Sermoncitos, a family tradition
Hope
Mormon lived his entire life in a day of great wickedness and war. He outlived his people, having seen the entire destruction of all the armies, all the wives, all the children, all the homes and cities and farms. Yet he had hope because of the statement of his Savior: “Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you” (Moroni 7:26).
In a day when all had lost hope, he preached the Gospel of hope: “...ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise” (Moroni 7:41).
On April 2, 2006, President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of himself. “When you are designated as the president of such a large church, there is no privacy, everyone knows everything about you.” So he told us all about himself and why he has hope. His life began in the age of the Model T before World War I. He has lived for over half the history of the restored church. He has seen much death and destruction, and is the person in the church who hears the worst stories of apostacy and sin of the members. Yet in his 200 conference messages as a general authority, his message is always one of hope, faith, love, and redemption.
The reason he is able to maintain such a positive outlook is because he is full of charity, the pure love of Christ, and “charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in inquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things” (Moroni 7:45).
I listen to the international news, and learn of war and oppression, poverty, hunger, disease, and the general mistreatment and suffering of billions of people. I listen to the church news and learn of the sacrifice of people on behalf of others. I learn of the time people spend with family, friends, and strangers. I learn that there is enough hope left in the world for people to sacrifice for others and find peace.
How can we attain this hope? “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure” (Moroni 7:48).
“Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever” (Alma 26:37).
“If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me” (Moroni 7:33). May our church responsibilities bring joy and satisfaction. May we live in our families with respect and devotion. May the Lord be with us each and everyone until we meet again. May we live the Gospel of Hope.