Testimony Sunday (Hope vs. Expectations)

So today was fast Sunday, and I am always too much of a weeny to actually get up and say anything, so I figured I would start sharing something on here every Fast Sunday.  I was in a meeting tonight, and one of the men there explained a very good, very applicable concept.  He explained that even though expectations are sometimes not met, hope will forever and always be there (as long as we allow it to).  Every negative emotion (sadness, anger, ect.) stems from expectations that we hold that are not met.  This is not the same as hope though, something that I, up until tonight, did not realize.  Expectations are worldly.  I have a lot of expectations that are not met.  Hope, however, stems from faith.  "If ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true (Alma 32:21)."  Hope relates to the gospel, to God, to Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Ghost.  These things will always be there, whether our expectations are met or not.  "Hope comes of faith and maketh an anchor to the soul (Ether 12:4)".  The key to happiness is the gospel, or more importantly in following the commandments that the lord has set for us.  When people fall into sin (whether that be something serious such as alcoholism or drug addiction, or something simple like lying or being unkind to someone), the holy ghost cannot dwell there.  The atonement is the only way to gain eternal salvation.  And yes, Christ died and suffered for us, but we have to experience our own Gethsemene in order to really and truly experience the power of the atonement.  And by that I mean repentence isn't easy, but in the end it will be worth is.  An analogy I heard tonight was that repentence is sort of like braces.  Braces take your crooked teeth and make them straight.  Once you get these braces off, you're given a retainer, and if you don't wear that retainer, then your teeth will start to go crooked again.  This is like repentence.  Repentence (or wearing your retainer) is an ongoing process.  If you become slack and think that you don't need the retainer anymore (or that you don't need to read your scriptures, pray, go to church), your teeth with start to become crooked again (you will fall back into your sin).  "...but unto the soul who sinneth shall the former sins return... (D&C 82:7)"  The point i'm trying to say is that if we maintain faith (or hope) that is all we need to make it through life.  The minute we lose faith, that is when hope is lost.

I do have a testimony, but sometimes I forget I do.  First and foremost, I believe in the power of the atonement.  Without the atonement, we all would be lost.  I also believe in the power of scripture study.  I have found that when I study my scriptures and pray daily, I am so much happier (and less likely to fall into sin) as opposed to when I skip a day or two.  I also believe in the power of the Holy Ghost.  I think for a while I always thought that it was my "gut" telling me that something wasn't good for me, but now I am realizing that this is probably, in fact, the holy ghost, and that I should listen to it instead of ignoring it like I do somethings.  And last, but most importantly, I believe that God has a plan for us.  I get so frustrated sometimes because I do not know what his plan is for me, but I have faith (and hope) that everything happens for a reason.  Nothing in our life happens just because, we have a lesson to learn from every encounter and experience we have.  And through these experiences we are able to learn how to be a better person.  I know that God lives and that he loves each and every one of his children, no matter what point in their life they are in.  "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall (Helaman 5:12)". If we live our lives surrounded by good things (uplifting people, the scriptures, service, wholesome hobbies), we will be able to withstand any trial that may come our way.

Happy Sunday!!