“The temple is a powerful symbol of the light of Jesus Christ that has now come to Davao,” Elder Kopischke shared during the media preview. “It is a symbol of peace and understanding.”

To help you make the most of this historic season, he extended five heartfelt invitations to every visitor who walks through these sacred gates.

1. Look Beyond the Structure

While the craftsmanship is breathtaking, Elder Kopischke invites us to look past the physical beauty of the brick and mortar. The temple is more than a landmark; it is a testament to the eternal nature of the soul and the strength of the families it serves.

2. Take Time to Ponder

The temple grounds are a refuge from the noise of the world. Use this visit as a rare opportunity to be still. We encourage you to reflect, listen to your heart, and bring your questions—we are here to answer them and seek truth alongside you.

3. Feel the Light and Peace

There is a unique spirit found within these walls and throughout the surrounding gardens. You are invited to simply feel. In this environment of love, many find a sense of calm and clarity that is difficult to find anywhere else.

4. Ask the Most Important Question

As you tour the rooms, Elder Kopischke suggests asking yourself: “What is Jesus Christ offering me?” This temple is a physical representation of His grace, His promises, and His desire to be part of our daily lives.

5. Be a Channel of Invitation

If you feel something special during your visit, don’t keep it to yourself. Use your own voice and your own channels to invite as many people as possible. Help others experience the same peace and beauty that you found here.

Plan Your Visit The Philippines Davao Temple Open House runs from March 26 to April 10, 2026. Everyone—regardless of faith or background—is warmly invited to attend. Bring a friend, bring your family, and come experience the peace for yourself.

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If you answered yes to that question, that is wonderful. But if you answered no, please know that you are not struggling with this alone.

Trusting in the Lord—especially when times are tough—can feel like trying to take a step forward when it’s pitch dark all around you. You can’t see the path, and you don’t know what to expect with your next step.

But learning how to trust in the Lord is a skill that can bring so many blessings into our lives. How can we learn to do this, especially when it feels most difficult?

Trusting in The Lord Even When It’s Difficult

Putting our trust in the Lord in moments where everything feels safe and good can be easy. We see the steps clearly; we understand what happens next.

But saying, “Okay, Heavenly Father, I trust you,” during times when you are struggling, when you are unsure, and when you are scared is a completely different challenge. It can feel like being told to jump into deep, dark waters, not knowing if you are going to keep your head above the surface.

If you feel this way, please pause before you think, “Oh, perhaps I am faithless.”

Remember that this struggle happens even to the most faithful. Even great prophets have faced moments where the path was unclear and their hearts were heavy.

Consider these three experiences:

Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail

Even the Prophet of the Restoration faced moments of deep despair. While trapped in the freezing darkness of Liberty Jail, with the Saints suffering outside, Joseph cried out, “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?” He felt abandoned and confused, yet he poured his heart out to the Lord rather than turning away.

Nephi Returning to Jerusalem

When Nephi was commanded to return to Jerusalem to get the brass plates, he didn’t have a map or a strategic plan. He described his experience by saying, “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.” He had to trust the Lord literally one step at a time, walking into the dark of the city without knowing how the night would end.

Moses at the Red Sea

Imagine standing before the Red Sea with an army approaching from behind. Moses and the children of Israel were trapped. To the natural eye, it was a disaster. It looked like the end. But Moses had to trust that the Lord could make a way where there was absolutely no way. He had to stand still and trust before the waters ever parted.

Even the faithful have felt fear and uncertainty. And there is nothing terrible about that. We are human beings with feelings that are, by nature, very human. Our vision is limited. We simply do not always see what God sees.

But what we choose to do, even when we are unsure, matters the most.

• Joseph Smith endured his suffering well. He didn’t let the darkness of the prison overcome the light of his testimony. He eventually emerged from Liberty Jail and continued to lead the Saints with renewed strength and revelation.

• Moses stood his ground. With the enemy behind him and the ocean before him, he still raised his staff. He acted in faith before the miracle occurred.

