"In the language of the gospel, however, the word hope is sure, unwavering, and active. Prophets speak of having a 'firm hope' (Alma 34:41) and a 'lively hope' (1 Peter 1:3)."
The phrase "firm hope" stood out to me so I looked up Alma 34:41 and this is what I found.
"But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions." Alma 34:41
I thought to myself, "What does 'firm hope' mean? What does hope even mean?"
I continued reading and read this:
"When we have hope, we trust God's promises. We have a quiet assurance that if we do 'the works of righteousness,' we 'shall receive [our] reward, even peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come' (D&C 59:23)."
Prophetic Teachings
I continued my search for hope by reading a couple of talks found at the end of the "The Principle and Context of Hope in the Gospel" article under Prophetic Teachings. A few of the quotes that stood out to me are as follows:
- "Hope emanates from the Lord, and it transcends the bounds of this mortal sphere."
- "Hope is essential to faith; faith is essential to hope; faith and hope are essential to charity."
- "Faith is rooted in Jesus Christ. Hope centers in his atonement. Charity is manifest in the 'pure love of Christ.'"
- "Hope is realistic anticipation which takes the form of a determination - not only to survive adversity but, more over, to 'endure.....well' to the end (D&C 121:8)."
Afterwards I decided to look up the 1828 definition of hope.
1828 Dictionary
Hope - "A desire of some good, accompanied with at least a slight expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable, hope differs from wish and desire in this, that it implies some expectation of obtaining the good desired, or the possibility of possessing it. Hope therefore always gives pleasure or joy; whereas wish and desire may produce or be accompanied with pain and anxiety."
Hope is something more than I have considered before. In my mind I think of hope as wishing for something but that is not hope. Hope is more like faith which means we have a trust in God and his promises. My understanding of hope needs to be redefined, but I know as I continue to study I will come to learn and understand better of what hope really means.
Other Talks on Hope:
Hope, an Anchor of the Soul - President James E. Faust
Hope Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ - Neal A. Maxwell
Brightness of Hope - Neal A. Maxwell
The Joy of Hope Fulfilled - Elder M. Russell Ballard
