Hope is the base attribute for other Christlike attributes. Both Alma and Moroni have said have said that hope is when you don't need to see something in order to believe that it exists (Alma 32:21, Ether 12:6). In order to have faith in Christ and in Heavenly Father, you first have to hope that they live and are divine. That is the planting of the seed that Alma discusses in that same chapter.
Moroni says that hope precedes faith. It is important to "have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal" (Moroni 7:41). Jacob discusses that we need to seek for Christ first, and when we exercise that hope, then we will be blessed with the things that we need (Jacob 2:18-19).
It is easy to discuss hope here, outside of a situation. But exercising it during life, when things get tough it can be hard to hold on to it. Mormon gave Moroni some excellent advice for when despair might come. He said "may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing of his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever" (Moroni 9:25).
For the Anti-Lehi-Nephis, or the people of Ammon, hope was essential to how they lived their lives. They clung to their hope so much that they were willing to die for it.
"They never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it" (Alma 27:28).
Hope helped this people hold strong to the oath that they made, as well as not fear the trials that were going to come their way. This came about because they had a hope in eternal salvation for keeping their oath. This is a lesson that we can apply to ourselves. We have made covenants to follow the gospel, and to be examples of Christ. If we hold tight to our hope that Christ lives, and act upon it, then we should not fear what trial and persecution that will come our way because Christ has had victory over it.
Nephi discusses of how this can be done. He sad, "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" (2 Nephi 31:20).
Scriptures for further study:
Why to have hope: Jacob 4:4, Alma 5:10(6-10), Alma 7:24, Alma 13:29, Alma 22:14, Alma 25:16, Alma 34:14, Alma 58:11, Ether 12:4, Moroni 8:14, Moroni 10:22-21
For the Anti-Lehi-Nephis, or the people of Ammon, hope was essential to how they lived their lives. They clung to their hope so much that they were willing to die for it.
"They never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it" (Alma 27:28).
Hope helped this people hold strong to the oath that they made, as well as not fear the trials that were going to come their way. This came about because they had a hope in eternal salvation for keeping their oath. This is a lesson that we can apply to ourselves. We have made covenants to follow the gospel, and to be examples of Christ. If we hold tight to our hope that Christ lives, and act upon it, then we should not fear what trial and persecution that will come our way because Christ has had victory over it.
Nephi discusses of how this can be done. He sad, "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" (2 Nephi 31:20).
Scriptures for further study:
Why to have hope: Jacob 4:4, Alma 5:10(6-10), Alma 7:24, Alma 13:29, Alma 22:14, Alma 25:16, Alma 34:14, Alma 58:11, Ether 12:4, Moroni 8:14, Moroni 10:22-21
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