Be not afraid - only believe!

Happy 19th Birthday Trevor!

      This week was an awesome week! Almost everyone I have met and become friends with has left the MTC because I have been here for roughly eight years. Anyway I had the awesome chance to be able to clean the temple and it was so amazing. The peace you feel and the spirit there was remarkable.

     For this week I want to talk about faith. I have learned so much about faith this week. I know I have touched on it so much since I have been here but in these latter days faith is one of the most crucial aspects of life that will help us endure to the end. In a talk by James E. Faust called, "Be Not Afraid, Only Believe," he talks about faith. He says that, "Faith in every future footstep will fulfill prophetic vision concerning the glorious destinies of this church... If you take each challenge one step at a time, with faith in every footstep, your strength and understanding will increase. We can overcome all of our fears, not all at once, but one step at a time... We are the pioneers of the future." I love this. Faith in EVERY footstep. Faith is a daily concept that must be applied always. We cannot go around with "a prayer in our heart," at all times and not have faith at all times and act upon that faith. We cannot fear. In these latter days when fear creeps in our minds so do many negative, threatening, and damaging thoughts. Actions start with thoughts. They determine our actions.  We must remain positive and faithful to stay strong to overcome life's trials in these latter days. We must always have positive virtuous thoughts. Brigham Young said that, "virtue is knowing the will of God and doing it." 

     We must act just as the Brother of Jared did. In the video we see in the MTC called the Character of Christ which is a devotional to missionaries given by Elder David A. Bednar, he talks of the Brother of Jared's experience in a new light I have never seen before. In Ether 3:6 it says this: "And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear."

     I always interpreted it that The Brother of Jared saw the Lord's finger touch the stones. But Elder Bednar liked to point out that in verse 6 there is a period after finger. That is why I underlined it. He touched the stones, and then the Brother of Jared saw his finger. He pointed out that Jared did not see the finger right away because it was not meant to be a sign from the Lord. It was evidence of things not seen. The Lord touched the stones and then the Brother of Jared saw his finger. That is faith, not a sign. Elder Bednar said that the Brother of Jared's faith was confirmed by evidence of things unseen and after seeing stone after stone being lit, it is safe to say that his faith became a pure knowledge and then he saw the finger of the Lord after his faith was confirmed. I loved that thought. I have never thought of that. The Lord does not just give us signs because then we will base our testimony on those things and those testimonies never last. We need to convert unto Christ. 

     To wrap this up, I thought of President Packer with his funeral Friday and I thought of Enos and how that book is a perfect example of true conversion and enduring to the end. Enos has a wrestle before God because he hungered to be forgiven and to come unto God. He took the time to focus on himself to turn unto God and that was the last time he did so. Just as President Packer he turned unto God and spent the rest of his life focusing on others and serving others unto he met Heavenly Father once again. The last verse in Ether states this: "And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."

     I know this is how President Packer met our Father in Heaven. He was such an amazing man.

Brothers and sisters, we have all had our wrestle unto God for we hungered to be forgiven and come unto Him. If we have not I plead with you to have faith and to do so now. He is just waiting for us to return unto Him. Take that time to wrestle before God and then forget yourself. Be as Elder Packer and convert yourself and then spend the rest of your life serving and converting others. 

     I testify of the truth of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love, 
Elder Trevor Aiken