Have you ever wondered what God has prepared for your life? Do the promises in your Patriarchal Blessing seem almost too incredible to believe that they could come to pass? Can God really accomplish something that seems almost impossible in your life?
No doubt Paul had some these same thoughts when Christ appeared to him and told him of his mission–a mission with promises that seemed unlikely and, frankly, impossible:
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
President Russell M. Nelson gave a similar challenge to the youth and young adults of the Church when he boldly declared:
You will asked to accept challenging assignments and become an instrument in the Lord’s hands. And He will enable you to accomplish the impossible.
How will you accomplish the impossible? By doing whatever it takes to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ by increasing your understanding of the doctrine taught in His restored Church and by relentlessly seeking truth. As a True Millennial, anchored in pure doctrine, when you are asked to do impossible things, you will be able to step forward with faith and dogged persistence and cheerfully do all that lies in your power to fulfill the purposes of the Lord.
You will have days when you will be thoroughly discouraged. So, pray for courage not to give up! You will need that strength because it will become less and less popular to be a Latter-day Saint. Sadly, some whom you thought were your friends will betray you. And some things will simply seem unfair.
However, I promise you that as you follow Jesus Christ, you will find sustained peace and true joy. As you keep your covenants with increasing precision, and as you defend the Church and kingdom of God on the earth today, the Lord will bless you with strength and wisdom to accomplish the impossible.
You may wonder how the promises in our Patriarchal Blessings can be fulfilled in context of “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” You may also wonder how we can confidently go forward and teach these eternal truths to your friends and family. Yet, we learn from Paul’s story that God uses the unlikely to accomplish the impossible–and He will do the same for you.
Art: “Forward in Faith” – Dan Wilson