This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Women's Session of the October 1992 Conference.
I've been thinking a lot about trust lately—trust in God, specifically. That's because I've been studying President Nelson's talk on faith, and faith and trust go together…but are they the same thing? I'm not sure. That's why I've been thinking about it, I guess. My current understanding is that faith is a principle of action and power, but trust is more like…part of a relationship? A feeling? Something that leads you to faith, or keeps you motivated to keep trying for it? I don't know, but when I think of having faith in God, it feels like I need to DO something. When I think of having trust in God, it feels more internal, like maybe I need to just know Him better, or love Him better, or something.
Anyway, the flip side of trust (AND faith??)—seems to be fear. And Sister Virginia H. Pearce gave a really good talk about fear in the Women's Session of October 1992 Conference. Interesting topic for a talk, right? Here's what she says:
Why is fear part of earth life?Perhaps our Heavenly Father’s greatest hope is that through our fears we may choose to turn to him. The uncertainties of earth life can help to remind each of us that we are dependent on him. But that reminder is not automatic. It involves our agency. We must choose to take our fears to him, choose to trust him, and choose to allow him to direct us. We must make these choices when what we feel most inclined to do is to rely more and more on our own frantic and often distorted thinking.
I really like how she sums that up—it's when we feel most panicked and fearful that we most need to "choose to take our fears to Him." Which I suppose is, itself, an act of faith. Then I love this counsel she gives next:
As we try to live his commandments and pray to him, there are things he will direct us to do that will help calm our fears. These actions often require great courage and direction from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost may help us to understand when and with whom we should share our fears. He will support us as we face our fears and try to do things that we have never done before.
It's so interesting that as part of calming our fears, the Holy Ghost will sometimes urge us to face our fears—to do the very things we are afraid of! It seems contradictory and circular at first—"the cure for fear is to not be so fearful!"—but it works if we follow small step after small step in these "courageous actions" the Spirit prompts us to take. I want to become better at looking for how I can courageously trust God!
I see what you mean. Sort of like it’s my feelings of trust that allow me to take the faith actions. And I think that’s what I was sort of texting you about awhile back as I tried better to make sense of defining faith.
ReplyDeleteI loved her description of needing to choose not to rely on our own “frantic and distorted thinking”. There couldn’t be a better description of my brain as I try to work through concerns in the middle of the night.
And that’s such an interesting and cool thought — that often the thing that will allow him to calm us is for us to step forward into the very things we might balk at. It makes me think a little of Christofferson saying: “beyond desiring His help, we must exert ourselves ... and choose God for Him to be able to act in our lives consistent with justice and moral agency. My plea is simply to take responsibility and go to work so that there is something for God to help us with.”
I don’t know if that seems related, but it’s almost as if those nudges to act in courage and step into the hard things he’s asked are so that there is something for him to really pour his peace and power into. It’s cool to think that by moving into these daunting tasks, we have more claim on the very courage and peace we might be lacking and He is eager to give us.
Yes! That's a perfect explanation--something to pour his peace and power into. I've felt that before, where I feel so paralyzed by fear, and trying to do ANY action in faith just feels like such a relief because (I assume) he blesses me for that first faltering step.
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