• Nephi kept walking. He continued moving forward into the city, even though he knew his life was on the line, trusting that God would prepare the way.

The Lord doesn’t require us to ignore our feelings or pretend to be fearless. He, above all, understands our hearts. But He does require us to trust Him.

And moving forward—even when there are so many unknowns—is the very definition of trusting Him.

So, how do we master this? 

How Do We Trust The Lord Better?

Trusting the Lord sn’t about erasing our fear, but knowing where to put our focus on in our journey. 

Like Moses, just do what the Lord asks.

It might be full of unknowns, but we have to trust that He will perform the miracles He promised us. This might include paying your tithing even when the bills are tight, trusting that He will open the windows of heaven. Or it might mean forgiving someone who hurt you, even when your heart isn’t quite ready, trusting that He will heal your pain as you let go of the bitterness.

Like Nephi, remember that He prepares a way.

We have to hold on to the truth that when the Lord gives a commandment, He provides a way for us to accomplish it. This could mean leaving a relationship that you know isn’t right for you, even if you are afraid of being alone, trusting He has something better in store. It could mean accepting a calling or a responsibility that feels too big for your abilities, trusting that He will qualify you for the work.

Like Joseph Smith, understand that faith doesn’t mean a trouble-free life. We have to realize that even though we follow the Lord, not everything will immediately be “sunshine and rainbows.” We will still be tried. Sometimes, it is going to be hard. You might be doing everything right—reading your scriptures, praying, and serving—and yet you still face a chronic illness, a job loss, or a family struggle. These trials are not signs that He has left you; they are often the very experiences that are refining you.

To Trust The Lord Is To Make That Step

Trusting the Lord is a journey, not a destination. It is a choice we make every single day.

So, if you are standing in the dark right now, unsure of your next step, don’t stop. Take that step. Trust that the Lord is not only watching over you, but He is also walking right beside you.

He knows the end from the beginning, and He promises that if we trust Him, He will lead us home.

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You anxiously wait for your prayers to be answered. You thought God would help you through it. But it didn’t happen. You start to feel disappointed. Then, you thought He never listened. You feel He wasn’t there when you needed Him. Then, you begin to doubt if God existed.

Stop right there! Don’t go further away from what you know is true.

God Answers in His Own Time and in His Own Way

God does answer prayers. But you must know that He answers in His own time and in His own way. Sometimes, answers come instantly. Most of the time, you must wait. And yes, it can be painful to know that there will be times that God’s answer is a big fat NO!

It can be very frustrating when you are already expecting that God will grant you all things you desired. You see, it’s not really that God did not answer your prayer. Sometimes He knows better than what we deserved, because He knows us better.

Sometimes, it can be a blessing that your relationship with someone didn’t work out because you were meant to find someone better. You soon will realize that there had been some red flags or unhealthy patterns in the relationship that you had been unwilling to see.

Sometimes, it can be a blessing that you didn’t get your dream job. Multiple interviewers rejected your application even if you have put your best foot forward. And you wonder why you did not qualify even if you have the right credentials or experience. Perhaps taking that dream job could mean a huge chunk of family time to sacrifice. Or perhaps God didn’t want you to experience the kind of environment and culture you will be dealing with in the workplace.

Soon you will thank Him for removing certain people or opportunities from your life because you never knew how toxic they would have been. When you accept the reality and start moving on with your life, you look back to understand that His ways are better than yours.

Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “[Our Father in Heaven’s] invitation ‘Ask, and ye shall receive’ (3 Nephi 27:29) does not assure that you will get what you want. It does guarantee that, if worthy, you will get what you need, as judged by a Father that loves you perfectly, who wants your eternal happiness even more than do you.”

No matter what happens, never cease to pray. Remember, He is always listening. He always wants what is best for us even if it doesn’t seem like it.

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Is there truth to this interpretation?

Before we answer this question, we need to determine what kind of fear we are feeling. There are two kinds of fear—godly fear and worldly fear.

