As you learn more and more about Jesus’ purpose, and as you adopt Jesus’ purpose in all things as far as you understand it, you will find yourself experiencing many of the blessings of being in his presence while still being here in mortality. One such blessing is the courage imparted to the righteous in the presence of God, a trait exemplified by Stephen, who courageously continued to preach the gospel of Christ to those who were in the very act of murdering him, seeing the glory of God as he was stoned by those he attempted to help.4 As you dedicate yourself to the Lord’s purpose, you will find unshakeable confidence in all you do, as if you were standing in God’s presence in the protection of his heavenly host.
A striking difference in strength, endurance, and confidence exists between those who have adopted the purpose of Christ and those who have not. There is an absence of fear in those who love what is best, and an abundance of fear in those who love anything less.5 Cowards do not do great things because they lack the clear conscience and faith required to do them. Courage stems from an integral heart and strong confidence in the justice of God.
Many battles come down to the simple question of who has the worthiest purpose. A strong purpose can overcome many differences in resources, skill, and capacity.6 So few people adopt a purpose worth dying for that most people can’t even imagine the unstoppable force such a person becomes.7
Live as if you are under the complete care and control of Jesus, because as long as you are on his errand, you are. If you are acting in full alignment with the Lord’s purpose, as you sincerely understand it, you can expect and will receive his full support.8 Your courage will not wane, no matter the magnitude of afflictions you might face, because you will have deep confidence that whatever you face is precisely the best situation for you according to God’s perfect wisdom and infinite love.9 This does not mean your task will be easy or your victory obvious. It does mean that those unconditionally submitted to God will find that God will provide every needful thing so that, whether in pleasure or pain, victory or defeat, or death or life, they will demonstrate his goodness to those with and against them, according to his purposes, will, and wisdom.
Footnotes
- 1. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake....For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: (1 Peter 2:13, 15) ↩
- 2. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (Phillipians 4:5) ↩
- 3. Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; (1 Peter 3:1) ↩
- 4. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him... (Acts 7:54-58) ↩
- 5. The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. (Proverbs 28:1) ↩
- 6. Now in this case the Lamanites did fight exceedingly; yea, never had the Lamanites been known to fight with such exceedingly great strength and courage, no, not even from the beginning. And they were inspired by the Zoramites and the Amalekites, who were their chief captains and leaders, and by Zerahemnah, who was their chief captain, or their chief leader and commander; yea, they did fight like dragons, and many of the Nephites were slain by their hands, yea, for they did smite in two many of their head-plates, and they did pierce many of their breastplates, and they did smite off many of their arms; and thus the Lamanites did smite in their fierce anger. Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church. And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies. And again, the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed. Therefore for this cause were the Nephites contending with the Lamanites, to defend themselves, and their families, and their lands, their country, and their rights, and their religion. And it came to pass that when the men of Moroni saw the fierceness and the anger of the Lamanites, they were about to shrink and flee from them. And Moroni, perceiving their intent, sent forth and inspired their hearts with these thoughts—yea, the thoughts of their lands, their liberty, yea, their freedom from bondage. And it came to pass that they turned upon the Lamanites, and they cried with one voice unto the Lord their God, for their liberty and their freedom from bondage. And they began to stand against the Lamanites with power; and in that selfsame hour that they cried unto the Lord for their freedom, the Lamanites began to flee before them; and they fled even to the waters of Sidon. (Alma 43:4350) ↩
- 7. And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had come up, that the people of Limhi began to fall upon them from their waiting places, and began to slay them. And it came to pass that the battle became exceedingly sore, for they fought like lions for their prey. And it came to pass that the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites. But they fought for their lives, and for their wives, and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight. (Mosiah 20:9-11) ↩
- 8. For thus saith the Lord—I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end. (D&C 76:5) ↩
- 9. This was the attitude Jesus had when he told Peter not to fight for him at his arrest: “Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Matthew 26:52-54) Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever. (D&C 121:45-46) ↩