“Chapter 10: Going Forward with Hope,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Thomas S. Monson (2020)
“Chapter 10,” Teachings: Thomas S. Monson
Chapter 10
Going Forward with Hope
“Hope will conquer despair.”
From the Life of Thomas S. Monson
During his childhood, Tom Monson witnessed his family provide many acts of kindness that gave hope to others in need. He recounted two examples of family members caring for an elderly British neighbor known as “Old Bob”:
“I have many memories of my boyhood days. Anticipating Sunday dinner was one of them. Just as we children hovered at our so-called starvation level and sat anxiously at the table with the aroma of roast beef filling the room, Mother would say to me, ‘Tommy, before we eat, take this plate I’ve prepared down the street to Old Bob, and hurry back.’
“I could never understand why we couldn’t first eat and later deliver his plate of food. I never questioned but would run down to his house and then wait anxiously as Bob’s aged feet brought him eventually to the door. Then I would hand him the plate of food. He would present to me the spotlessly clean plate from the previous Sunday and then offer me 10 cents as pay for my services.”
Tom always turned down the money, and Bob would say, “My boy, you have a wonderful mother. Tell her thank you.”1 After Tom returned home, his own Sunday dinner always tasted better. Reflecting on this experience, he said, “I didn’t realize [at the time that] I was learning a most powerful and important lesson about caring for those less fortunate.”2
President Monson also told of how his grandfather’s love and generosity brought hope to Bob:
“My mother’s father, Grandfather Thomas Condie, also taught me a powerful lesson which involved this same Old Bob. … He was a widower in his 80s when the house in which he rented a room was to be demolished. I heard him tell my grandfather his plight as the three of us sat on the old front-porch swing of my grandfather. With a plaintive voice, he said to Grandfather, ‘Mr. Condie, I don’t know what to do. I have no family. I have no place to go. I have little money.’ I wondered how Grandfather would answer.
“We just kept rocking the swing. Then Grandfather reached into his pocket and took from it an old leather purse from which, in response to my hounding, he had produced many a penny or nickel for a special treat. This time he removed a key and handed it to Old Bob.
“Tenderly he said, ‘Bob, here is the key to that house I own next door. Take it. Move your things in. Stay as long as you like. There will be no rent to pay, and nobody will ever put you out again.’
“Tears welled up in the eyes of Old Bob, coursed down his cheeks, then disappeared in his long, white beard. Grandfather’s eyes were also moist. I spoke no word, but that day my grandfather stood 10 feet tall. I was proud to bear his given name. Though I was but a boy, that lesson has had a powerful influence on my life.”3
Young Tom Monson learned from his family about helping others in need. He is pictured here with his arm around his father, G. Spencer Monson, and with his maternal grandfather, Thomas Condie.
Teachings of Thomas S. Monson
1
The sunshine of hope can dispel the clouds of despair.
Some years ago … as a mission president, I was afforded the privilege to guide the activities of precious missionaries. … Some had problems, others required motivation; but one came to me in utter despair. He had made the decision to leave the mission field when but at the halfway mark. His bags were packed, his return ticket purchased. He came to bid me farewell.
We talked; we listened; we prayed. … As we arose from our knees in the quiet of my office, the missionary began to weep almost uncontrollably. Flexing the muscle in his strong right arm, he blurted out, “This is my problem. All through school my muscle power qualified me for honors in football and track, but my mental power was neglected. President Monson, I’m ashamed of my school record. It reveals that ‘with effort’ I have the capacity to read at but the level of the fourth grade. I can’t even read the Book of Mormon. How then can I understand its contents and teach others its truths?”
The silence of the room was broken by my young nine-year-old son who, without knocking, opened the door and, with surprise, apologetically said, “Excuse me. I just wanted to put this book back on the shelf.” He handed me the book. Its title: A Child’s Story of the Book of Mormon, by Dr. Deta Petersen Neeley. I turned to the author’s preface and read that this book was written with a scientifically controlled vocabulary to the level of the fourth grade. A sincere prayer from an honest heart had been dramatically answered.
My missionary accepted the challenge to read the book. Half laughing, half crying, he declared: “It will be good to read something I can understand.” Clouds of despair were dispelled by the sunshine of hope. He completed an honorable mission.4
When true values and basic virtues undergird the families of society, hope will conquer despair, and faith will triumph over doubt.
