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Doing Good and Trusting in the Lord

BYU-Hawaii Religious Education Professor Aaron Schade encouraged students in his May 20 devotional to “be not afraid,” but to actively “be doing good” and trust in the Lord for strength and guidance during tough times in life.

To get rid of doubts and fears, Schade drew four principles from Doctrine and Covenants 6: 33-34 and 36-37, which reads, Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward. 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.

His hope, he said, was to show students that “this counsel and encouragement can bring peace, consolation, comfort and the desire to press on whenever we are experiencing doubts and fears in our lives.” The four principles are:

First, fear not to do good, we reap what we sow: Schade taught that students should always be doing good, which includes getting an education; or as President Hinckley said: “Education is the key which will unlock the door of opportunity for you... take advantage of every educational opportunity that you can possibly afford.”

Of the terms reaping and sowing, used often in the gospel, Schade said, “Proper planning, attending to, and an enormous amount of work lead from the stage of sowing to reaping. Success depends upon doing good from start to finish, and all those moments in between.”

“The commission to do good is also a formula for expelling doubts,” he continued. “In my life when I have lacked confidence or been discouraged, as a result of academics, economics, or social conditions, it was when I was doing good for others that my own doubts and fears seemed to disappear as I gained confidence in doing good, and I was thus blessed through service.”

Schade also said the students should “plant seeds” of pure love to reap accordingly and achieve Celestial glory. “Do good, and envision success, for we will at some point sow what we reap. Good deeds and thoughts may not always guarantee good times in our lives, but they will bring confidence as we face the Lord with a clean conscience and work toward success.”

Second, 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: Schade pointed out that students have nothing to fear as long as they have faith that the Lord is on their side. For example, “the Prophet Joseph Smith taught: Where doubt and uncertainty are, faith is not, nor can it be. For doubt and faith do not exist in the same person at the same time; and where faith is weak the persons will not be able to contend against all the opposition, tribulations, and afflictions which they will have to encounter in order to be heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ Jesus.”

Schade suggested the students can either have a Nephi attitude, of “I will go, I will do,” or they can “be still, and know that I am God,” meaning do nothing and let God handle their problems. He added that sitting and thinking will never solve our problems, nor will the Lord do so when we can solve our own problems. “Thus, we can have the confidence that the Lord will help us in times of doubt and uncertainty as we do all we can do to help ourselves.”

“If we are not careful, pessimism will consume us and destroy any virtues in its path,” Schade continued. He also cited Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who said, “Yes, life has its problems, and yes, there are negative things to face, but please accept one of Elder Holland’s maxims for living — no misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it worse.”

Third, look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not: Schade taught it is not possible to go through trials and troubles without the Lord. “We must do all that we can do to pull through while remembering that alone we will never make it,” he said, noting this doesn’t free the students from responsibility. “When the Savior lovingly pleads with us to take His yoke upon us He is inviting us to work with Him in making our burdens light. We do all we can, and He will do all He can.”

“Along the way we cannot doubt ourselves or the Lord, and we must be able to see as we are seen and know as we are known, and this requires trust. Trusting in the Lord means continuing on the way, even when we don’t always know where our exact destination is, or when we will arrive there.”

Fourth, behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven: The assurance that the Savior will be there for everyone comes from a strong relationship with God and Jesus Christ, Schade said. “We must come to know our loving Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ if we ever hope to obtain the confidence and faith that dispel doubts and fears. We must know them personally, intimately, and feel how much They care for us.”

“The Lord is in control. As we are optimistic, seek counsel, trust in Him, and are willing to act in faith, feelings of uncertainty will be replaced with optimism, feelings of doubt with certainty, and fear will be replaced by courage. No one is here to fail and the Lord is anxious to help you succeed. We may not know the specific details of our future, but He does, and He will help our righteous desires be fulfilled, as He sees fit, and reward good and faithful works with happiness and inner peace here, as well as in the eternities.”

-Photo by Larrin Wada