Star of Bethlehem

"Whether the world accepts Jesus Christ as the literal Son of God or not does not change the absolute truth that he is. If the Lord Jehovah can place billions of stars in the cosmos, he can certainly cause one star to hang in suspended brilliance over Bethlehem."

—Vaughn J. Featherstone, More Purity Give Me-

Depths in the Sea

President Spencer W. Kimball:

"There are depths in the sea, which the storms that lash the surface into fury, never reach. They who reach down into the depths of life where, in the stillness, the voice of God is heard, have the stabilizing power which carries them poised and serene through the hurricane of difficulties".

(“Conference Excerpts,” New Era, Jan. 1974, 6)

"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."

(Mark 4:39)

There is only One who has that stabilising power upon our souls, Jesus Christ. We can have peace, when we are still, and He will rescue us, of this I am sure.

Friendship

"Friendship isn't about whom you have known the longest...

It's about who came, and never left your side."

~Anon.

Feeling Safe

"Oh, the comfort-the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person. Having neither to weigh thoughts, Nor measure words--but pouring them All right out--just as they are--Chaff and grain together--Certain that a faithful hand will Take and sift them--Keep what is worth keeping--And with the breath of kindness Blow the rest away."

-Dinah Maria Mulock Craik

I hope you all have someone like that in your life - and can be that for someone else. xx

Being Happy

“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.”
~Anon.

Mary

I just wanted to share a thought a friend of mine posted on her blog, I think it provides a thought-provoking insight into Mary:

"One of the novels I read was Irving Stone's biographical novel of Michelangelo Buonarroti, "The Agony and the Ecstasy". Not an easy to read in a day or two, but a very good book, from which I learned a lot.

One of my favorite thoughts was about Mary, the mother of Christ. You may be familiar with a few of Michelangelo's more famous works, specifically the Sistine Chapel and his Pieta, but I didn't know much about him. In the novel, it portray's a thought process, which I don't know if he actually went through before each work he did, but it did cause me to think, and learn, and I would like to share an excerpt from the book, in regards to Mary and her child, which he has been commissioned to do. He searches through the works of others, trying to get ideas, "not looking for portraiture but for the spirit of motherhood." I pretty much like the entire chapter, but am only going to share a few paragraphs, which are a little lengthy, but something which I would like to have a reference to.

"Striking off into the hills, with the feel of the steep slope under him, he realized that he had not yet come to grips with what he wanted to convey about Mary and her child. He knew only that he wanted to attain something fresh and vital. He fell to nursing about the character and fate of Mary. The Annunciation was a favourite theme of the Florentine painters: the Archangel Gabriel come down from heaven to announce to Mary that she was to bear the Son of God. In all the paintings he remembered, the news seemed to come to her as a complete surprise, and apparently she had been given no choice.

"But could that be? Could so important a task, the most important assigned to any human since Moses, have been forced on Mary without her knowledge or consent? Surely God must have loved Mary above all women on earth to choose her for this divine task? Must He not have told her the plan, related every step of the way from Bethlehem to Calvary? And in His wisdom and mercy have allowed her the opportunity to reject it?

"And if Mary did have freedom of choice, when would she be likely to exercise it? At the Annunciation? When she had borne her child? At the moment of suckling, while Jesus was still an infant? Once she accepted, must she not carry her burden from that moment until the day her child was crucified? Knowing the future, how could she subject her son to such agony? Might she not have said, 'No, not my son, I will not consent. I will not let it happen'? But could she go against the wish of God? When He had appealed to her to help Him? Was ever mortal woman cast in so pain-fraught a dilemma?

"He decided that he would carve Mary at the moment of decision, while suckling her infant, when, knowing all, she must determine the future: for herself; for her child; for the world."


Can you imagine being in Mary's position, knowing what would be required of your son, knowing that you are powerless to prevent His suffering, knowing also that even though you gave Him the gift of life, that He in turn would give His life that we all may have ETERNAL life. It is hard to watch your child hurt in the slightest, I've often thought that I wish I could take their pains away when they hurt or are sick, that I would happily go through it in place of them, how great a woman she was to know what was required, and to say "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke 1:38), no wonder she was chosen to be the mother of the Savior. Thank you Mary.

The Real Meaning of Christmas

Grandparents Role

“Grandparents can strengthen and inspire their grandchildren as they share their experiences, testimony, and faith. Their true stories of obedience, learning from mistakes, making sacrifices to reach eternal goals, and cheerfully facing problems can help children as they face similar experiences. In addition to talking with their grandchildren, grandparents can record their testimonies and experiences in journals, which can uplift and teach family members now and in future generations.“

 ~Teaching, No Greater Call

Out of the Mouth of Babes:)

One Day

“Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself... 'How did I get through all of that?”

