December 22nd
A thrill of hope
Moroni 7:41 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.
Ether 12:4 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.
Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Hope: the first theme of Advent
As Advent starts winding down, as the gradual darkening of the world gives way to light at Winter Solstice, I’m finding myself reflecting on the four themes of Advent. Traditionally, each of the four weeks leading up to Christmas focuses on one of these four themes. This study has been completely disorganized, with topics mostly growing from whatever was on my mind, so for these last four days, instead of weeks, I want to hone in on them a little bit.
As I searched for scriptures in the Book of Mormon and the Bible about hope, I realized both my favorite scriptures (Ether 12:4 and Romans 5:3-5) treat this theme. I don’t consider myself particular optimistic or hopeful. I was branded as a pessimist as a child and the characterization is apt. I see the negative first. Maybe that is why I cling so hard to the idea of hope—I need it more than most people do.
2020 has been a dark year for most of us and in recent days my family has been undergoing a darkness of our own. It isn’t easy to turn toward the light when the darkness has its fist in your mouth.
But hope is stubborn. I think even the most cynical among us want to believe that all will be well, and because of Jesus, we can trust that it will. I love that Romans says experience worketh hope—that what we go through will lead us to believe even more, and that we won’t be ashamed of what we dare to hope for. I love that Ether says hope can become an anchor for our souls, if we believe. And Moroni answers the question of “why”—we can have hope because of the birth and Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Invitation
What do you hope for in these final days of Advent? What about for the coming year, 2021? Can you allow yourself those hopes and let them become an anchor to your soul no matter what next year throws at you?
Song
“Oh Holy Night,” sung by Lauren Daigle