Such values, when learned and lived in our families, will be as welcome rain to parched soil. Love will be engendered; loyalty to one’s best self will be enhanced; and those virtues of character, integrity, and goodness will be fostered.5
When you … frame your life with faith, you will merit the companionship of the Holy Ghost. You will have “a perfect brightness of hope” (2 Nephi 31:20).6
2
We have a responsibility to extend hope and help to those in need.
One who … followed [the Savior’s example] was Boyd Hatch of Salt Lake City, Utah. Deprived of the use of his legs, faced with a lifetime in a wheelchair, Boyd could well have looked inward and, through sorrow for self, existed rather than lived. However, Brother Hatch looked not inward, but rather outward into the lives of others and upward into God’s own heaven; and the star of inspiration guided him not to one opportunity, but to literally hundreds. He organized Scout troops of handicapped boys. He taught them camping. He taught them swimming. He taught them basketball. He taught them faith. Some boys were downhearted and filled with self-pity and despair. To them he handed the torch of hope. Before them was his own personal example of struggle and accomplishment. With a courage which we shall never fully know or understand, these boys of many faiths overcame insurmountable odds and found themselves anew. Through it all, Boyd Hatch not only found joy, but by willingly and unselfishly giving of himself, he found Jesus.7
A segment of our society desperately yearning for an expression of true love is found among those growing older, and particularly when they suffer from pangs of loneliness. The chill wind of dying hopes and vanished dreams whistles through the ranks of the elderly and those who approach the declining side of the summit of life.
“What they need in the loneliness of their older years is, in part at least, what we needed in the uncertain years of our youth: a sense of belonging, an assurance of being wanted, and the kindly ministrations of loving hearts and hands; not merely dutiful formality, not merely a room in a building, but room in someone’s heart and life” [Richard L. Evans, Thoughts … for One Hundred Days (1966), 222].8
“A segment of our society desperately yearning for an expression of true love is found among those growing older, and particularly when they suffer from pangs of loneliness.”
We have a responsibility to extend help as well as hope to the hungry, to the homeless, and to the downtrodden both at home and abroad. Such assistance is being provided for the blessing of all. In a host of cities, where need has outdistanced help, lives have been lifted, hearts have been touched, and the frown of despair has been transformed to the smile of confidence, thanks to the generosity of the Church membership in the payment of their fast offerings as the Lord has commanded.9
I thank God for the work of our doctors who leave for a time their own private practices and journey to distant lands to minister to children. Cleft palates and other deformities which would leave a child impaired physically and damaged psychologically are skillfully repaired. Despair yields to hope. Gratitude replaces grief. These children can now look in the mirror and marvel at a miracle in their own lives. …
In the faraway islands of the Pacific, hundreds who were near-blind now see because a missionary said to his physician brother-in-law, “Leave your wealthy clientele and the comforts of your palatial home and come to these special children of God who need your skills and need them now.” The ophthalmologist responded without a backward glance. Today he comments quietly that this visit was the best service he ever rendered and the peace which came to his heart the greatest blessing of his life.10
3
Repentance brings us hope.
A short while ago I heard the testimony of a woman who, with her husband, strayed from the path of safety, breaking commandments and, in the process, nearly destroying their family. When each of them could finally see through the thick haze of addiction and recognize how unhappy their lives had become, as well as how much they were hurting their loved ones, they began to change. The repentance process felt slow and was, at times, painful, but with the help of priesthood leaders, along with help from family and loyal friends, they made their way back.
I share with you a portion of this sister’s testimony of the healing power of repentance: “How does someone go from being one of the lost sheep and gripped by [sin], to this peace and happiness we now feel? How does that happen? The answer … is because of a perfect gospel, a perfect Son and His sacrifice for me. … Where there was darkness, there is now light. Where there was despair and pain, there is joy and hope. We have been infinitely blessed by the change that can only come through repentance made possible by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”
Our Savior died to provide you and me that blessed gift. Despite the fact that the path is difficult, the promise is real. Said the Lord to those who repent:
“Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” [Isaiah 1:18].
“And I will remember [them] no more” [Jeremiah 31:34].11
4
The Savior is our light of hope.