Anon?

Cloaks of Pretense

You cannot be passive in life, or in time the natural man will undermine your efforts to live worthily. You become what you do and what you think about. Lack of character leads one under pressure to satisfy appetite or seek personal gain. You cannot successfully bolster a weak character with the cloak of pretense.

Elder Richard G. Scott, 'The Transforming Power of Faith and Character'

Hugs and Kisses

A little girl comes up with a clever way to resolve an argument between her parents.

xoxo

Yield the Greatest Advantage

This is a quote that I think I should commit to memory:)

“Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith” (Ether 12:6). Thus, every time you try your faith—that is, act in worthiness on an impression—you will receive the confirming evidence of the Spirit. As you walk to the boundary of your understanding into the twilight of uncertainty, exercising faith, you will be led to find solutions you would not obtain otherwise. With even your strongest faith, God will not always reward you immediately according to your desires. Rather, God will respond with what in His eternal plan is best for you, when it will yield the greatest advantage. Be thankful that sometimes God lets you struggle for a long time before that answer comes. That causes your faith to increase and your character to grow."

'The Transforming Power of Faith and Character', Elder Richard G. Scott, Ensign, Nov. 2010)

Thankful by Josh Groban

Great lyrics. So much to be thankful for.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Well, I am thankful to all of you who stop by my blog, you definitely spur me on to keep posting, and some of your comments on here have really made a difference in my life. Thanks for being AWESOME!!

Here's a great video on thanksgiving:

Seven Times More Graves

I read this quote yesterday and it really made me think....

"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving."

 ~H.U. Westermayer

Isn't that striking? And maybe those of you who have grown up in America are familiar with the Pilgrims sufferings, but I'm from Britain and we never learnt about this at all. What a great example to remember to recognise our blessings. No matter what we are each individually going through, if we think long enough about it, we will realised how many blessings we do truly have.

The Joy of Trying Again

"Our task is to become our best selves. One of God's greatest gifts to us is the joy of trying again, for no failure ever need be final."

--Thomas S. Monson, "The Will Within," Ensign, May 1987, 67

Come Unto Me

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

(Matt. 11:28.)

Hope, The Only Bee

"Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers."

--Robert Ingersoll

Enemies, A Positive Spin

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."

Winston Churchill

Who to Cling to

Russell M. Nelson:
"As we go through life, even through very rough waters, a father's instinctive impulse to cling tightly to his wife or to his children may not be the best way to accomplish his objective. Instead, if he will lovingly cling to the Savior and the iron rod of the gospel, his family will want to cling to him and to the Savior.


"This lesson is surely not limited to fathers. Regardless of gender, marital status, or age, individuals can choose to link themselves directly to the Savior, hold fast to the rod of His truth, and lead by the light of that truth. By so doing, they become examples of righteousness to whom others will want to cling."
"Set in Order Thy House," Ensign, Nov. 2001, 69

Come Thou Fount - David Osmond

Just click play, sit back, relax and enjoy for a few minutes.....

Forgiveness: My Burden was Made Light

Cheer

The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up. 

 ~Mark Twain~

Intellectual Pride

“Intellectual pride is very prevalent in our day. Some people exalt themselves above God and His anointed servants because of their learning and scholarly achievements. We must never allow our intellect to take priority over our spirit. Our intellect can feed our spirit and our spirit can feed our intellect, but if we allow our intellect to take precedence over our spirit, we will stumble, find fault, and may even lose our testimonies”.


(Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Press On,” Liahona, Nov 2004, 101–4)

Peace

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” 

(John 14:27.)

Really Living

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

Marjorie Pay Hinckley

Without Arms

These are a few words from the Book of Mormon that have been drifting through my mind the last few weeks. You will probably remember that the Lamanites wanted to attack Limhi’s people, but after talking with the king of the Lamanites the record says the Limhi’s people: “…..went forth without arms to meet the Lamanites…” and “….when the Lamanites saw the people of Limhi, that they were without arms, they had compassion on them and were pacified towards them…..”(Mosiah 20:25,26).

I thought about the principle of 'without arms' with regard to relationships in general. We don’t come with the kind of arms that were meant in these verses e.g. shields, arrows, swords etc., but sometimes we come with other 'arms' that have been acquired throughout our life experiences like: pride, mistrust, impatience, an unforgiving heart, defensiveness, lack of self-worth, selfishness, and use these, we think, to protect ourselves from being hurt again.

