The glorious doctrine of hope

I have been impressed in my studies of the scriptures by the doctrine of hope.  It seems to me to be one of those ideas or concepts that we often assume we understand, but that has great depth once we begin to ponder and explore.

"Hope" is an unimpressive little word.  It's interesting that we find it in many scriptural passages in the New Testament, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants wedged between the great and powerful concepts of "faith" and "charity." We are often reminded that faith is one of the foundational principles of the Gospel; and that charity, the "pure love of Christ," is "the greatest of all."   But hope often lies unnoticed between those two other brilliant bookends of Gospel principles.

In our common vernacular, "hope" is a weak emotion.  It is usually vague and unmotivating.  It's synonymous with other feeling words including "wish" and "dream."  We use it to express emotions, often entirely ungrounded in reality, such as:

• I hope the weather is better tomorrow.
• I hope my team wins this all-important game.
• I hope I get a good grade on this test.
• I hope I get that promotion at work.
• I hope that cute boy asks me on a date.
• I hope I feel happier tomorrow.

Hope and despair

Moreover, as we look around our troubled world, we begin to wonder what relevance a word like "hope" has to us.  We see a world in which there seems to be an increase in despair and lack of hope in many areas.  Anciently, the prophet Moroni warned us near the close of his record, as he saw and pondered the struggles of our time, that iniquity brings despair — more fully, he stated, "And if ye have no hope ye must needs be in despair; and despair cometh because of iniquity" (Moroni 10:22).

And we surely see that.  Terrorism strikes fear and wreaks havoc around the world as "secret combinations" grow in power.  War destroys lives and lifestyles, as people consumed by lust for power or riches battle against others sharing the same desires.  Crime motivated by laziness and selfishness, gangs, rampant perversion and loss of respect for the sacred, dependence on welfare, lack of effective parenting or any parenting at all — despair truly does come of iniquity, and is surely growing in these last days.

But despair also comes in other ways.  Natural disasters destroy entire communities, taking thousands of lives and leaving tens of thousands without possessions and without hope.  Famine and pestilence and disease afflict myriads of innocents.  Poverty presses men and women down and depresses hope.  Violence and abuse take away peace and contentment.

Many of us have felt the effects.  We struggle with our own local concerns, perhaps not as visible as some of those I have mentioned, but just as debilitating in our individual spheres.  We have issues with employment or finances, with relationships, in our personal struggles against temptation.  We suffer with ongoing disappointments, unrealized dreams and goals, or with the loss of loved ones from death or accident.  Even suicide, an extreme expression of despair, is not foreign to our boundaries.  We sometimes feel hope ebbing away like water from a slow leak in the bottom of a bucket.

Scriptural use of "hope"

But as we study and ponder the word of God, we find there is a depth and dimension to how the Lord and his prophets use the word "hope" that is so different from our common use that we almost wonder if it's the same word.  For example, consider the testimony of Ether.  As a great prophet near the end of the Jaredite civilization, he lived in a time not unlike our own.  He saw his people turn to iniquity, caught up in pride and selfishness and conflict.  But he was filled with personal hope.  In a powerful testimony recorded in Ether 12:4, he said,

Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.

Now we see the contrast between our ineffective, worldly use of the word "hope" and what it means to the Lord and his prophets.  In the scriptures, "hope" is almost always linked to a very real and certain expectation of good things to come — the hope of eternal life, the hope of salvation, the hope of forgiveness.  In spite of the problems of this world, we are able to "hope for a better world" — because it means being with God, and far from evil influences.  Such a hope truly can provide an anchor to the soul, giving us strength and solidity against the tempests and tribulations of this world.

Many prophets have taught about faith, hope, and charity; but Mormon gave perhaps the greatest discourse on those three crowning principles and their relationship.  Moroni included his father's discourse as chapter 7 in the book of Moroni.  Note these marvelous words from Moroni 7:40-41:

And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?
And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

Once again, hope is not just a vague "wishfulness."  It's a powerful, motivating force linked to life eternal, through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection.  And note how intimately connected it is to "faith" — first of all, you can't attain unto faith unless you start with hope; and then, we are able to grow in hope because of faith.  In fact, in verse 42, we learn further that without faith there can be no hope.

Consider the insight offered by Nephi.  He certainly saw plenty of tribulation, disappointment, and iniquity.  His life wasn't easy — he left behind comfort and wealth to struggle through the wilderness, both real ones and symbolic spiritual ones.  I suppose it would have been easy for him to despair of ever finding the peace and happiness he must have longed for.  But he recorded this great message in 2 Nephi 31:20:

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

"Having a perfect brightness of hope" — even until the end.  What a marvelous description!  Though mists of darkness may seem to encircle us, and clouds of despair hang thick on every side, hope can bring a perfect brightness.  Individuals filled with this light can press forward with the light, knowing that the power of God's light will illuminate their paths at the times of deepest darkness.  Hope shows the way.

Strength through hope

"Hope in a Prison of Despair", Evelyn de Morgan, 1887

As we learn what God's version of "hope" is all about, it starts to make sense.  Hope isn't a vague, empty, wishy-washy desire.  It's a solid expectation of something very real — an understanding, a knowledge of God's desire to bless us and help us overcome any trial or struggle we may face.  It's an awareness of the power of His grace and how eager and willing he is to use it on our behalf.  It's the encouraging light that helps drive out the darkness of despair.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons we need to "feast on the word of God," particularly in the pure and focused teachings of the Book of Mormon.  As we read and ponder, our understanding of the promises He offers grows.  Our knowledge of that future home becomes ever more sure.  We see things in the eternal perspective, unclouded by the mists of our personal world.  Our hope becomes brighter as our knowledge and understanding become more firm.  Then we pray to confirm that understanding, and the Holy Ghost teaches and testifies.  Then we serve, we show love, we express the principles in every day of our lives, so that faith and hope and grow along with our charity.

"Christ's Image"
Heinrich Hofman, 1894

Three eternal principles, pointing to the Savior

We recognize that it's certainly not a coincidence to see "faith, hope, and charity" linked throughout the scriptures.  Now we see the common thread, the only thread that matters.

It's not just faith, but "faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" that gives us power.  It's not just hope, but hope in the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that gives us strength.  And charity, that great crowning gift, is the pure love of Christ manifest in our deeds.  Our loving Savior is the meaning behind faith, hope, and charity.  He is the one who marks the path and leads the way, and accompanies those who are willing in every step we take along that path.

Finding hope

Near the end of his earthly ministry, the Savior warned his disciples, "In the world ye shall have tribulation…" (John 16:33).  It wasn't going to be easy.  There wasn't going to be a shortcut for the disciples — just the opposite.  But then notice what came next.  The Master didn't say, "Don't worry, I'll help you figure out how to avoid the tribulation."  He didn't even say, "I'll make you strong to bear the tribulation."  Instead he said, "...be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  Our hope doesn't depend on either avoiding or enduring.  It depends solely and completely on the Savior who alone was able to overcome.  His merits alone will compensate. His love alone is sufficient.  His grace alone will save us.  His life and teachings alone give us hope.  It is only as we turn to Him with all our hearts that we are blessed by that hope.

Of the many titles the scriptures give for our Savior, I think I love the apostle Paul's description in Hebrews 9:11 most of all.  He calls Christ the "high priest of good things to come."  Our hope is in and through that high priest based on His knowledge of us, personally and individually, and His love for us, completely and eternally.  He alone offers to encircle us about eternally in the arms of His love (2 Ne 1:15) and in the arms of safety (Alma 34:16).  That, to me, is what hope is all about.