Be of Good Cheer (Come, Follow Me)

The fulfillment of Samuel's prophecy (Helaman 14:3; 3 Nephi 1:15), signifying the birth of Jesus Christ, came just in time to avert the killing (3 Nephi 1:9) of those faithful few who awaited His promised arrival.  Some of our earthly struggles are real tests of faith, but we can count on the Lord to fulfill His promises (3 Nephi 1:13-14) of deliverance, on His own time. 

3 Nephi 1

  13 Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets.

  14 Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given.

The Light of the World (Come, Follow Me)

Our reading this week fills me with so much hope. In these chapters of Helaman, we read about the faithful few who listened to a prophet, turned to Christ, and looked forward to His coming. They faced a spiritually darkened world, and in so doing, they taught us what enduring to the end means -- remaining faithful despite persecution and threats. And they showed us that Christ, the Light of the World, will not abandon us.

Helaman 14:3-5
  And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.
  Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born.

  And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.

The Lord Doth Bless and Prosper (Come, Follow Me)

It can be hard to have an eternal perspective from our mortal vantage, but the Lord will bless and prosper us if we can but trust Him.  I have always found that to be true in my life.

"the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him" (Helaman 12:1)

The Rock of Our Redeemer (Come, Follow Me)

I have found this past week's Come, Follow Me reading to be so rich with uplifting and hopeful truths about the peace, prosperity, and protection that the Savior offers us.  I also love the imagery that Jesus Christ is our rock and sure foundation.

I'm a visual learner.  I'm not much of a graphic artist, but I like to use images to learn and anchor messages into my mind.  I've often thought about lighthouses and the protective beacons that warn us of danger and show us the safe path.  But Helaman 5:12 showed me something new--that these lights are anchored in rock so that they can endure the storms and warn others.  If we build our foundations on the rock of Jesus Christ, we can let our "light so shine" to aid others even as we experience the storms of life.

A Sure Foundation (Come, Follow Me)

Jesus Christ provides "a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" (Helaman 5:12).  We are certainly surrounded today by mighty winds, shafts in the whirlwind, hail, and mighty storms, but I take great comfort in knowing that Jesus Christ, our sure foundation will never fail us.  "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever" (Moroni 7:47).