(Quick Notes: sorry for the last paragraph. I know it's long, but it's a story.)
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/the-hope-of-gods-light
The title of the talk is, "The Hope of God's Light".
The talk that I chose from last General Conference was
President Uchtdorf’s talk, “The Hope Of God”. It was the first talk in the
fourth session on Sunday morning. In it he outlines that while life may be dark
and have many trials it is our goal to overcome those times. We are here to
overcome the doubt and fear that might arise in our lives during moments of
trial or weakness. He also talks about how we need to feel that we are not
alone in this world to faces its many challenges alone. There are always people
there to help us on our way; likewise, we are here to help others to make it
through their own dark, frightening tunnels and back into the light. Most
importantly, we are here to feel loved. We need to know that there are people
who love us in this life, those who will be there for us when things go astray
or wrong. Feeling loved is one of the biggest points that he outlines in his
talk.
In his talk, President Uchtdorf divides it into sections;
the first one is labeled “A Room Filled with Darkness”. I think that this
applies to everyone’s life. We all have rooms hidden away in our lives that are
full of all the hurt and suffering that we’ve been through. It also holds all
the disappointments that we’ve faced; the doubts we may have had about
ourselves and the fears that once held us in dark rapture. We need to know that
those dark rooms can be filled with light and love again. Those are only brief,
passing moments in our lives. How we choose to cope and learn from them is how
we brighten the room and banish the darkness from our lives. The gospel of the
church gives us that hope, love, joy and understanding. It’s the brightest
light we can fill our rooms with. When we begin to fill our room with light we
need to keep that light burning bright. This often means forgiving those who
were once unforgivable. In order for us to move on, we need to let go of the
grip the past may have on our lives and move forward. When we do this we add
another bright light to our room’s arsenal. We need to know that the darkness
is still out there – that it does exist, but we do not have to dwell there. We
know that the light exists and that is where we should choose to dwell. He
talks of how the healing process begins when we move away from the darkness and
towards the light, the hope of something brighter in our lives.
The next section in his talk is entitled “Light Cleaveth
Unto Light”. In it he describes how only good things can come from good things,
or as he put it, “Light unto light”. No darkness can seep in when we have our
lights burning brightly before us. He tells us that, if we are in the dark, we
must actively search out the light and come to know it. Sitting around,
“waiting for someone to flip a switch”, rarely happens. If we want our lives to
change, we have to actively seek out that change and embrace it. He then
outlines a plan to help us open our eyes to the hope of God’s light.
“Light Overcomes Darkness,” is the next section outlined. He
speaks about how we all makes mistakes, forget things, falter in our paths and
stumble. When these things begin to happen we need to turn towards the light
and rely on its guidance to bring us out of the dark. No matter what happens,
the light will always overcome the darkness. No matter how deep things might
be, or how hurt and angry we are, if we place our faith and trust in the Lord
we will overcome that darkness and live in the light.
The final section in his talk, “Come to the Light” is just
what it is. While we might feel, and even be enveloped in darkness we need to
know that the light is always there. He invites us to seek openly for the Lord
and His light. When we find him, through study and prayer, we will have a warm
and brilliant light that will continually surround us.
What I learned from this is that we need to continually
overcome the darkness and the burdens that might leave us breathless in our
trials. Those trials are fleeting moments in our lives. When we overcome them
and enter into the light we will be able to live in the light and love of our
Heavenly Father.
In my own life I’ve faced many struggles and trials. Each
day I pray to Heavenly Father to help me endure and make it through. Last month
I was visiting Salt Lake City for the first time. I arrived Saturday evening at
midnight. I was feeling sick already, but I prayed to Heavenly Father that, if
I had to be extremely sick, let me be sick on Monday. I had an interview on
Wednesday and needed at least Tuesday to try and find the location of the
interview. But most importantly, I prayed to be sick on Monday because I needed
to be at church on Sunday. I had to make it through the three-hour block and
back to my hotel without getting sick. If he would let me make it through my
plane ride and through church on Sunday, I would gladly be sick on Monday. I
made it safely to Salt Lake on Saturday. Sunday morning I was feeling ill, but
I got into the city. I was able to walk around Temple Square on a perfect
Easter Sunday and take pictures of the Temple. I was able to find my sister and
we were able to go to church together. That night, I thanked Heavenly Father
for letting me attend my meetings, and especially to see and visit the Temple.
I went to sleep, content that the day had gone well. I woke up Monday morning
at eight a.m., feeling sick to my stomach! My prayers had been answered. I was
able to make it to Utah, make it to church, and get sick, then have time to
recover before my interview. Through the trial of Monday I prayed that Heavenly
Father would keep me close as I endured the pain I was in. Later on, while
visiting the Temple Bookstore I found a card with the poem, “The Footprints”
written on one side and a picture of the Savior on the other. It stunned me,
because each time I face a trial, I think of how the Lord is holding me in his
arms while walking down the road. I know that each time I feel like the
darkness is winning, all I have to do is remember that this isn’t a time of
darkness. This is a time when the Lord is holding me in his arms, safe from the
raging storm around me.