In the scriptures, we are taught to fear God. This godly fear as explained by Elder Bednar is “a deep feeling of reverence, respect, and awe for the Lord Jesus Christ”. It is not really “fear” then, as we tend to think of it. It is a feeling that persuades us to seek knowledge and understanding about the commandments of God so we can obey them. It is also with this veneration that we seek to intently learn the fullness of God’s glory and power. This kind of fear increases faith and deep devotion to Him.

The other kind of fear, which we are counseled to avoid, is the fear that is not of God. This kind of fear which Satan loves to exploit, makes us doubt who we are and who we can become. It is the fear that we are not enough, that our past mistakes define us, that we don’t deserve to be loved or forgiven, that we are so flawed we are beyond the reach of the power of the Atonement, that we are not capable of building and keeping a family of our own, that we will likely fail or be rejected, that we cannot progress further, that we do not matter, and all other thoughts that are NOT true.

Many of us might be thinking, “But I feel it, how come it is not true?” Yes, these feelings are real, but it does not mean that they are true. It also does not mean that we have little faith. It means that we are human and we are subject to these feelings because of our mortal state. These feelings could be one of the challenges that we have to endure in order to fully understand who we are and what our souls are worth in the eyes of God. They could be a path that we need to take so we can know how to succor and strengthen those who are walking the same path. They could prompt defining moments of our faith in which God shows us that we will not stumble if He is the rock we build our faith upon.

These feelings can mean many things, but one thing is for sure, feelings of fear DO NOT define our faith. What we do about them does.

So what do we do when we fear?

In one of the Apostle Paul’s letters to Timothy he wrote that, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”. When this truth is clear to us and we face moments of fear, we can turn from it by turning to the Lord. Turning to Him comes in many forms. It could be through prayer, reading the scriptures, seeking counsel from a bishop, singing a hymn, performing acts of service, not giving in to the spirit of contention, and more.

As we turn to the Lord, we will be better able to recognize that we are always enough, that we can become the best version of ourselves and reach our full potential, and that we matter to Him. We can come to know the truths of His gospel and the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that can mend broken things and smooth every flaw. We will be able to see things as they really are, and see through the lens of a loving Father that we can grow and bloom amidst our afflictions, that we can forgive and be forgiven, that death is not the end but the beginning of another journey, and that God will always love us and walk with us every step of the way as we progress in this life.

We are taught that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the antidote to fear. It sounds simple but faith requires work, dedication, and life-long nurturing. For us to dispel fear, we must build our faith first by hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ and then seeking confirmation by the power of the Holy Spirit that it is true. Other crucial elements of building our faith are repentance, making and keeping covenants, and losing ourselves in the service of God.

Life will not be free of fear. Some of our fears will come from bitter experiences, others will tax our courage and test our resilience, but let’s not let these feelings define our faith. Let our experiences make our faith more deeply rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we do not let fear overcome our faith, it should be enough reason to not question if we have little faith.

The Lord loves us. Even if our faith is the size of a mustard seed, what He sees is what it can become—a strong and towering tree. What matters to Him is that we nurture the seed so that it can become what it is destined to become.

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During the descent, climbers have to battle with exhaustion and physical exertion, and fight the urge to be more lax after reaching the peak. It is no wonder that some mountaineers consider the descent down the mountain to be the real challenge.

Goals and challenges are often compared to mountains. And like the aspiring climbers, most of us focus on overcoming the mountains in our lives just by climbing up the summit. But are we as prepared for when the trail turns downhill?

Up in the Summit

I’ve climbed four mountains (one of which I climbed twice) in my lifetime. My favorite part of the climb is always reaching the summit. I love seeing everything from a bird’s-eye view – from the top of the tallest building down to the tiniest house my eyes can recognize. I basked in my “success” by taking a lot of pictures. Up on the summit, I felt that all my efforts and pains had been worth it.

After reaching my fourth summit though, I did not just see the things below me I also started noticing the higher mountains in front of me. They seemed to be inviting me to aim for greater heights. That’s when I realized that to climb these higher mountains I first needed to come down safely from where I was. 

