Member Voices
Faith and Hope in Haiti
My name is Herbert Spencer Lexy and I live in Haiti, a modern world of conflict. It is true that the current situation in Haiti is more than overwhelming, however, my heart is full of hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our faithful saints in Haiti, young and old, stand ready to stand as witnesses of our Savior Jesus Christ. They continue to testify to those around them and to the world, that through their faith and their devotion, “obedience is easy for him who loves the holy laws of God” and “that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28).
Alma and his people lived according to the teachings of the prophet Abinadi but were living under the rule of Amulon, who did not believe God’s truths and persecuted all those who were members of the Church. When Amulon took away the right to pray from the people of Alma, they sought their God by having a prayer in their hearts, and the Lord noticed (see Mosiah 24:1–12).
The Lord told them, “I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions” (Mosiah 24:14).
We don’t have modern scriptures telling us the outcome of our current situation, or defining the blessings that the Lord is showering down on us in Haiti, but those blessings are evident in the youth of the Church. They receive blessings like those of Alma’s followers, and they carry in their hearts strong testimonies that strengthen them in their challenges. They continue to serve at church, in their homes, and in the temple.
The young single adults are also taking opportunities to exercise their faith in Jesus Christ by receiving their own endowments and serving. Redachmy and Ydeline Petit-Frère were recently sealed in the temple and announced their calling to serve in the FSY program as coordinators for the Port-au-Prince Haiti Stake.
As Haitians, we are living by the words found in the song, “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet” that says, “We feel it a pleasure to serve thee And love to obey thy command.”1
This does not mean we can’t see the conflicts, that we are unaffected, or that we are oblivious to the issues. No, they are very real, but when we focus on the teachings of Christ our troubles are light and as a result it shows in our countenances, and we testify of Christ.
The gospel gives us hope and it also gives us the power to overcome our fears, endure, and thrive in life’s challenging journey. How we love this power of Jesus Christ.