Fear Not Little Flock

This will just be a short post today.  Things have been incredibly busy of late, and yet there are so many blessings.  I'm blessed to have my faith in God and to have a knowledge of Him and His Beloved Son and of the living Prophets and Apostles that they have called in these latter days.  What a gift this is!  I am blessed to have a wonderful family, where, since before I was born, I have received support, encouragement, and love.  I am blessed with a wonderful Mother on this side of the veil, and a wonderful Father on the other side of the veil! They bless me more than I can say.  I am blessed with an amazing brother and three amazing sisters!  And I am blessed with a beautiful and wonderful girlfriend in Ashley, who has been such a great comfort during these past few weeks!  I could go on and on, but the point is that I am incredibly blessed!  God has been good to me!

This week we began studying the life and teachings of one of the great prophets of this dispensation: Howard W. Hunter.  This noble man served only a few short months as our Prophet, and yet he taught us so much.  Today's lesson reminded me of his incredible capacity as a teacher.  The lesson was on "Jesus Christ--Our Only Way to Hope and Joy" and it included some beautiful counsel that President Hunter had given in a talk at BYU entitled "Fear Not Little Flock."  He drew his message from D&C 6:34, "Therefore, fear not little flock, do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail."

In that talk, President Hunter added these words of comfort: "Please remember this one thing.  If our lives and our faith are centered upon Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong.  On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right."

It is well documented that President Hunter lived no life of ease.  His record of health struggles and other difficulties rivals that of President Spencer W. Kimball.  And yet, he understood that these things are temporary, and if we will found our lives and our faith upon the Son of God, it will be alright in the end.  This coming week, may we all remember this timeless principle, and may we seek for ways to more fully establish our lives on the Rock of our Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.  If we will do this, we will begin to see the sunshine peeking through the shadows, and the rays of hope piercing through life's darkest storms.

Brett