Hope

Hope tends to be the only thing that gets me by some days. I was prompted to read a scripture a few days ago that I really needed to hear.

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/mosiah/7/18#18
18 And it came to pass that when they had gathered themselves together that he spake unto them in this wise, saying: O ye, my people, lift up your heads and be comforted; for behold, the time is at hand, or is not far distant, when we shall no longer be in subjection to our enemies, notwithstanding our many strugglings, which have been in vain; yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.

We WILL be free, but we WILL need to fight to get there.

In this part of the Book of Mormon, a small group of men, led by Ammon, search for a much larger group of their brethren who are lost. After much time and searching they find their missing brethren (a people kinged by Limhi), but they find them in bondage to a much stronger and taxxing enemy. Limhi's people have fought and failed, they have struggled and it has been in vain. They have nearly lost hope of being freed, but when Ammon and his crew showed up, Limhi took courage. He gathered his people together and told them of the hope he had to be freed, yet it would not be easy. After prayer and much planning they were able to be freed and to gain freedom from their oppressors. They were welcomed with open hands by the people that sent Ammon's men to find Limhi and his people. Hope recieved its reward.

We may not be in bondage to our enemies but many of us still fight and fail, we have struggled in vain. The only thing that will free us is hope and action. William Wallace led an uprising in Scotland against oppression from an enemy, he tried to instill hope and action in all the men that fought beside and around him. In the climax of the movie Braveheart (a historical/fiction movie based on William Wallace's life), William is captured and then tortured. He was given the choice to ask for mercy, at which point they would stop torturing him and behead him, ending the pain. He suffers despite of the pleading of friends and others begging him to cry for mercy. Knowing that he could not take much more, He gathered his remaining strength and screamed for what he wanted for his people more than anything else. The word that held all of his hope and the reason for all of his actions. and that word was not mercy.

Royal Magistrate: It can all end, right now. Peace. Bliss. Just say it. Cry out mercy.
Crowd: Mercy...mercy!
Royal Magistrate: Cry out. Just say it. Mercy.
Hamish: Mercy lad, mercy.
Stephen: Jesus, mercy.
Royal Magistrate: The prisoner wishes to say a word.
William: FREEEEE-DOMMMMMM!!!!!

Sometimes our Hope is only fulfilled after the pain, but (if it is right) it is fulfilled.