Christ's Power To Redeem Will Always Be Greater Than Our Power To Fail And Fall

This has been another fantastic week. We found out that I will stay with Elder Beus for the next transfer here in Yukon. We are losing a big part of our area though because our stake added two new wards yesterday! It was really exciting news. We got to hear about the growth of the stake. Since 2000, when the temple was built here, this stake has gone from 3000 members to 5900, and surrounding stakes have seen a lot of growth as well. The stake is going very rapidly and the work is hastening.

We were driving to visit someone this week, but her car wasn't there, so we flipped around and headed to the apartment complex we felt inspired to go to. One of our good friends Bobby was outside, so we rolled down the window and talked to him for a couple minutes. We asked if we could have a lesson and he invited us up to his apartment. We started chatting for a few minutes then he stopped us because he needed to tell us something. He told us that on his way home from work he decided that he didn't want to meet with us anymore because he didn't think that it was true, but we showed up 15 minutes after he was thinking that. To him it was a sign to keep going. We had a special lesson where we were able to bear testimony that God wanted him on His side. He was reluctant, but the spirit was working on him. Without us asking he is making many changes in his life to be a better man. His roommate recently joined the church and we visited him yesterday. He told us that Bobby bought a bible to prove that the Book of Mormon is true, and he believes it is true now. We have a lesson with him tonight, so we'll get to hear all of that from his own mouth! He is such an amazing man. We can't wait to see what Heavenly Father has in store for our good friend Bobby.

I was reading in Mormon the other day and found this verse.

Mormon 6:7 And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them.

I'm sure that had to be a very saddening and discouraging moment for Mormon. He knew this was the end of the people he loved, and they stood there fearful and unrepentant. In the Bible Dictionary under fear it says, the first effect of Adam’s sin was that he was afraid (Gen. 3:10). Sin destroys that feeling of confidence God’s child should feel in a loving Father and produces instead a feeling of shame and guilt.

Contrasting that with the Stripling Warriors in Alma 56 we read,

 46 behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

 47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

When we face challenges and mighty winds what kind of confidence do we want? And what will it take for us to build that confidence? Challenges will come in this life regardless, but our reactions to them will differ drastically by our preparation. We can build our spiritual 72 hour kits, food storage, evacuation plans, and anything else. It takes our simple efforts of prayer, scripture study, church attendance, fhe, and other basic things. These efforts root our lives deeply into the foundation of our Savior. I bear testimony that Christ's power to redeem and strengthen will always be greater than our power to fail and fall. We can stand face to face with the greatest challenges of this life with complete confidence of victory. The winning team has already been chosen.

I love each of you. Thank you for all your efforts in the work of salvation. We stand as a great team in the work of our God. HFF!

-Elder Hoddy