Day 10: Hope cont.

I'm really liking how hope is viewed differently when the gospel is involved. If we "bow down before God, and call on his name in faith. . . then thou shalt receive the hope thou desirest." (Alma 22:16). Hope and forgiveness are tied closely together. We can't truly repent without the hope that our sins will be forgiven. We can't use the Atonement in our lives if we aren't hoping that it will lift our burdens and ease our heartaches. Hope is such a significant part of the plan that I think is overlooked just a little, because we see it in the categories of being forgiven and feeling the Atonement in our lives.

The scriptures teach over and over again about hope. Not just speaking doctrinally, but also by the stories they tell. Alma the Younger is a great example. He lived a life of sin and purposefully went against the teachings of the church. But when the angel came and visited him and he was in that darkened abyss, he finally found the hope that with the gospel, his life could get better, and he would have the chance to start anew. Another great example is of course, Jesus Christ. He taught hope because he lived a life of hope. He had the veil just like we did, but he also had the capacity within him to withstand temptations. Yet, he had hope all along during his ministry that he was fulfilling the mission he was meant to, and that Heavenly Father would welcome him back with open arms.

I'm trying to work on living the gospel better and keeping hope as a dominant trait in my life, hoping that someday I will also be able to return to Heavenly Father.