For you see, mountains and peaks are rarely connected. There were no upward trails, no shortcuts that would lead me to a higher peak from the top of the mountain I had just climbed. In other words, to reach another summit – loftier and more majestic than my last one – I first need to descend from the summit that I have learned to love, the one where I currently am.

The Descent

The problem is there’s not much glory in the descent. It’s not as exciting as climbing up, and it doesn’t merit Instagram-worthy photos. Many of us, in fact, can’t wait to climb down the mountain so we can start bragging about our experience at the top. However, we can learn just as much wisdom and experience from climbing down as we can from climbing up. We should not rush through our descent, but we should also relish every moment just as we did when we were ascending.

In facing our mountains of life, we will have our ups, and sometimes, we will reach our summits. We enjoy these experiences, and we wish they would never end. Then there are our downs, our descents. In dark contrast to our bright moments, we don’t want to be there. We just want to latch onto our happy moments and not let go. 

We have to realize, though, that just because the path is downhill, it doesn’t mean we’re being led to our downfall. The downhill trail is essential to more exciting and rewarding adventures in the future.

Climbing Higher Mountains

The descent from the summit also doesn’t lessen our feelings of achievement from our ascent. Instead, it prepares us for new challenges by slowing us down and encouraging us to rest for a time, so we can become stronger and wiser for our next climb. Don’t fear the descent! For the best thing about being down is that there’s no way to go but up, and what heights our Heavenly Father has in store for us!

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Needless to say, I was disappointed. A wait list? Why am I on the wait list? I passed every requirement, submitted the best portfolio I can ever come up with, spent hours answering questions just to make sure I get a spot, and prayed fervently to be qualified. What did I do to be placed on a wait list?

In the midst of my frustration, a thought came into my mind. It’s as though I was transported back to the time I presented my first Family Home Evening Lesson. “The Lord answers our prayers in three ways,” the 10 year old Giulia said, “Yes, No, and wait a while.”

There’s that word again – wait. I would have gladly taken the No. Waiting was another story.

Is that familiar? Have you – like me – ever felt like you were also on a wait list for the Lord’s blessings? Do you also have a goal – like completing school, finding your eternal companion, landing a great job, finding peace – that seems to be so elusive no matter how hard you’ve worked for it?

Waiting is an essential part of the Plan of Salvation – it is not easy, but it will help build our patience and faith. The Lord will ask us to wait – He asked me to wait on the day I was informed I was on the wait list. After that, my mind began to think about the many times I was asked by the Lord to wait and the lessons that came with them. Here are four important lessons I learned only through waiting upon the Lord.

Waiting Upon the Lord Helps Me Understand His Will Better

When a blessing is withheld from us, it’s easy to question “Father, why me?” You could be a young woman who’s patiently waiting for an eternal companion; a young father struggling to find jobs to make ends meet; or a new member of the Church that awaits revelations that will strengthen your testimony. Tears and doubts can come with delayed blessings. But through these challenges, we will realize that if we are true and faithful, we will begin to see the will of the Lord unfold. It may not make us understand everything easily, but it will help us trust the Lord’s will more.

Waiting Upon the Lord Helps Us Develop Christlike Attributes

In the scriptures, to wait is to hope and to trust. As we wait with hope, we echo the hymn “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go” — “so trusting my all to thy tender care, and knowing thou lovest me,… I’ll be what you want me to be.” Understanding and trusting the Lord’s timetable can help develop important Christlike attributes such as humility, patience, hope, and gratitude for the Lord.

Waiting Upon the Lord Provides Us Opportunities to Serve and Improve

If we view waiting in a negative light, it will make us feel down in the dumps. But if we learn to build the faith that waiting is a blessing from the Lord, we will learn how to make use of it. When the Lord asked me to wait, I discovered He gave me more time to prepare and improve so I can qualify in other mentorship programs.

Another blessing is the ability to serve others who may be going through the challenges of waiting. Because we can understand what they’re experiencing, and because we have already developed the faith that waiting upon the Lord’s timing can bring blessings, we are given the ability to succor and serve them.

