It is my privilege to share my thoughts with you today… it is such an honor to serve alongside our Stake Presidency and the Stake Council. They all have a tremendous amount of love and concern for each one of you in our stake.
Hope all of you are enjoying our state holiday this weekend. I hope you are taking an opportunity this weekend to reflect on the purpose of this holiday – to celebrate and embrace the heritage and legacy of our pioneers. Like many of us, I have heard stories throughout my life about my pioneer ancestors – I just cannot imagine all the trials and tribulations they had to endure while being pushed out of their homes in Midwest, being prosecuted for their religious beliefs, watched their homes burned and family members being tortured by mobs, etc. I just cannot imagine all the trouble they had go through and still choosing to hold onto their faith. I cannot imagine how they willfully decided to give up everything they had to leave their homeland and to move out West. I cannot imagine how much pain and suffering - mentally, physically, and spiritually they had to keep up with in their handcart companies. I cannot imagine how they felt or what they may have thought when they were looking at the huge Rocky Mountains…and knowing they had to go to the other side of this Mountain. Many have succeeded in reaching to the valley, while many have fell short due to extreme weather conditions and health crises. There is just so much I cannot imagine…
Brother and sisters, I am sure we all probably feel the same about these heroic pioneers. We will never get to completely understand how the pioneers sacrificed so very much in order that they could enjoy religious freedom (and eventually for us) and to appreciate the restored gospel in their daily lives. It took a tremendous amount of faith from them…which got me thinking, “If I am one of those pioneers today, will I have the same faith they had?” Am I willing to give up everything I have to trust and follow our prophet? Currently we are living in a very beautiful yet troubling and confusing world. I just cannot imagine what our youths are going through today to do all they can to remain faithful and keeping the commandments. I cannot imagine the sacrifice parents will have to endure to keep their families together and to walk in the gospel path faithfully. Each one of us will have to go through some unique life experiences that require tests of our faith. We all have “mountains” to face and we often wonder if we could get to the other side. If you ever stubble along the way, your family, bishop and/or our stake presidency are available to get you on your feet and continue your journey again one step at a time.
Something our prophet, Pres. Russell M. Nelson once said really brings hope when I feel my faith being tested or shaken…
"Moving your mountains may require a miracle. Learn about miracles. Miracles come according to your faith in the Lord. Central to that faith is trusting His will and timetable—how and when He will bless you with the miraculous help you desire. Only your unbelief will keep God from blessing you with miracles to move the mountains in your life."
He also said, “Prior to our birth, I suspect we were terrified, at first, when told we would forget Father, friends, and facts we formally knew so well. I can believe we were calmed when informed our Father in Heaven would provide prophets and scriptures to guide us and would provide a means whereby we could communicate with Him through prayer and the spirit of revelation. But still we may have been a bit insecure when we learned that faith—faith to believe the intangible—was the key to success in our journey. Each one of us will have to go to unique testing grounds of faith… For the monument of your life to rise from its pedestal of preparation to your appointed site of destiny, you must go where the Lord wants you to go. Wherever it is, go. Go with the same faith that allowed you to leave your heavenly home in the first place.”
I would imagine our pioneers, or any one of us, appreciate that very reconfirmation of faith from our living prophet…especially when we are looking at the giant mountains we are faced with to move or climb. My prayer is that we can keep on putting our shoulders to the wheel and pushing along...with a heart full of song. As our Stake Relief Society President mentioned in her message last month, Sister DiNardi suggested us to please take a moment to review President Nelson’s “Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains” from the last general conference. Find an opportunity to strengthen your faith in our Savior – He is the pillar of our faith and religion. By doing so, you will find joy and peace in this life and the next life where you will hear from our Heavenly Father and Savior, “This is The Place”. There I cannot imagine that joy we all will feel.
Keep on Trekking,
Chad Libby
Stake Young Men President
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