Fear

One of the cool things about attending BYU, is the religion classes.  Yes, they aren't always a walk in the park and you can't always get away with the standard Sunday School answers, but they definitely make you think.

For our class today, we were encouraged to read a talk given by Elder Holland at BYU entitled “Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence.”  I can’t even begin to explain how perfect this talk was for me right now.  The main premise of the talk is summarized as follows: “Before great moments, certainly before great spiritual moments, there can come adversity, opposition, and darkness.”  

Elder Holland talks a lot about not losing our confidence in the Lord, and not giving in to “that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness.”  I love when he quotes the revelation given to Oliver Cowdery in D&C 9:11: “Behold, it was expedient when you commenced; but you feared, and the time is past, and it is not expedient now.”  We all run the risk of fear – but for me especially, it’s that I’m afraid of failing; afraid that I won’t be good at a certain skill or activity and therefore I don’t even want to try.  Luckily, I’m aware of this chink in my armor and I’m really trying to get better at this.  Satan uses fear against us.  He wants us to be afraid of new things because it will result in us giving up.  The Lord will fight for us (Exodus 14:13-15).  

And if we have that knowledge solidified in our minds and our hearts, is there ever a reason to fear?


(To read Elder Holland's speech - which you all should if you have a few minutes - click here)