Waiting Upon the Lord Can Bring Us Happiness

I won’t deny it – waiting can test one’s faith. It tested mine and for several weeks, I was singing Lead Kindly Light in my heart. “I loved to choose and see my path but now, lead Thou me on.” I wanted to be a part of that mentorship program so bad, but there’s a high possibility I couldn’t make it.

Still, I held on to faith and my testimony that the Lord knew what blessings to give to me. After 3 weeks of polishing my application, and doing everything to qualify, an offer came – a local mentor was willing to include me in his class. Unlike the other mentorship program, I will be paying a lower price and fewer hours away from my toddler. After receiving the call, my testimony was strengthened – “But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.” (2 Nephi 2:24)

The Lord took away the blessing I wanted, and made me wait for a while for a better blessing – the blessing I needed.

When we’re in the process of waiting upon the Lord, let us remember that the Lord has plans for our success (Jeremiah 29:11). He may take away a blessing now, but in His own time, He will compensate with another that will bring us more happiness.

If you’re currently on the process of waiting for a blessing, remember this comforting statement from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

“Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven. But for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come.” We may not know when or how the Lord will give us blessings, but let us always remember that our prayers do not fall on deaf ears. Like the Lord and His love for us, His blessings are eternal, and not temporary. May we continue to wait upon Him and never give up on the blessings which He has in store for us, both in this life and the life to come.

The post The Lord Asked Me to Wait, Here’s What I’ve Learned appeared first on morefaith.ph.

I was then reminded of our first week as husband and wife. We decided that Jeremiah 29:11 was going to be our scripture verse. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” is a promise we vowed to cling on to. Heavenly Father wants us to succeed – there was nothing to fear, right?

During one of the most trying times in our young marriage, I held on to the promise in Jeremiah 29:11. We prayed and worked hard for the business, and still, we failed. I knew for a fact that mistakes are part of God’s plan, but our experience – our own taste of failure – made me realize that failing is also part of the equation.

Our “epic fail” of a business venture helped us realize four important lessons about failure, and God’s plan for us. The Lord – because of His love for His children – will allow us to fail, to make mistakes. Here are some reasons why.

Failing Makes Faith Meaningful

Should failure mar our faith? If we allow it, it could. But if we try to see the role of failure in the bigger picture, we can begin to see how it makes faith meaningful. Not getting the results we have originally – and faithfully – planned can teach us lessons on humility, preparation, and holding firm to the Lord’s promises.

One of the biggest examples of meaningful faith was Nephi. He was faithful – he was sure the Lord would not fail those who follow His commandments. But when he and his brothers were tasked with getting the sacred records from Laban, they failed, twice. If Nephi had allowed those failures to overcome his faith, he could have walked out in a heartbeat. But he persevered. Perhaps through of their two failed attempts, Nephi was able to learn how to navigate Laban’s house and impersonate him – two things that could have contributed to their success.

Should failure make us question our faith? If we allow it, it could. But if we learn from it, and get something from it, failure can make faith more meaningful.

Failures Show Us That Heavenly Father is in the Details of Our Lives

When we decided to finally give up on the business, my mind was filled with questions. “Father, we prayed hard for this. We were so positive about this. Why did things not go the way we planned?”

Have you also asked that question? Have you also questioned the Lord’s plan for you? Have you ever wondered why – after preparation and hard work – things still did not work out?

Our experience with our failed business taught us something: that the Lord is in the details of our lives.

A few months after our failed investment, a new business idea came to my husband. One that continues to be productive and steady until now. Failing one business was necessary for us to learn and move on to a better one.

We were reminded of the Prophet Joseph Smith. After learning that the 116 pages of The Book of Mormon manuscript were gone, he exclaimed “All is lost!” But in the Lord’s bigger plan, it wasn’t. He saw Joseph Smith’s failure 2000 years before, and He was ready for it.

