Hope

I hate to be biased, but I really think that President Uchtdorf is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  Every time he speaks I'm surprised at how much I love him and enjoy his talks.  I love the power with which he bears testimony, and maybe it's just that this go-round he seems to be speaking on what to do with life is hard, but it always seems like he has a message that really applies to me.

Today during his talk I was driving through the rainstorm from Salt Lake to Lindon and at one point was fairly certain I was going to die because between the tears in my eyes and the rain on the windshield, visibility was low.

The story about his mother searching for her lost children really struck a cord with me because lately that's what I feel like I'm doing. Searching for my lost children that just haven't made it into my home yet. I feel like I'm looking for the train car that has my kids on it and for some reason, it's hiding from me and that breaks my heart.

As he continued the story and pointed out that his mother had hope, and that motivated her to move.  She searched tirelessly until she found them.  She didn't just sit down and cry because it was so hard (which I know I've done a time or two....but certainly not 3!) she ran around looking and searching because she had faith which overcame fear. I love how he phrased it when he said: "weighed down with worry, desperate prayers filled her heart....she searched frantically while hoping against hope that the train had not already departed." He goes on to describe and define hope. "It is the abiding trust that the Lord will fullfill his promises to us....Confidence that if we live ccording to God's laws and the words of his prophets now that we will receive desired blessing in the future. It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered."

What a fantastically motivating talk! I am teaching Relief Society in church on Sunday and the lesson is Joseph Smith's Standing Strong Through Life's Trials. All of a sudden I'm excited for this lesson and I hope that I can share that same spirit of hope and faith that President Uchtdorf always spreads.