Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I hope you have enjoyed the summer and all the activities that come around this time of the year. The Washington Stake Presidency prays for each of you. We plead with our Heavenly Father that He will bless us in our trials and in times of good fortune.
We are approaching a time of the year when our children, and even some of us, will be returning to school. Some will move away from home to learn by themselves the challenges and difficulties of running their own households. Some are leaving on their missions--a time that they have prepared and waited for most of their lives. Even in the absence of a special event in our lives, we must all be ready and prepared for the challenges coming our way. The Lord reminded Abraham that our lives are a probationary state when He said: “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;”
The word “prove” in portuguese is “prova” which is also used to describe a school exam. As a child, that word always made me cringe. As we know, school exams are administered to students as an attempt to measure a student comprehension of the material taught. In a similar manner, trials and tests in our lives are our Heavenly Father’s way to test our knowledge and FAITH in his plan. When trials and challenges face us, how will we react? Will we put our FAITH in our Father in Heaven and rely on His power and mercy?
During our Stake Presidency meeting this last week, brother Daniel Jonhson shared a story of the construction of the Salt Lake Temple and one of the challenges the saints encountered. After 9,000 hours of work, the foundation of the temple was set in place and ready for the work to continue. However, soon after the foundation was laid in place, the US Army led by Albert Sidney Johnston arrived in Salt Lake City with the intent to wage war against the “mormons.” In preparation for Johnston’s visit, Brigham Young’s ordered the saints to bury the foundation of the temple. This was a major setback to the construction of the temple. Many saints had donated countless hours of work and materials to this cause, and now, it seems like it was all in vain. I suspect that at this time, many of the saints began to question whether they were safe in the Valley. Memories of Nauvoo, Independence, and Haun’s Mill must have flashed back into their memories as the horrific scenes of those days rushed through their minds.
But even amid the threat of war, the great majority of the saints remained faithful and true to the cause of the restoration of the gospel. They had FAITH in the plan that our Heavenly Father had for them--even when they were not sure what the plan really was.
Brothers and Sisters, we pray that we will have the FAITH to be strong when we are faced with these challenges. We pray that you take the time to strengthen your spiritual powers to face any challenges that may come your way. My heart sinks when I receive news of the accidents, illnesses, and death among us. I immediately pray that our loving Heavenly Father will embrace that individual or family--and I am always reminded that we are loved. That love becomes visible as we witness the outpouring love and service we show to each other.
Having FAITH during a trial does not mean that we will not face fear, uncertainty, or feel lost; having FAITH during trials means that we don't give up. As we demonstrate FAITH, we will “endure to the end with an eye single to the glory of God” believing with all our hearts that all wrongs will be made right if we stay true to our love and testimony of the gospel.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, thank you for all that you do for us as a Stake Presidency, and more importantly for one another. We are humbled by the opportunity to serve you, and we love doing it.
Washington Utah Stake Presidency
President Emerson Carnavale
Stake President.
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