He sees our failures, He can turn our failures into blessings. He also knew we will make mistakes, so He provided us a Savior. The Lord is in the details of our lives. His plan for mankind, and His plan for each of us is perfect. He is true to His promise that He has plans for us to succeed. Those promises may not be evident now, but they will surely unfold in the Lord’s own time.

Mistakes Allow Us to Make Better Decisions

I still think of those bitter months time and time again. Although I remember the fear and worry I had to endure, I am better reminded of one of the biggest lessons on failure – our wrong decisions can help us learn to make better choices. Because we know well what happens when we make hasty decisions, we will know better to take time and ask the Lord’s will.

Of course, the Lord will not lead us to the paths of sin, but He will allow us, through experiences, mistakes and failures, to increase our knowledge so we can make better choices.

Lessons from Failure Make Us Realize that Success is One Faithful Step at a Time

“Lead Kindly Light” by John Henry Newman has become one of my favorite hymns about faith. When we experience moments of uncertainty and failure, it’s easy to desire greater light – an understanding to help us see what the future holds for us.

But in reality, enough light to illuminate only the next two or three steps is what we actually need– what we can put our trust in. Success in this life and in the life to come is dependent on what we do with the light provided for us.

We can’t always know what lies ahead, but the Lord does. As we bravely use that feeble light, and as we take one faithful step at a time, believing that the Lord will guide our way, we can move past our failures and find success.

Failing is never an easy thing to appreciate. But when we realize that moments of failure can often help us understand more, learn more, and do more, we begin to see why failure is part of God’s plan for us.

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However, it’s a different story now that we’re here on Earth. Each step, each test of faith can make us question and wonder, “What’s next?” “Does this challenge really have something for me?” “Can’t I just know what happens next for me so I’ll have a little more assurance?” Uncertainties seem to be a constant part of our earthly life. They can test our faith and trust to the Lord. But, when we learn to move forward positively, we can grow from these faith-testing experiences. Here are 3 ways we can move forward positively, even during moments of doubts.

Remember How The Lord Fulfilled Promises In Your Life

Developing faith that the Lord is true to His promises is one of the best ways to overcome moments of uncertainty. Gratitude is the key to recognizing the Lord’s guiding hand during our trying moments. President Henry B. Eyring has said, “With our Father’s help, all of us can choose to feel more gratitude. We can ask Him to help us see our blessings more clearly, whatever our circumstances.”

When challenging times test your faith, remember the moments when the Lord was true to His promises. Remember the times when miracles happened because you trusted in the Lord.

Understand Why Moments of Uncertainty Are Necessary

Just like wise earthly parents, our Father in Heaven knows there are opportunities for growth and understanding that only come through patience. If our Father in Heaven always relieved us of challenging moments, we would never truly understand the joy that comes with answered prayers.

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf pointed it out so well:

“Every one of us is called to wait in our own way. We wait for answers to prayers. We wait for things which at the time may appear so right and so good to us that we can’t possibly imagine why Heavenly Father would delay the answer.

I learned that God’s promises are not always fulfilled as quickly as or in the way we might hope; they come according to His timing and in His ways. Looking back, I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain.

Without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace.”

Moments that test our patience may be frustrating, but we have to remember that it is also an essential part of the plan.

Remember Who You Are

One of the greatest things we can do when moments of uncertainty wear down our souls is to remember our divine identity – we are sons and daughters of God whose love we cannot begin to comprehend. Imagine this – if our earthly parents always want the best for us, what more can our perfect Father in Heaven want for us than to have peace and happiness in this life?

In Jeremiah 29:11 are words of comfort from Jehovah: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

You and I are children of God. Remember He wants the best for us. When challenging times come like huge waves, you can always ask help from the Parent who knows it all.

Let’s face it – moments of uncertainty are not easy to overcome. However, when we remember who we are, when we practice patience, and when we hold tight to our testimony that the Lord is true to His promises, we can endure.

The post Facing Uncertainties: Moving Forward Positively appeared first on morefaith.ph.

