If so.... Then What?

So, the first thing we need to do is feel confident, feel comfortable in the knowledge that we are, indeed, children of God our Eternal Father.  That knowledge will give us great faith in the future, and hope for greater things to come in our lives.  It is a fact that we need to internalize and live.  So many problems come into in our lives when we do not remember, not feel the reality of our Divine Father.

As we strive to live with our Eternal Father in mind every day, we will be able to counter obstacles, afflictions, trials, and thoughts put into our minds by Satan.  Lucifer is one who wants us to be miserable just like he is miserable.  He is doomed to fail, and bringing others into his army so we too can fail is the only hope he has, to make others fail, and feel the hopelessness of Satan and his followers.

In the Pearl of Great Price, we are told about the pre-earth life.  We are told that will are put down here to experience mortality.  We are being proven to see if we will do all things He commands us to do, even in the midst of afflictions.  That is the purpose of this life.

If we can keep this in mind, and keep in mind that we are children of our Eternal Father, and that He is never far from us, we will not fail with Satan and his followers, we will be raised with our Savior.

As we go through this life, we will be tested.  We will fail.  We will go through times of loneliness.  We will go through temptations where we will not win the battle with the adversary.  We will feel depressed and feel He has lost our location and our phone number our email address, and even our social security card number.  We will feel forsaken.

But, if we KNOW that we are His children, if we keep that truth in our hearts at all times, if we keep in mind that we are going through these struggles with His knowledge - to teach us, prepare us, and to help us learn, we will be OK.

We will fail, but we have the atonement.  We will not live up to our potential, but we have a Father who knows us, how we feel, where we are, and what is in our mind.  He knows the intents and desires of our hearts.  (Alma 41).

No, it is not easy.  Yes we will fail.  Yes we will lose sight of our ultimate goal.  Yes, we will feel as if He has forgotten us.  Yes, we will feel that we have to do it alone.  But we need to remember who we are, who is our Father, and the why's of our difficulties.  We need to keep close and recall to our soul the experiences we have had bearing witness of His care, His knowledge of us, and His  purposes.

Yes, we really know Our Father in Heaven loves us.  He is ever close to us and involved in our lives.  But we need to keep that in mind as we experience our walk in mortality.  Father wants us to return to Him.  We won't be tested beyond our ability to overcome, but we are free to choose, and act.  He, is  on our side and with Him, we cannot fail.

Next blog post on Wednesday March 11, we will discuss how we can endure our trials, and draw closer to our Father in the midst of afflictions.