He Will Be Your Support

A scripture that stood out to me during my study was Alma 36:3. It is Alma the Younger speaking to his son, Helaman. He says “I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day”.

I love this scripture. If we put our trust in the Lord, we will be supported by Him through His atonement. What a great promise! As we come unto the Lord and put our faith and trust in His plan, we will have help in this life, and eternal life in the world to come. It doesn’t say that we won’t have trials, troubles, or afflictions, but that we will not have to face them alone. All we have to do is turn to the Lord, and He will be our support. I testify that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I would like to challenge you turn to the Lord in your afflictions. I testify that He will raise you up.

The Psalm of Nephi

2 Nephi 4:28- "Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul."

This soulful cry from Nephi strikes a note of my heartstrings. I love the phrase "Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul". Isn't it disheartening when we let Satan into our lives? It can be discouraging! While we may have a desire to be righteous, it is harder to live a righteous life.
What does Satan place in our heart? Fear, discouragement, doubt? We must not allow Satan to deceive us. We must rise above his lies and let our hearts rejoice in our Redeemer. Joy comes from faithfully living the gospel of Jesus Christ. It may not always be easy, but it will provide the joy that nothing else can.
I challenge you to declare with Nephi that you will "give place no more for the enemy of [your] soul". I know that as you do so, the Lord will strengthen you and give you great cause to rejoice!

I Will Give Unto You Success

Alma 26:27- Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

I believe that most of us have felt like Alma at one point or another, I know I have. Notice how they were about to turn back. They were going to give up! They were doing such a great work but they were getting frustrated because they couldn't see the good fruit of their labors. I'm sure they felt that the harder they tried, the more struggles they encountered. How often do we feel that in our own lives? The Lord is so merciful. He comforts them and tells them to "bear with patience thine afflictions", then He promises them success! This promise is extended towards us! The Lord will consecrate our efforts and afflictions for our eternal gain! What a blessing it is to know that the trials and tribulations that we face in this life our helping us progress. They may seem heavy and burdensome at times, but in those moments, as we seek the Lord, He will comfort our hearts. He will bring success to us as we patiently endure to the end!
When you are being weighed down with the burdens of the world, I challenge you to turn to Christ and let Him shoulder the burden. Keep pressing forward with patience, and I know He will consecrate your afflictions for your gain.

Where Can I Turn For Peace?

This month has been a challenge for me. This semester has been tough and I have felt very inadequate in all aspects of my life. Lately, my scripture study has been focused on the atonement of Jesus Christ. This has brought great peace into my life as I have found greater strength to put faith in my savior. A scripture that stands out to me is Alma 7:12. It states: “And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” I am so grateful that Jesus Christ chose to suffer for my weakness and infirmities, so he could know how to succor me when I struggle. To me, this is the greatest evidence of Christ’s love for me. He didn’t have to suffer those things, but because He did, He knows how to help me in my very personal and specific circumstances of life. When I feel that nobody knows how I feel, I know Christ understands. This knowledge brings indescribable peace and happiness to my life. I challenge you to turn to Christ in your struggles and I testify that He will carry you because He knows exactly what you are enduring.