“Our Gift of Hope,” For the Strength of Youth, Dec. 2021.
Come, Follow Me
Our Gift of Hope
A prophet’s experience shows us that God can give us hope if we focus on Jesus Christ.
Behold the Lamb of God, by Walter Rane
Have you ever had a day that seemed like it would never end? I’m sure you can answer, “Yes!” We all experience days where things just don’t go the way we hope. Burning your toast at breakfast, doing poorly on a test, or arguing with a friend can certainly make for a bad day.
But then there are other, more difficult challenges. We may lose a loved one, get a serious illness, or see someone we care about leave the Church. Trials like these can feel like too much to handle and can last much longer than a day. And there are so many world problems that we may sometimes feel that things are hopeless.
But the truth is, we always have a reason to hope. Mormon said, “I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ” (Moroni 7:41). For this reason, President Russell M. Nelson has said, “Regardless of how desperate things may seem, remember, we can always have hope. Always!”1
What better time to remember this than at Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of “the light, the life, and the hope of the world”?2 The scriptures are filled with stories that remind us of our hope in Jesus Christ. In fact, the scriptures were written to testify of Him so that we “might have hope” (Romans 15:4).
One of these messages of hope came just over 100 years ago. It came at a dark time in history, to a prophet of God who was going through a challenging time in his life. It teaches us that we can find our greatest hope in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ because of Their perfect love for us and the Savior’s atoning grace.
A Vision for a World in Need
The year 1918 was a difficult and trying time. The world was in the grip of a global pandemic—just as we have been. That pandemic, caused by the flu, spread across the world and killed millions. World War I had also been raging since 1914. The cruelty of that war caused unthinkable destruction, death, and sorrow.
Photographs from Getty Images
In the face of these worldwide calamities, many wondered: “Is there life after death? What happens when we die? Will I see my loved ones again?”
President Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918), sixth President of the Church, also felt personal tragedy in 1918. His oldest son, Elder Hyrum Mack Smith, an Apostle, died unexpectedly. A few months later, Hyrum’s wife, Ida, died, leaving behind five children.3
President Joseph F. Smith felt personal tragedy in 1918. His oldest son, Hyrum Mack Smith, died unexpectedly. A few months later, Hyrum’s wife, Ida, died, leaving five children.
President Smith had lost loved ones before. He was only five when his father, Hyrum Smith, and his uncle, the Prophet Joseph Smith, were martyred at Carthage Jail. His mother, Mary Fielding Smith, died when he was 13. President Smith also lost his wife, Sarah, and 13 children.4
But these deaths in 1918 brought new grief. Seeking comfort from his sorrow, President Smith turned to scripture study and prayer. As he read from the New Testament and pondered the Atonement of Jesus Christ (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:1–3), he had a vision of the spirit world. He saw the righteous spirits who looked forward with hope to their deliverance from death (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:11–15). He also saw the Savior preaching the gospel to those in the spirit world between the time of His death and Resurrection (see Doctrine and Covenants 138:19). And he witnessed the Savior sending righteous servants to teach those who did not have the chance to hear the gospel in this life.
This vision came when the world was in dire need of hope. President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught that this vision “revealed more fully the depth and breadth of Heavenly Father’s plan for His children and Christ’s redeeming love and the matchless power of His Atonement.”5
Hopeful Truths
The spirits President Smith saw in vision viewed the separation of their spirits from their bodies at death “as a bondage” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:50). President Smith’s vision assures us that this “bondage” is not permanent. Through the Savior, we have the hope that one day we will be resurrected and “receive a fulness of joy” (Doctrine and Covenants 138:17).
This vision also assures us that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have prepared the way for every soul to have the chance to receive celestial glory and eternal happiness with Them. This is true even for those who lived and “died without a knowledge of [the] gospel, who would have received it” (Doctrine and Covenants 137:7).
We don’t have to wait until the next life to have hope. We can feel hope now as we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Hope is a gift of the Spirit (see Moroni 8:26), and it comes to us because of Christ’s Atonement.
A Special Way to Feel Hope
When President Smith pondered on the gospel and the Savior’s Atonement, he received a revelation that brought comfort and hope to him and to a troubled world. Pondering is more than just thinking. It means reflecting on something deeply—and it can help you feel more hope. Set some time aside this Christmas to ponder on the Savior.
Think about what His birth, life, teachings, and Atonement mean for you. This can open your heart and allow the Holy Ghost to “speak peace to your mind” (see Doctrine and Covenants 6:23). It can bless your life with light and hope even when life is hard.
We are encouraged to “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.” And if we “press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life” (2 Nephi 31:20).