I have had experiences where I have had these kind of bad 'arms', and each time I’ve felt horrible, as the result has never been an increase in compassion and understanding, nothing good has been strengthened or protected in me, but has only become weaker as a result. I have also had experiences where I have dropped the bad 'arms' I have gained and found that that is where charity has been gained and I have come so much closer to my God, and where beautiful lasting friendships have been my prize.

When we choose to be open to hurt, we really open ourselves to an increase in joy, trusting that God will be pleased with our attempts to be more like the Saviour who never comes to us with 'arms', but gives us His all, suffering all pain, just in the hope that we may choose happiness and a better way.

If we get hurt for loving people - so what! - really, what is the worst that can happen, so we may get hurt from time to time, but the Saviour will heal our hearts and we will love Him all the more for that, and we will be used to help so many more people to feel of God’s love for them because the Lord will know He can trust us, because we trust Him.

Re-posted from October 14th, 2008

Book Review - Walking Through Illusion

A while ago I was contacted by Betsy Otter Thompson who has written a book entitled: 'Walking Through Illusion', and asked if I would do a book review for her. So here it is:


'Walking Through Illusion features a series of short stories about biblical people who either knew Jesus or knew of him, and were influenced by him in one way or another....The author believes that we don't take our beliefs with us when we leave here; we take the love we had from having them.'

There were some things that I loved about the book, for example, at the end of each chapter there are worksheet sections and questions to ponder, because if you don't apply something in your life then it never really changes you.

I also found some of the quotes in there meaningful, for example, "If you want to become a teacher, you must live the lessons you preach". There were many many others in there that I thought were powerful also.

The way the book is written is by Betsy asking a question to Jesus and recording His reply to her question. For example:

Betsy: "Did you go through a time of wanting approval, Jesus?"

Jesus: "Yes, but seeking approval attracted people seeking mine. To get approval, I had to give approval; especially to myself:"

Reading the conversations that the author described that she had with Jesus did make me feel uncomfortable at times. There were some replies to the questions asked where it described a Jesus who is unfamiliar to me, and a less perfect one than the One I know, and is contrary to the Bible's teachings on a particular subject. I think the beauty of the Savior is that we can all have a personal relationship with Him, and I don't want to devalue anyone's with Him as I would not wish them to do so with mine, but those conversations didn't bring me any closer to Him, or enlighten me any further, and made me feel 'on edge' at times. I do love the concept for the book though, just not all of the content, and will be quoting from it on here as there are some valuable messages included.

I had emailed Betsy after I read it with how I felt about it, and to see if she still wanted me to post a review on it, as it wouldn't be a glowing one, and I got such a beautiful and gracious email back from her, full of love, when she could've been defensive. She seems like a wonderful woman who really is seeking to bring others to Christ. If this book is something you may be interested in reading, definitely check it out. For more information click here.

Improved Prayers

"A key to improved prayer is to learn to ask the right questions. Consider changing from asking for the things you want to honestly seeking what He wants for you. Then as you learn His will, pray that you will be led to have the strength to fulfill it."

Richard G. Scott, "Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer," Ensign, May 2007, 8

Lioness at the Gate

"I have said lately that women are like lionesses at the gate of the home. Whatever happens in that home and family happens because she cares about it and it matters to her. She guards that gate, and things matter to that family if they matter to her. For example, if the lioness at the gate believes in the law of tithing, tithing will be paid in that family. If that family has a humble little portion of ten pesos coming in, that lioness will safeguard the one peso if tithing is important to her. If that lioness at the gate knows about renewing her baptismal covenants with God, she will be in sacrament meeting on Sunday, and she will prepare her children to be there. They will be washed, cleaned, combed, and taught about that meeting and what happens there. It isn’t a casual event, but it is serious to her, and it will be serious to them. The lioness at the gate ensures that temple worship is taken care of in the family. She encourages that participation. She cares about seeking after her ancestors. If the lioness at the gate knows about and understands missions, missionaries, and the mission of the house of Israel, she will prepare future missionaries to go out from that home. It is very difficult to get a lion cub away from a lioness who doesn’t believe in missions, but if the lioness believes in a mission, she will devote her life to preparing the cub to go out and serve the Lord. That’s how important she is. Service happens if she cares about it.

"Sisters, you are each like the lioness at the gate."

Julie B. Beck, Address Given at BYU Women's Conference, Thursday, April 29, 2010.

Re-posted from here

When the Heat Cometh

Jeremiah 17:7 - 8

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.”
“For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

When we have hope and trust in the Lord, and not ourselves - with our limited understanding, and perspective - even ‘when heat cometh’ our roots will stretch deep enough that we won’t wither, never ceasing to yield the fruit which will bring us joy amidst trial.