As we look at the world around us, we are faced with problems which are serious and of great concern to us. The world seems to have slipped from the moorings of safety and drifted from the harbor of peace.
Permissiveness, immorality, pornography, dishonesty, and a host of other ills cause many to be tossed about on a sea of sin and crushed on the jagged reefs of lost opportunities, forfeited blessings, and shattered dreams.
My counsel for all of us is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals readily recognized and never failing.
I love the words found in Psalms: “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; … I will call upon the Lord … so [I shall] be saved from mine enemies” [Psalm 18:2–3].
The Lord loves us, my brothers and sisters, and will bless us as we call upon Him.12
The Master could be found mingling with the poor, the downtrodden, the oppressed, and the afflicted. He brought hope to the hopeless, strength to the weak, and freedom to the captive. He taught of the better life to come—even eternal life. This knowledge ever directs the members of the Church, for we all have received the divine injunction: “Follow thou me.” It guided Peter. It motivated Paul. It can determine our personal destiny. Can we make the decision to follow in righteousness and truth the Redeemer of the world? With his help, a rebellious boy can become an obedient man, a wayward girl can cast aside the old self and begin anew. Indeed, the gospel of Jesus Christ can change lives.13
Like a bright searchlight of truth, [the] gospel [of Jesus Christ] will direct our journey along the pathways of life. Oh, how blessed are we to have this never dimming, always glowing hope and the eternal knowledge that belongs to us and that we share with the world: that the gospel has been restored to earth, that God lives, that Jesus is his Son, our elder brother, our mediator with the Father, our Lord and our Savior.14
We turn backward in time that we might go forward with hope. … Back, back to Him who walked the dusty paths of villages we now reverently call the Holy Land, to Him who caused the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and the dead to live. To Him who tenderly and lovingly assured us, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
His constant truths prevail in these changing times. He speaks to [us] … as He spoke to the multitudes who thronged about Him those many years ago.
Do you remember His words? Do you recall His actions? Do you reflect His teachings in your life? His words and those of His Apostles stand forth as rays of hope penetrating the dullness of despair.15
Develop a yearning to know the Lord, to understand His commandments and to follow Him. Then shadows of despair are dispelled by rays of hope, sorrow yields to joy, and the feeling of being lost in the crowd of life vanishes with the certain knowledge that our Heavenly Father is mindful of each of us.16
“Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is our Exemplar and our strength. He is the light that shineth in darkness. He is the Good Shepherd.”
As we examine the path Jesus walked, we will see that it took Him through many of the same challenges we ourselves will face in life. … While we will find on our path bitter sorrow, we can also find great happiness. …
As we strive to place Christ at the center of our lives by learning His words, by following His teachings, and by walking in His path, He has promised to share with us the eternal life that He died to gain. There is no higher end than this, that we should choose to accept His discipline and become His disciples and do His work throughout our lives. Nothing else, no other choice we make, can make of us what He can.17
Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is our Exemplar and our strength. He is the light that shineth in darkness. He is the Good Shepherd. Though engaged in His majestic ministry, He embraced the opportunity to lift burdens, provide hope, mend bodies, and restore life. … His words become our guide: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” [John 16:33].18
Suggestions for Study and Teaching
Questions
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President Monson emphasized that “hope will conquer despair” (section 1). How have you seen the power of hope conquer despair? How can we bring “a perfect brightness of hope” into our lives?
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What can we learn from President Monson’s story about Boyd Hatch? (See section 2.) When has someone helped you have hope in a time of need? Ponder how you can help someone who is struggling to find hope.
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Why does repentance help us feel hope? (See section 3.) What are your feelings when you think about the Lord’s promise of forgiveness?
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How has the Lord guided you through fog, darkness, or storms? (See section 4.) Why does following the Savior bring us hope? How can we find hope in times of despair and sorrow? Consider what you can do to place Christ at the center of your life, as President Monson counsels.
Related Scriptures
Lamentations 3:25–26; Romans 15:13; Alma 13:28–29; 34:41; Ether 12:4, 32; Moroni 7:41
Study Help
“As you dedicate time every day, personally and with your family, to the study of God’s word, peace will prevail in your life. That peace won’t come from the outside world. It will come from within your home, from within your family, from within your own heart” (Richard G. Scott, “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 93).