Joshua1-8

Joshua 1-8, 23-24 Courage comes through radical trust in Jehovah. In Deut. 31:23 Joshua isn’t told he’s so awesome and capable he will be able to do it. Rather, he is told “I will be with thee.” President Oaks: “His highest blessings are given to those who promise in advance to keep certain commandments and who keep those promises.” Elder Bednar: “Recall how the Israelites came to the river Jordan and were promised the waters would part, and they would be able to cross over on dry ground. Interestingly, the waters did not part as the children of Israel stood on the banks of the river waiting for something to happen; rather, the soles of their feet were wet before the water parted. The faith of the Israelites was manifested in the fact that they walked into the water before it parted. They walked into the river Jordan with a future-facing assurance of things hoped for. As the Israelites moved forward, the water parted, and as they crossed over on dry land, they looked back and beheld the evidence of things not seen.” John Ruskin: “Wherefore, when we build let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight, nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them. “See! This our fathers did for us.” Elder Hales: “When you cannot do what you have always done, then you only do what matters most.” President Faust: “There are forces that will save us from the ever-increasing lying, disorder, violence, chaos, destruction, misery, and deceit that are upon the earth. Those saving forces are the everlasting principles, covenants, and ordinances of the eternal gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. These same principles, covenants, and ordinances are coupled with the rights and powers of the priesthood of Almighty God. We of this Church are the possessors and custodians of these commanding powers that can and do roll back much of the power of Satan on the earth. We believe that we hold these mighty forces in trust for all who have died, for all who are now living, and for the yet unborn.” President Eyring: “Every covenant with God is an opportunity to draw closer to Him. To anyone who reflects for a moment on what they have already felt of the love of God, to have that bond made stronger and that relationship closer is an irresistible offer." President Christofferson: “What, then, is the difference of the covenant path? Actually, the difference is uniquely and eternally significant. It includes the nature of our obedience, the character of God’s commitment to us, the divine help we receive, the blessings tied to gathering as a covenant people, and most importantly, our eternal inheritance.”

Courage

I wrote this when Jonathan was baptized.

A couple months ago, Jonathan’s reading group at school read the book, Call it Courage. He read a chapter a day aloud to me.

During the holidays I played a game called Apples to Apples. My brother drew the card with the word "Courage" and I submitted a blank card where I could choose what event, person or trait would describe “Courage”. So, it's been on my mind for a few months now.

The most courageous event in the history of mankind? Hands down, the life and atonement of Jesus Christ. The most courageous thing in an individual’s life? After thinking about it here and there for a while, I think it’s trying to find out what God would have one do and doing it.

I recently read an autobiography written by my great-great-great grandfather, Daniel Webster Jones. While reading I kept thinking, “Why in the world didn’t this guy just leave the church?" It seemed to me he had every justifiable reason. My sister’s review of the book describe my thoughts well, “A powerful story of loyalty to God and His church when it may have seemed at various times, that both had abandoned him.” He had found God's restored gospel wherein were covenants that could outlast the grave and he wasn’t about to give it up for anything. 

Other examples of courage to me would be the newly clean addict fighting mind and body to leave the past behind. The lady who attends church despite none of the other ladies being willing to sit by her. The elderly man who lovingly cares for his physically and mentally aging wife despite being in poor health himself. The book, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte describes it well for me. “Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation: they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigor ... If at my convenience I might break them, what would be their worth?”

Jonathan was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Saturday March 1, 2014. I pray that a loving Heavenly Father will send his Spirit to touch the heart of this boy, His son. My prayer for Jonathan is that he will do his best to keep his part of this covenant. To stand as a witness of God, bear burdens, lighten loads, comfort those that stand in need of comfort and that he will strive to take the name of Jesus Christ upon him throughout his life. When he falls short, I hope and pray that he will have whatever it takes to get back up and start over. Gumption, fortitude, tenacity, audacity, wherewithal - I'll call it courage.

 

Courage in Difficulties through Faith

 Experience- Two set backs in one day. Jonathan's first test and Grace's first try-out. Feeling discouraged. Thought came from the Spirit. "God wants a courageous people."

Uncle Craig huge opportunity from being on the board to being the new CFO. Weather not great for A/C. Thought. God wants a courageous people.

Atonement of Jesus Christ

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

 "...the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind-us, all of us- would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, hopelessly alone. But Jesus held on...divine compassion is never absent, God is always faithful, He never flees of fails us."

Courage

Elder Uchdorf

Now if falls to sue to live as believers in a world or disbelief. The challenge is ours to daily practice the principles of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and to live true to God's commandments. We will have to stay strong under peer pressure, not to be impressed. by popular trends or false prophets, disregard the ridicule of the ungodly, resist temptations of the evil-one, and overcome our own laziness. Just think about it. How much easier would it have been for Daniel to simply go along with the ways of Babylon? He could have feasted on the rich foods provided by the kind and indulged in the worldly pleasures of the natural man. He would have avoided ridicule. He would have been popular. He would have fit in. His path might have been much less complicated. That is, of course, until the day when the kind demanded an interpretation of His dream. Then Daniel would have found that he, like the rest of Babylon's 'wisemen,' had lost his connection to the true source of light and wisdom. Daniel passed his test. Ours still continues.