I spent this past year sharing a message about faith as I spoke at TOFW. And my presentation ended with this quote from a powerful talk by Elder Holland.
“Yes, there are cautions and considerations to make, but once there has been genuine illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don't give up when the pressure mounts. Don't give in. Certainly don't give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. He wants everyone to be miserable like unto himself. Face your doubts. Master your fears. ‘Cast not away therefore your confidence.’ Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you.”
It’s a powerful quote, don’t you think?
But, how do you do it? How do you “face your doubts, master your fears, stay the course” when real life confronts you with real issues?
Last week I found myself questioning, truly questioning, some "genuine illumination" I felt I had previously been given. And because I was questioning, I was taking “giving up” and “giving in” to a whole new level. I didn’t see a path in front of me which left me ready to turn around. But, I took my little self to the temple and then had the distinct impression I needed to fast before making any serious decisions.
And Sunday morning, when I turned to my scriptures, I actually felt impressed to get out that talk of Elder Holland’s from 1999. It had too long since I had read the whole message and what I had forgotten is that the quote I love that I've been sharing isn't at the end of Elder Holland's talk, like it's been at the end of mine.
It's in the middle.
And what follows Elder Holland’s caution and invitation, is a powerful message I so needed this weekend...a powerful message that is actually the key to heeding the invitation to "Face your doubts. Master your fears...Stay the course” when you’re “in the middle” of these kinds of life experiences.
Elder Holland uses the story of the children of Israel and the parting of the Red Sea to illustrate some key lessons in mastering your fears and staying the course. I won’t share them all with you here. You’ll need to read the talk for yourself (and oh, I highly encourage you to stop whatever you’re doing and read it now!). [Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence]
But, let me share the most powerful “ah-ha” for me.
When confronted with the waters of the Red Sea before them, the children of Israel seemed to forget everything previously that had brought them there…the miracles…the revelations…the hand of the Lord in their lives. They began to doubt. Fear set in. And turning back seemed to be the only option.
Elder Holland teaches: “Of course our faith will be tested as we fight through these self-doubts and second thoughts. Some days we will be miraculously led out of Egypt--seemingly free, seemingly on our way--only to come to yet another confrontation, like all that water lying before us. At those times we must resist the temptation to panic and to give up. At those times fear will be the strongest of the adversary's weapons against us.”
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord…the Lord shall fight for you” (Exodus 14:13-15).
There have been many times in my life’s journey where I have been overcome by fear or doubts or second thoughts. Sometimes fear and doubts can be paralyzing. But I can look back on some of those times and see that the fear, instead of paralyzing me, propelled me to action—action I very well shouldn’t have taken.
Sunday morning, as I read those inspired words from Elder Holland, it was as if the spirit said to me, “Laurel. Your fears are in control of you right now. Stop. Breathe. The Lord will fight this battle for you if you will just stand still and let Him.”
President Packer once said, “Don’t take counsel from your fears” (LDS Church News. April 30, 1994). This is a wise admonition.
And this weekend, I learned that I also better not make decisions to act while experiencing fear. Yes, it’s important that we do our part in matters of faith. And yes, doing our part often means taking action. But sometimes…sometimes…when standing in front of the “Red Seas” of our lives—those places we feel we’ve been brought to but can’t now imagine a way through—sometimes, doing our part is being willing to “stand still” and trust that “the Lord shall fight for [us].”
When you find yourself in a place you know the Lord has brought you, even if you can’t see the way ahead, remember the impressions that got you there.
God will fight for you. God will part that Red Sea in front of you. He will.
So, don’t give up. Don’t turn back—that’s not what life’s “Red Sea moments” are for.
Laurel Christensen grew up in California, Kentucky and Missouri. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University which she received after serving in the Riverside California Mission. She has spent most of her career at Deseret Book Company where she worked for several years as the Director of Entertainment, producing shows like The Forgotten Carols and launching and managing Jericho Road, among other artists. She is currently the Vice President of Product Development and also oversees the Time Out for Women program, spending many weekends on the road producing Time Out events. Laurel has a Masters degree in Communications Management and thinks it would be fun to someday be called “Professor”. She is the author of several talk CDs and books for young women.
