Letting Faith—Not Fear—Prevail

“Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life?”

Filipino Latter-day Saints continuously strive to live this challenge, given by President Russell

M. Nelson during the October 2020 General Conference. For Rick Asur, letting the Lord and His gospel prevail in his life helped him to find faith amidst fear.

Rick’s Taiwan-based construction company had just won a coveted billion-peso contract to handle a building project in Subic, Zambales, and the firm’s president had flown in all the way from company headquarters to celebrate with the employees. The company held a lavish hotel party, with food in abundance and drinks—especially hard drinks— flowing.

As was customary, the president would give a toast, with all the employees joining in raising glasses filled with wine. During previous events, Rick had already informed his immediate superiors of his Latter-day Saint beliefs and they had understood when he would politely decline servings of alcohol.

But this time it was different, very different. How could he decline raising a glass of wine when etiquette required that the biggest boss of all should be given a toast?

In the midst of all the feasting, Rick was filled with fear—tremendous fear. “I felt fear—fear of men, fear of offending the president, fear of telling my wife who is eight months pregnant with our third child that I might lose my job because of my belief in our Church.”

When the much-feared time came, Rick raised his glass… of mango juice. The company president looked at him, his eyes glaring. “Why?! Why?!” he raised his voice in an irate tone, as his one single employee who refused alcohol froze in silent terror.

“I had offended the most important man in that celebratory occasion,” Rick recalls, “and our president turned around and talked to my local boss.” By then he was expecting to be fired and asked to leave the company.

But in a moment, the president turned around again, raised his glass in another toast, and now smiling, commended: “Good Mormon, good Mormon!” Rick’s fortitude was rewarded; his immediate superiors knew he always stood for his faith and they told the president about it, who had become impressed.

“I will never forget that experience of a lifetime,” Rick shares. “We should always possess an increased level of spiritual strength and courage to stand up for what is right. I’m glad I made the right choice at that moment.”

“I the LORD speak brighteousness, I declare things that are right,” Rick quotes Isaiah 45: 19. “We must never be afraid of men,” he sums up, “and we must be courageous and stand up for what is right.”