Yesterday was a beautiful Sunday for your family. Sacrament meeting was great with Christopher speaking first on Joshua 1:9, followed by a talk on the gift of testimony, referencing Elder Brown's general conference talk, and the last talk was on the power of our words. I had my first week in primary. Class was a little iffy for me but then we went to singing time and the kids sang "When I am Baptized" and my eyes began to water a little. It was beautiful; I felt not only blessed to be sitting there but God's love. After church, Will received his patriarchal blessing. His dad commented after the blessing that is was a "beautiful blessing", that boy has so many good things in store for his life...he just needs to get it together and get some direction in his life. He is the last of our children to receive their blessing and it is not something we pressure them about because we want them to want it but we are glad he made the decision to get it.
Christopher's talk - he wrote it by himself too.
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” Good morning. I am Chris Farrell and I decided to talk about my favorite scripture. It is Joshua 1:9, which I just shared. I find this verse to be 3 great sections: what to do, what not to do, and why.
To start things off, the verse talks about being strong and of a good courage. To be strong is a number of things. It’s resisting temptation and doing all things to Christ. Temptation comes in all forms. Whether it’s cheating on a test or seeking fights, you overcome it and stay strong through Christ. Furthermore, being courageous can be standing up for what you believe you in. Like wise, doing things that don’t have to do and doing them anyway. For example, you don’t deny Christ. Matter of fact you testify of him. An experience I had with that was in school a year ago or technically two now. I had a friend names Luis. We’ve been talking and he brought up his plans for the weekend. I later told him my plans which included going to church. He asked me why I would go and I told him it’s see people and renew my covenants. I then was courageous and invited him to join me for the best Sunday. He said yes and l joined us for the next few Sundays. That is why it’s so important for us to strive to be strong and courageous because Christ strengthens you
Moving on, the second section says don’t be afraid neither be discouraged. Fear is all around us in our daily lives. It there when we try new things and even our wild thoughts. All of that does sound frightening but we shouldn’t be afraid because that is part of being humans. Can you guess what else comes in the package? Yep, discouragement. This also happens daily. It can come in thoughts and trying to change but there’s no results. There’s no need to be hopeless though because Christ felt what we are through and can help us. For example, during Covid I was scared that someone I cared about would die. I decided that every Sunday I would pray for everyone’s safety. After the pandemic and all the fear, I looked back and I didn’t loose anyone. I know that God heard my prayers and protected everyone. That’s why it’s such a powerful reminder to not be discouraged or afraid because through Christ you can do anything.
Next, the last section explains that God is with you wherever you are. I personally find that to be the best part of this verse. You save the best for last, right? God is with you always, even if you’re at home, at school, or halfway across the world. One of the most amazing ways He stays with us is through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is a constant companion who can guide us, comfort us, and warn us when something isn’t right. He helps us feel peace when we’re anxious and gives us courage when we’re unsure. The choices we face may be small or big, clear or confusing, simple or complex. However, the Holy Ghost can help us with all of them. For the last experience, a couple of years ago got a ring for Christmas and I wore my t all the time. It snowed a couple of weeks later and I threw a snowball. That snowball ended up loosing my ring because the ring slipped off. I looked and looked and I couldn’t find it. I then prayed and afterwards a got a rake to find it. A couple of minutes later I found it in the flower bed. I know that the Holy Ghost prompted me and guided me to the ring. That’s why I feel so loved to know that the God is with us always because he helps us.
Finally, it also connects with other verses. For example 2nd Timothy 1:7 states “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” God doesn’t want us to fear. He wants us to haw power and love. Moreover, Philippians 4:13 exclaims “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” We can overcome any hardships that come our way through Christ. The hardships can be any size or shape and the lord helps us overpower them.
To conclude, I would like to bear my testimony on Joshua 1:9 because I know the, strength, relief, and love it holds for all of us. I also know that God is with us and he will never leave our side and in the name of Jesus Christ, our beloved savior, amen.
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