Have a beautiful day!

Who Am I to Judge Another?

This is from last nights General Relief Society Meeting:


"My dear sisters, each of you is unique. You are different from each other in many ways. There are those of you who are married. Some of you stay at home with your children, while others of you work outside your homes. Some of you are empty-nesters. There are those of you who are married but do not have children. There are those who are divorced, those who are widowed. Many of you are single women. Some of you have college degrees; some of you do not. There are those who can afford the latest fashions and those who are lucky to have one appropriate Sunday outfit. Such differences are almost endless. Do these differences tempt us to judge one another?

Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who worked among the poor in India most of her life, spoke this profound truth: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” The Savior has admonished, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” I ask:Can we love one another, as the Savior has commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa—“No; we cannot.”

—President Thomas S. Monson

Andrea Bocelli & The Mormon Tabernacle Choir - The Lord's Prayer

Compassion and You

"If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete."

Jack Kornfield

Straight to the Point:)

"You can be smart and happy or stupid and miserable. . . it's your choice"

- Gordon B. Hinckley

Negativity

"Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power."

Shirley MacLaine

So don't.

The Power of Faith

President Marion G. Romney, a long-time counselor to Church presidents and a former President of the Quorum of the Twelve, said, "Blessed is he who, based on a knowledge

of the gospel has unshakable faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a one has for his goal the attainment of eternal life. He has an anchor to his soul and a motive for action." (The Power of Faith, Deseret Book Co., 1983, p. 10)

President Romney then detailed four attributes of people who radiate such faith:

First, the possessors of such faith have a sound understanding of the purpose of life. They know that God lives, know that they are His children and that as such are endowed with the potential eventually to rise to the full status of their Heavenly Father.

Second, the possessors of such faith have a sure test by which to distinguish truth from error. They know that they live in a day of great conflict between good and evil, but they are strengthened by the knowledge that God, their Heavenly Father, has not abandoned them in the struggle, but has put within their reach the knowledge and wisdom upon which they can correctly distinguish good from evil.

Third, the possessors of such faith are fortified in their courage to resist temptation and live true to their conviction, like Joseph in Egypt.

Finally, the possessors of a well-informed faith enjoy peace of mind in the days of trial. There is no greater blessing than to be able to weather the trials with full knowledge that the Lord is with us in our times of need. (Summaries from The Power of Faith, pp. 10-14.)

Church News, June 2003

The Sabbath

President Kimball taught how we might observe the Sabbath: “The Sabbath is a day:

• on which to take inventory—to analyze our weaknesses, 
• to confess our sins to our associates and our Lord. 
• on which to fast in ‘sackcloth and ashes.’ 
• on which to read good books, a day to contemplate and ponder, …
• to study the scriptures and to prepare sermons, 
• to nap and rest and relax, 
• to visit the sick, 
• to preach the gospel, 
• to proselyte, 
• to visit quietly with the family and get acquainted with our children, 
• for proper courting, a day to do good, 
• to drink at the fountain of knowledge 
• of instruction, 
• to seek forgiveness of our sins, 
• for the enrichment of our spirit and our soul, 
• to restore us to our spiritual stature, 
• to partake of the emblems of his sacrifice and atonement,
• to contemplate the glories of the gospel and of the eternal realms, 
• to climb high on the upward path toward our Heavenly Father” 

(Teachings, 216).

A Perfume

"Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting. Reach out. Share. Smile. hug. happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself...." 

- Og Mandino

The Final Word in Reality

‎"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality"

 ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Feedback

So as you can see I've changed the look of this blog somewhat. I'm not sure I like the background so that may change, but I think it looks less cluttered now, which I do like:). With the Playlist music would you prefer to click it to play it, or have it automatically start? I can't decide which is better, and is there anything that you would like me to focus more on in this blog?

Lastly, I just wanted to say a big thank you to you all for stopping by too - you always make my day brighter:).
Sarah

Seeing What You Believe

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe."

Saint Augustine

Just for Fun: Tom Cruise Shares His Thoughts on Home Teaching!

There's Always Something You Can Do

A 'no excuses' quote:)

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Speak of Jesus More Frequently

"We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith."

"The stories of Jesus can be like a rushing wind across the embers of faith in the hearts of our children. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The stories of Jesus shared over and over bring faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strength to the foundation of testimony. Can you think of a more valuable gift for our children?"