Parents play a vital role, particularly mothers who spend more time nourishing and teaching their kids at home, in responding to the child’s sincere, honest and yet out-of-this world questions. (Fathers should also be ready to answer whenever their children raise a question.)

LINE UPON LINE, PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT

Since learning is “line upon line, precept upon precept”, our minds tend to continue to ask more questions and search for answers and the meaning of our life or our existence. Our questions take on a new level as we become teenagers and even into our adult stage in life.

We all have questions and, of course, we all want answers, like Joseph Smith, who asked which of the churches he investigated was true and which of them should he join. His inquiry led him to search the scriptures written in James 1: 5-6.

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed”

ASK OF GOD, ASK IN FAITH

This is the 2017 Mutual Theme, encouraging all of us, and the youth in particular, to “Ask of God” and “Ask in Faith”. When we have questions of the soul, questions about spiritual matters or questions about the gospel of Jesus Christ, we should search the scriptures and ask God in faith, nothing wavering. We can go directly to the source of truth and light.

Nowadays, anyone can have their questions answered by the power of Google, at a touch of our own fingertips. However gaining a sure testimony will not be like that.

M. Russell Ballard has said, “And how do you get such a testimony? Well, there’s no new technology for that, nor will there ever be. You cannot do a Google search to gain a testimony. You can’t text message faith.”

He added, “You gain a vibrant, life-changing testimony today the same way it has always been done. The process hasn’t been changed. It comes through desire, study, prayer, obedience, and service. That is why the teachings of prophets and apostles, past and present, are as relevant to your life today as they ever have been.”

May we find answers to our questions as we continue to search the scriptures, ponder the message it contains and pray to the Father, through the name of Jesus Christ. Remember to always ask God in faith, nothing wavering. His promise is that He will listen to every sincere prayer, and give us answers in His own due time. President Henry B. Eyring taught, “James 1:5 seems to me an ideal theme both for the youth in 2017 … Today there are so many ways to find information—some of it true, some of it partially true, and some of completely false. But wisdom, true wisdom, comes from God, and the way to find it hasn’t changed since the day James wrote his epistle or the day Joseph Smith read it.”

Furthermore, on March 4, 2017, there will be a Face to Face event with President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Palmyra, New York. They will help the youth of the world find answers to some of their questions.

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Elder David A. Bednar said, “Strong faith in the Savior is submissively accepting of His will and timing in our lives—even if the outcome is not what we hoped for or wanted”.

It’s been 15 years now since my dad got paralyzed. During the first year of his paralysis you could tell his frustrations and sadness, especially when we had financial crisis. It was hard for him to see my mom carrying the burden. Because I was very young I didn’t fully understand why the Lord allowed these things to happen in our family. As far as I knew, my dad’s desire was to be a responsible father, a good husband and an obedient servant of the Lord.

When I was in college, I was diagnosed with a similar illness. Since that time, my life plans became uncertain. I was not able to maintain my grades and later, lost the opportunity to enjoy my scholarship. I got released from my calling as a teacher in primary. I lost the one I loved as well because of my situation. I felt like I was losing everything that I had and I didn’t understand why. One night I asked my mom how she learned to accept everything that had happened. I remember what she said, “Sometimes it is hard to go through trials and face the truth that your father will never be the same again in this life. But if you try to open your eyes, you will still see great things. You just need to trust the Lord that He knows what’s best for you. I believe that all these things are for our own good and it will just be for a moment. So please be strong. I know our Heavenly Father is preparing something great for you”.

Those words touched my heart and soul and helped me believe and trust the Lord even more. During my recovery from my illness, it’s been wonderful to see my dad happy even though he’s still sitting in that chair. He has been teaching seminary for 12 years now. He’s dedicated his second chance to helping us serve missions and his other students.

I believe that our faith in Jesus Christ’s Atonement and a complete submission to the will of the Lord will set us free, and will give us greater comfort and peace. It gives us the power to live, no matter how difficult life may be. Then, we will see miracles no matter how small or big they are. The Lord knows better and His love for us is infinite.

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