SUMSION FAMILY HOME EVENING: HOPE

Hope - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen or A feeling of trust.
LDS.orgs Guide to the Scriptures - The confident expectation of and longing for the promised
blessings of righteousness. The scriptures often speak of hope as anticipation of eternal life through
faith in Jesus Christ.
This past General Conference, Elder Holland said, The gospel, the Church, and these wonderful
semi-annual gatherings are intended to give hope and inspiration. So, I thought it would be a good
idea to look at some of the things the leaders of the Church are saying about Hope.
Neill F. Marriott: I believe that to mother means to give life. Think of the many ways you give life. It
could mean giving emotional life to the hopeless or spiritual life to the doubter. With the help of the
Holy Ghost, we can create an emotionally healing place for the discriminated against, the rejected,
and the stranger. In these tender yet powerful ways, we build the kingdom of God.
Bonnie L. Oscarson: Gospel=the greatest message of hope and help that the world has ever known.
Bishop W. Christopher Adell: Faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice is, and forever will be,
the first principle of the gospel and the foundation upon which our hope for peace in this world, and
eternal life in the world to come is built.
Paul V. Johnson: The reality of the Resurrection of the Savior overwhelms our heartbreak with hope
because with it comes the assurance that all the other promises of the gospel are just as real
promises that are no less miraculous than the Resurrection.
Ether 12:4 teaches that hope is an anchor to the soul, to allow us to be steadfast, always abounding
in good works, being led to glorify God.
For me personally, Temples are a symbol of hope - not just for our ancestors, but for us. This is
exemplified by Joseph Smith when he says of our ancestors, ... they without us cannot be made
perfectneither can we without our dead be made perfect (D&C 128:15). Temples symbolize and
represent ultimate love; that Heavenly Father has a backup plan in order to give everyone the
chance of being truly happy, which includes both our ancestors and their circumstances, and us in our
day-to-day circumstances.
There are so many similarities between faith and hope, that it can be challenging to separate from
one another. In fact, Moroni 7:42 says, Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for
without faith there cannot be any hope.
But it is still interesting to try and discern the differences. One could say:
Faith is the beginning of action, and therefore comes before all tribulations.
Hope exists in the midst of, and proceeds after tribulation has occurred.
Going back to the definition of Hope, You could also say that Hope is trusting those things revealed
by faith.
Conclusion: Faith and study of the scriptures/Temple establishes hope in eternal blessings (2 Nephi
31:20), and therefore inspires action. Active faith is more powerful/worthwhile than idle faith.