"To fathers and mothers, to grandfathers and grandmothers, and to those without children of their own who lovingly nurture children and youth, my counsel is to speak more frequently about Jesus Christ. In His holy name is great spiritual power. “There [is] no other name given nor any other way … whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ.”

"As you reverently speak about the Savior—in the car, on the bus, at the dinner table, as you kneel in prayer, during scripture study, or in late-night conversations—the Spirit of the Lord will accompany your words."

Neil L. Andersen, “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus,” Ensign, May 2010, 108–12

(Re-posted from here)

Teaching Children to Pray

"Parents should teach their children to pray. The child learns both from what the parents do and what they say. The child who sees a mother or a father pass through the trials of life with fervent prayer to God and then hears a sincere testimony that God answered in kindness will remember what he or she saw and heard."

Henry B. Eyring, "That He May Write upon Our Hearts," Ensign, Aug. 2009, 5

Wake Up

"Like the elephant, we are unconscious of our own strength. When it comes to understanding the power we have to make a difference in our own lives, we might as well be asleep. If you want to make your dreams come true, wake up. Wake up to your own strength. Wake up to the role you play in your own destiny. Wake up to the power you have to choose what you think, do, and say." 

-Keith Ellis-

A True Grandmother

"A mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the terrible things her children do because she is so enchanted with the wonderful things her grandchildren do."
~Lois Wyse

What Have I Lost?

"Brother [Thomas B.] Marsh was one of the first modern-day Apostles . . . . He eventually became President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

"While the Saints were in Far West, Missouri, Elizabeth Marsh, Thomas's wife, and her friend Sister Harris decided they would exchange milk in order to make more cheese than they otherwise could. . . . They agreed that they should not save what were called the strippings. . . . Strippings came at the end of the milking and were richer in cream.

"Sister Harris was faithful to the agreement, but Sister Marsh, desiring to make some especially delicious cheese, saved a pint of strippings from each cow and sent Sister Harris the milk without the strippings. This caused the two women to quarrel. . . . The matter was referred to the home teachers to settle. They found Elizabeth Marsh guilty of failure to keep her agreement. She and her husband were upset with the decision, and the matter was then referred to the bishop for a Church trial. The bishop's court decided that the strippings were wrongfully saved. . . .

"Thomas Marsh appealed to the high council, and the men comprising this council confirmed the bishop's decision. He then appealed to the First Presidency of the Church. Joseph Smith and his counselors considered the case and upheld the decision of the high council.

"Elder Thomas B. Marsh, who sided with his wife through all of this, became angrier with each successive decision—so angry, in fact, that he went before a magistrate and swore that the Mormons were hostile toward the state of Missouri. . . .

"After 19 years of rancor and loss, Thomas B. Marsh made his way to the Salt Lake Valley and asked President Brigham Young for forgiveness. . . . Said Brother Marsh: 'The Lord could get along very well without me and He . . . lost nothing by my falling out of the ranks; But O what have I lost?! Riches, greater riches than all this world or many planets like this could afford' (Thomas B. Marsh to Heber C. Kimball, May 5, 1857, Brigham Young Collection, Church History Library)."

Thomas S. Monson , "School Thy Feelings, O My Brother," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 68

The Way Through Difficulties

‎"You never need to be discouraged or afraid. The way through difficulties has always been prepared for you and you will find it if you exercise faith." 
~Henry B. Eyring

Seek Faith, Dispel Doubt

The Saviours disciples were on a boat one night and they saw a man walking across the water to them. The Saviour told them, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”
“And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
“And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
“But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith,wherefore didst thou doubt?
(Matthew 14:27 - 31)

Like Peter, we desire to come closer to the Saviour, and the Saviour always says "Come". Often when we make the initial decision to make a concerted effort to come closer to Him we step out with all confidence in our actions and direction. More often than not the sea we cross to reach Him isn’t calm, usually, as Peter found, it is ‘boisterous’. The movement of the waves shook Peter’s faith, and He cried out for the Lord to save him. I think that is beautiful. And how long did it take the Saviour to save him? It says,‘immediately’ he stretched forth His hand, and caught him. The Saviour taught him that despite the external forces around him, that faith can overcome all obstacles in our journey to Him.

We will all have times when the vastness and immensity of what we are to cross seems greater than us, at those times when we reach for the Saviour He will reach for us, but He will also teach us that we don’t need to doubt, only increase in faith.

President Thomas S. Monson shared this:
"President Stephen L Richards, who was a counselor in the First Presidency many years ago, was a profound thinker. He said, 'Faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other.' My advice is to seek faith and dispel doubt."
(Thomas S Monson, "Pathways to Perfection," Ensign,May 2002, 99)