Mormon Musings

"[A]s President Gordon B. Hinckley taught, 'Fear is the antithesis [the complete opposite] of faith.' This is evident from the scriptures themselves. The scriptures define faith as 'the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,' 'which are true.' Faith is a real manifestation of what is really true. The polar opposite of that would seem to be the lack of substance or evidence of things that are false—or false evidence appearing real: fear. We need to recognize that the feeling of despair and hopelessness that characterizes irrational fear is a tool of the adversary. Indeed, it is one of his primary tools. I am convinced that just as we have articles of faith, Satan and his minions must have articles of fear to aid them in their work. They might read something like this: 'We believe that the first principles of despair and damnation are doubt God, doubt yourself, doubt others, and, most of all, be afraid—be very afraid of the future...

Some will inquire, “Do you suppose we shall finish this Temple, brother Brigham?” I have had such questions put to me already. My answer is, I do not know, and I do not care anymore about it than I should if my body was dead and in the grave, and my spirit in Paradise. I have never cared but for one thing, and that is, simply to know that I am now right before my Father in Heaven. If I am this moment, this day, doing the things God requires of my hands, and precisely where my Father in Heaven wants me to be, I care no more about tomorrow than though it never would come. I do not know where I shall be tomorrow, nor when this Temple will be done—I know no more about it than you do. If God reveals anything for you, I will tell you of it as freely as to say, go to City Creek, and drink until you are satisfied. This I do know—there should be a Temple built here. I do know it is the duty of this people to commence to build a Temple.” Brigham Young, JD 1:131

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/kevin-j-worthen_fear-not-2/

There will be times in your lives when you will not know the quick answers for your circumstances. Rely then on the word of God. Your Father in Heaven will always teach you to fear not, but to be of good cheer, to lighten your ship of clutter and focus on the spiritual matters, to commit yourselves to the covenants you made, and to put your sail of righteousness into the wind and head courageously toward the land of your eternal future. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, BYU Devotional November 2003

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1993/10/look-to-god-and-live?lang=eng

" For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

"Brothers and sisters, you have and will have worries and challenges of many kinds, but embrace life joyfully and full of faith. Study the scriptures regularly. Pray fervently. Obey the voice of the Spirit and the prophets. Do all that you can to help others. You will find great happiness in such a course. Some glorious day all your worries will be tuned to joys. "As Joseph Smith wrote to the struggling Saints from his cel l in Liberty Jail: "'Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. [D&C 123:17] "'Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. . . . "'Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not' [D&C 6:34–37]." President Howard W. Hunter, BYU Devotional, March 14, 1989

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.  The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Nelson Mandela

It is natural to have questions—the acorn of honest inquiry has often sprouted and matured into a great oak of understanding. There are few members of the Church who, at one time or another, have not wrestled with serious or sensitive questions. One of the purposes of the Church is to nurture and cultivate the seed of faith—even in the sometimes sandy soil of doubt and uncertainty. Faith is to hope for things which are not seen but which are true [see Hebrews 11:1 ;  Alma 32:21 ]. President Dieter http://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/come-join-with-us?lang=eng F. Uchtdorf, October 2013 General Conference

As a scriptural theme for this discussion, I have chosen the second-shortest verse in all of holy scripture. I am told that the shortest verse—a verse that every missionary memorizes and holds ready in case he is called on spontaneously in a zone conference—is John 11:35: “Jesus wept.” Elders, here is a second option, another shortie that will dazzle your mission president in case you are called on two zone conferences in a row. It is Luke 17:32, where the Savior cautions, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Hmmm. What did He mean by such an enigmatic little phrase? To find out, I suppose we need to do as He suggested. Let’s recall who Lot’s wife was. The original story, of course, comes to us out of the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, when the Lord, having had as much as He could stand of the worst that men and women could do, told Lot and his family to flee because those cities were about to be destroyed. “Escape for thy life,” the Lord said, “ look not behind thee  . . . ...

“We need not become paralyzed with fear of Satan’s power.  He can have no power over us unless we permit it.  He is really a coward, and if we stand firm, he will retreat.  The Apostle James counseled: ‘Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you’ (James 4:7).  He cannot know our thoughts unless we speak them.  And Nephi states that ‘he hath no power over the hearts’ of people who are righteous (see 1 Nephi 22:26).” President James E. Faust - Ensign,  Nov. 1987, 35

I will not doubt, I will not fear; God’s love and strength are always near. His promised gift helps me to find An inner strength and peace of mind. I give the Father willingly My trust, my prayers, humility. His Spirit guides; his love assures That fear departs when faith endures. 2 Timothy 1:7 D&C 6:36 https://www.lds.org/churchmusic/detailmusicPlayer/index.html?searchlanguage=1&searchcollection=1&searchseqstart=128&searchsubseqstart=%20&searchseqend=128&searchsubseqend=ZZZ&lang=eng

http://jdquotes.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/suffering-from-more-from-fear-and-anticipation-than-from-actual-events/

http://jdquotes.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/have-we-anything-to-fear-no/

"If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear" Elder John A. Widtsoe Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles John A. Widtsoe, April 1942  Conference Report , pp. 32-34 The present unhappy infernal conditions of the world are daily before us and our people. We cannot forget them. The incomprehensible folly of humanity bewilders us. All Israel are anxious and troubled. Some face the day in fear. Many are filled with premonitions and forebodings. To cure this condition; to steady the pulse of our people; to teach the ultimate conquest of right over wrong, may be our immediate problem. Of all people in the world we should and can see most clearly in this dark, man-made chaos. We have the light. We must see the happy destined end from a dark and corrupt beginning. The Lord has spoken, and foretold the calamities of the last days; but He has also declared that He is the Master and that He and His righteous people will triumph over all evil. The Lord is never defeated. Questions, conjectu...

Fear, which "shall come upon every man," is the natural consequence of a sense of weakness, also of sin. Fear is a chief weapon of Satan in making mankind unhappy. He who fears loses strength for the combat of life, for the fight against evil. Therefore, the power of evil ever seeks to engender fear in human hearts. In this day of sorrow, fear walks with humanity. It directs, measurably, the course of every battle. It remains as a gnawing poison in the hearts of victors as of the vanquished... The key to the conquest of fear has been given through the Prophet Joseph Smith. "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear" ( D&C 38:30). That divine message needs repeating today in every stake and ward. Are we prepared in surrender to God's commandments? In victory over our appetites? In obedience to righteous law? If we can honestly answer yes, we can bid fear depart. And the degree of fear in our hearts may well be measured by our preparation by righteous living, suc...

Are the people going to fear?  If fear is in the hearts of any one of you, it is because you do not pray often enough; or when you do pray you are not sufficiently humble before the Lord.  You do not plead with Him until your will is swallowed up in His.  If every one of the Latter day Saints lived up to their privileges, they would not fear the world, and all that they can no, any more than they fear the cranes that fly croaking three quarters of a mile above them, will drop their eggs upon them to dash their brains out.  You might as well fear that event as to fear all the forces of hell, if the people were sanctified before the Lord and would do His will every day.  Are these strange ideas to you?  Read and learn how the Lord protected the children of Israel in former days, even during their wickedness and rebellion against Him.  Whenever a good man would say "Cease from your wickedness, turn from your idols and seek to the Lord, " and they hearkene...

Our doubts are traitors and make us loose the good we might win by fearing to attempt. - Shakespeare