Sabbath Devotional :: Hope

This is a picture of green because green is the color that fills me with everything positive: peace, hope, and joy.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18).

In the last General Conference, President Eyring spoke on finding personal peace and the next day, President Nelson invited us to be peacemakers. Finding peace and making peace are not the same, but I know from experience they are connected.

A few years ago, I started the day feeling quite down, and then my stellar mood was topped off by some frustration with my family. I decided to go on social media for an escape. One of the first posts I saw irritated me. And I responded. And responded. And responded again. I was not feeling at peace personally, and I took it out on my friend. (I went back later to apologize.)

On the other hand, when I have been more at peace with my own situation, I can engage in productive conversation without being so mean. I am a less-effective peacemaker when I am agitated.

But this devotional is not about peace and peacemaking. It is about hope. And hope-making.

We know that faith, hope, and charity are closely related. Faith is centered in Christ, and we seek to develop it, but it is also a principle of action. Charity is a gift from Christ that we seek to develop, but it, too, is a principle of action. And hope? Hope feels more abstract. But it is also centered in Christ, we have to work to develop it, and it ought to be a principle of action.

Sometimes the world feels jaded and cynical, making the idea of hope seem naïve. But real hope is not trivial. There is some indication that despair, the opposite of hope, can lead to more crime (both petty crime and violent crime), depression, drug use, animosity, and corruption. People are less likely to invest in long-term relationships, both personally and in society. Trust breaks down and fewer people want to vote or volunteer or engage with elected officials.

On the other hand, a society that is hopeful will become safer, happier, healthier, more welcoming, and more ethical. A hope-filled person is more likely to create a stable life, engage in community service, and build long term relationships with neighbors and community members, and commit to marriage and family.

Hope gives us safety and stability. We’re not left in pessimism and despair dreading the future, but we have a realistic view of what wonderful things could come. Hope contributes to quality of life.

At a certain time in my life, I was tired of disappointment and decided to quit dreaming and expecting life to get better. I was in survival mode. But the absence of dreams led to the absence of hope, and it was not the contentment I was aiming for. I cautiously started to study hope to improve my own well-being.

I had been mistakenly equating hope with wishful thinking. Thankfully, I learned a better definition from Mormon: “And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that 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).

And there it is. Hope seemed so illusive to me because I was interpreting it as setting goals, achieving dreams, and wishing. But the essential hope, like faith and charity, is based in Christ, specifically in his atonement and resurrection. His atonement gives us hope for change, both for us and all others. His resurrection gives us hope in eternity: an understanding that things are so much bigger than right here and right now.

Ether explains how hope focused in Christ affects us in the present day: “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God” (Ether 12:4).

Hope makes us sure and steadfast, providing personal, family, and societal stability. Hope is also what helps us abound in good works. It motivates us to serve or volunteer. And then service increases our hope. They feed each other.

Recently, I attended a symposium on religious liberty. The panelists were people who work with marginalized communities locally, nationally, and globally. They engage with victims and refugees regularly. Because of the reality of what they witness in their work, they had every reason to express despair and discouragement. And yet, the overwhelming feeling I experienced that day was hope. I have had similar experiences with other advocates. Service increases our hope for the future.

Hope has a ripple effect. When I am around hope-filled people, I am filled with more hope and positivity. In addition to service, we can fill ourselves with hope by looking for the good in other people, expressing gratitude, and recognizing God’s hand all around us.

Peter uses the phrase “a lively hope” and Nephi writes “a perfect brightness of hope” (1 Peter 1:3, 2 Nephi 31:20). The words lively and bright describe people I know who live lives filled with optimism, positivity, and hope. They are the types of people who are anxiously engaged in a good cause.

I know how discouraging it is to be alive right now. There are many difficult challenges we face in our country. Like I said at the beginning, focusing on hope can seem naïve. I am reminded of President Hinckley’s words: “I am not suggesting that you simply put on rose-colored glasses to make the world about you look rosy. I ask rather, that you look above and beyond the negative, . . . to the positive and affirmative.”

More recently, President Oaks said, “We should trust in the Lord and be positive about this nation’s future.” Our ability to move forward with hope for the future affects us personally and can make a difference for our communities and our country.