To be honest, due to my own struggles with hope or the lack thereof, I found it difficult and even felt almost hypocritical writing this entry. However, ultimately I felt that it was of greater importance that I publish this article, not only for others, but to reinforce to myself the eternal nature of true hope.
The hopes, dreams and wishes of men
are so fleeting and so easily crushed it is hard to imagine that hope
could possibly be an Eternal principle. As I have discussed before,
that which is not based upon eternal principles will inevitably end
up in failure.
If I hope for a better job, a
better life, a better relationship, for all manner of things that
would make my life less painful, more carefree, then is it not easy
for such expectations to be dashed? Does not raising hope increase
the fall? Is not hope merely a precursor to greater despair?
This is true only if our hopes are based upon
men, and our own limited time frame. By framing my desires and
expectations in a certain light, we discount other possible ways
wherein we may achieve happiness, the greater way which the Lord has
in store for us.
Without hope there is no impetus
for action, no reason to endeavor, no attempt at a better world. This
hope is key to life and living. And yet, as hopelessness and despair
are the inevitable end result of all hopes that are rested upon the
strength of men, what is it that we can possibly hope for?
What I had always thought was hope,
was not at all what the Lord had defined has hope in ages past. The
feelings of expectation in my own time frame, my own dreams and
wishes, my fantasies and delusions, these aren't hope, but rather
optimism, the same fake optimism spoken of in my last article on
faith.
See, the problem is that our
worldly definition of hope has been watered down with the selfish
ideas of men, putting their own desires and thoughts at the center of
hope, rather than having an eternal hope spoken of in the scriptures.
And what is this “eternal hope”?
If we turn to the Hebrew words translated as hope in the Old
Testament we find various words to describe hope, however almost all
of the words come from two main root words qavah and yachal, both of
which are related to waiting.
To wait, to tarry, to look eagerly
for, to look forward to, the word for hope in Hebrew is not just
flimsy wishful thinking, but rather demonstrates the inner tension
related to a tense rope, that rope being bound to the Lord on high.
In 2nd Nephi 31 we read:
“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in
Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of
all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word
of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye
shall have eternal life.”
Here we clearly see a parallelism
between “a perfect brightness of hope” and “enduring to the
end”. This enduring isn't a long slow suffering wherein we must be
bound down by the world, but rather the opposite, a hope that pulls
us forward to him, just as a child looks forward to rejoining his
father.
That waiting patiently for the
lord, that looking forward is the key. When a father goes on a long
journey, the child looks forward, patiently awaiting the day of his
return. This hope is hinged upon our faithfulness to and reliance
upon Him.
Of course, that is another key,
which is our awaiting upon the promises of the Lord. Obviously
waiting for the day that a luxury sports car and Mansion fall into my
lap is ridiculous, as such things were never promised by Him. Such
false hopes will eventually end up in disappointment.
So what is it in which we must have
a “welcome anticipation”? What is it that He has pledged to us
through the covenants of old? While writing about the promises of the
Lord itself deserves its own article, we can boil it down to two main
things. A spiritual and temporal salvation, based upon our
willingness to follow Him.
In Jarom we read that the prophets
were “persuading them to look forward unto
the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was.”
This Messiah, who is The Christ,
and the spiritual salvation which he has brought about is clearly
spelled out in the scriptures, especially in the New Testament and
the Book of Mormon.
Unfortunately, it is just about all
we hear about Him, how someday, somehow we will not have to go to
hell for our sins, but only if we're good enough. How in the end,
after this world is over, after everything that matters in front of
us is long gone, how after my struggles with this life are over, THEN
He will help us.
I don't know where this distant god
image has come from, or why no one speaks of the here and now, for it
is abundantly clear that His salvation is not such at all.
In Alma 32 we read “But if ye
will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow,
by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking
forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and
behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.
And because of your diligence
and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that
it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit
thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is
sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure
above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until
ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.
Then, my brethren, ye shall reap
the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and
long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring
forth fruit unto you.”
Firstly the fruits of spiritual
salvation spoken of above are not just about our post-mortal
existence. While our eternal destination is indeed a vital part of
our salvation, the fruit that we partake of is a joyous strength that
buoys us up in the here and now. It is an anchor that binds us to
Him, wherein we can rely upon Him and His miracles.
Many at this point try to fall into
self-satisfaction, saying that what we receive of the Lord is
“emotional” or “spiritual” support, that He will strengthen
us but we must to do the everything ourselves, thinking “for the
Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power
unto men;” (2nd Nephi 28:5); with nary a word of His
miraculous works in times of old.
When Moses and the Israelite were
crossing the Red Sea, did they part the waters using shovels? When Daniel
was in the lion's den, did he somehow beat up the Lion? When
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were thrown into the furnace, did
they survive because had acclimatised to the furnace's heat? Of
course not.
“For do we not read that God
is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no
variableness neither shadow of changing?
And now, if ye have imagined up
unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of
changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a
God of miracles.
But behold, I will show unto you
a God of miracles...”
The fruit spoken of is not merely
some internal fantasy. It is joy that comes from knowing of His
strength and His love, that He will save us and cover for us when
things go south.
The temporal salvation spoken of in
the scriptures is a vital key to our belief. The Jews awaited a
temporal and political savior, because that is what is contained in
the scriptures. While it is true that they overly focused upon the
temporal, ignoring his Spiritual salvation, we do just as much damage
by doing the opposite.
The clear message of the Book of
Mormon is that He is here and will save us from our temporal
troubles. “If ye keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the
land” this line was repeated 19 times times throughout the book
in different variations. We need to believe that He has power to
fulfill His promises.
We need to trust in a savior that
will straighten up the mess that is this world, a God that can save
us from this filthy and broken state, one that can affect the here
and now, that He can save me and my life from the impending crisis
that is soon to come. This is the Lord in whom we must trust. He is
Power, He is Justice, He is Salvation.
When we finally stop bowing to
Babylon, when we finally say “enough!” to the arrogance and
wickedness of men, when we stop condemning and start toiling for the
benefit of others, when we finally turn to Him for our salvation
rather than wisdom of the world, that is when He will answer, for He
is waiting for us to return to Him.
This doesn't mean that all our
trials and tribulations will vanish, but it does mean that we need to
seek and ask for salvation from our sufferings. When enough of us
turn to the Lord, he will reply.
As I mentioned before I myself have
struggles with this hope, for due to my own blindness, I cannot see
the path to take, the salvation to come, the way in which He will
save us. It is due to my own selfishness that I need to know, that I
find it difficult to welcome this Hope.
For Hope is the waiting despite not
knowing, or rather especially because one understands their own
ignorance and trusts in the omniscience and omnibenevolence of Him,
it becomes possible to await with joy, feasting with gusto upon His
words, enjoying and even looking forward to seeing how the plot that
is our life will unfold.
“And it shall be said in that
day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for
him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited
for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Amen.
