their lives, they think they are not good enough or something like that to return to God's comfort. However, God is the answer; there is hope in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If we will but turn to Jesus, there is "no habit, no addiction, no rebellion, no transgression, no offense exempted from the promise of complete forgiveness." (Boyd K. Packer Ensign, November 1995, 19)

Powerful and merciful, God can deliver us from the bondage of bad luck. Bad luck is simply following after the pride of our hearts instead of following His will. So....how do we discover the Will of God? Praying, attending church and temple, reading, pondering, and applying scripture, following the advise of the prophets, listening for the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, following the Light of Christ, and partaking of the fellowship of the saints, we put ourselves in holy places and make ourselves available to be taught God's will by the Holy Ghost. We come to have hope and faith in the love and power of Jesus Christ. We begin to see miracles in our lives. It is worth every effort to get to this point. It takes great effort to stay in this sphere.

"We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord's tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance. Some individuals who hear or read this message erroneously may discount or dismiss in their personal lives the availability of the tender mercies of the Lord....We may falsely think that such blessins and gifts are reserved for other people who appear to be more righteous...I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us." David A. Bednar, Ensign, May 2005, 100-101

"And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." 1 Nephi 1:20

The tender mercies of the Lord surround me with hope, but I needed to learn to watch for them and believe that the power of God was behind them. Prayer, kneeling down and revealing aloud my feelings and needs to God, is a loving conversation with God, who always listens and answers. Although, like the loving parent He is, He does not always say yes. Recently, I needed inspiration with a difficult family situation. I was quite sure the direction I should take, since I logically drew my own conclusions. Taking this to the Lord, I did not get the answer I expected but a testimony that my work was elsewhere for a season. As things progressed in that situation, it did not make sense and brought me terrible grief. Then the situation turned another corner; it all made perfect sense. Also I found I was needed for service in another family matter that would have been impossible if I were 1500 miles away.

Prayer automatically led me to a deep desire to know Him; this is accomplished through the words of ancient and modern prophets found in scripture. Answers to many questions and prayers have come to me over the years, as I studied the Word. My relationship with God has changed as well. Writing my thoughts as I study, I received additional impressions from the Spirit. Most the time I spent in counseling sessions were a huge waste of money and time. If I had only realized the power of prayer and the Word, I could have avoided years of mistakes. My simple beliefs in Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are now much more as I grow in understanding and accept the need for God's power in helping with my personal struggles. The love and power demonstrated in my life give evidence to  the perfectly united love of the Godhead--they are one in purpose, that purpose being the earthly joy, eternal life, and immortality of mankind.

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all things which the Lord can comprehend." Mosiah 4:9 The heavens and the earth testify of God. The miracles large and small that occur in my life do likewise.

"Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ." Alma 37:33 Problems in my life have never been solved by sheer willpower or through having faith in a friend or therapist. Faith in myself and others never enabled me to fully overcome adversity. A humble willingness to turn to Christ and His gospel have been the only lasting sources of hope, healing, and strength.



"Straightway the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Mark 9:24 Jesus did not rebuke this man for his doubt but helped him in his trial. Jesus is compassionate and patient and so willing to teach and lead us if we will only let Him. He knows it takes time to grow and is willing to stick around as we do so.

"Let us...come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16 Grace is a divine means of help or strength given freely through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ. Grace helps us do more than we can do on our own. Of course we cannot sit back and expect Jesus to be our cosmic bellboy. We need to heft the bags ourselves. As we struggle under too much weight, Jesus enters into the picture and adds His divine strength to the situation. He makes up the difference in what we can and cannot do for ourselves. Grace allows for repentance and change.

"Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation?...If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed." Alma 15:6,8 This mortal life's minefield requires us to draw on the redeeming, liberating, transforming power of Jesus Christ.

"If ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment  upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." Alma 32:27 This is an especially hard concept in today's world of instant amusement and entertainment. To make ourselves capable of being taught by the Spirit, we must awaken our spirits. Daily we must strive to be in the Spirit so we can become aware of Jesus Christ's power in our lives.

"They were in captivity, and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage by the power of his word." Alma 5:5 God's Word and Will will release us from worldly bondage. This Word and Will are found in scripture, heard from the mouths of modern day prophets, and felt as the Holy Ghost whispers inspiration to the soul.