Be of Good Cheer!

Recently, I had come across a youtube channel called Jumping Turtle/My Turtle House Digital Fireside. Every Sunday, they have a fireside with Latter-day Saint writers/authors, musicians, speakers, etc. Last night I was able to finally sit down and listen to a couple of the firesides. It was phenomenal! The speakers I listened to last night were Meg Johnson, John Bytheway, and Hank Smith. It was truly uplifting! It helped to bring the Spirit into my heart which had been weighed down with much frustration, worry, and fear.

As they were talking in the beginning, John Bytheway quoted this scripture from John 16:33 which states: "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but BE OF GOOD CHEER; I have overcome the world." Brother Bytheway then stated that "be of good cheer" was a commandment, not just words of encouragement. That really hit me. I definitely could improve in obeying the command to "be of good cheer" especially through this difficult time of COVID-19, earthquakes, riots, etc. I have definitely felt some major unrest! Brother Bytheway, who was actually the last speaker, later quoted Elder Jeffrey R. Holland who said, "I submit to you that this [John 14:27- '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.'] may be one of the Savior's commandments that, even in the hearts of otherwise faithful Latter-day Saints, almost universally disobeyed...I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world, when he finds that his people do not feel confident in his care or secure in his hands or trust in his commandments." - Trusting Jesus, 68. I love Elder Holland, but these words struck me like a bolt of lightning. I know that I can repent and try to do better at being of "good cheer." Brother Bytheway had also stated "Despite what you may be going through in life, we have the power to choose how to act/react to a situation...to act and not be acted upon...Part of being of good cheer is choosing your response."

The first speaker of the night was Meg Johnson. I personally had never heard of her but I loved what she had to say. She talked about how she had become a paraplegic and how she decided to "put her shoulder to the wheel." She stated two things that got her through those thought times and helped her to have a positive attitude was to 1- be grateful and 2- have your own life soundtrack of Christ-centered music. She had stated (I'm paraphrasing) that when we sing from our life soundtrack of Christ-centered music during the stinky times in our life, it will change our perspective. 

The last speaker was Hank Smith. He spoke of anxiety and depression and exhorted others to not give up! He stated that 50% of happiness is due to your DNA. Only about 10% of our happiness comes from our circumstances and 40% of our happiness is determined by our choices. He quoted President Gordon B. Hinckley, whom I absolutely love and whom I admired his positive attitude. He said, "I come this morning with a plea that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that we accentuate the positive. What I am asking is that we turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good in the land and times in which we live. that we speak of one another's virtues more than we speak of one another's faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears." I absolutely LOVE that quote! Brother Smith then quotes Elder Holland who said, "Negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking, including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak-or at least think-critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. He then spoke of the positivity of Thomas Edison whom many spoke of the 1000 failures he had in creating the lightbulb but he had simply stated that he "had not failed [he had] found over 1000 ways in which it will not work." Thomas Edison looked at every "failure" as a step forward. When he was 67 years old, his New Jersey factory burned to the ground and he said to his employees, "My friends, there is great value in this disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Thank heaven we can start anew."

I absolutely love and needed to hear the words from this fireside. I know the problems that I face are very minimal to some. I am very much a people person. I love being around people. I love serving them. With covid-19, it has been very difficult to stay at home and having to wear a mask when I go out. I hate wearing masks, however, we have been asked from leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to "use caution" and "be good global citizens." I am very much a hugger and not being able to hug others, with the exception of my family living in my house, is HARD! I need hugs for my mental health. Not being able to go to the temple to feel peace is HARD! Nevertheless, "I know in whom I have trusted" and I can do hard things. This has been very challenging for me. In some respects, I have felt very alone, however, I know that I can have peace, joy, and comfort in challenging times. I know that I can be of good cheer, I just need to change my focus to Jesus Christ and show more gratitude. We can all overcome these challenging times with peace and joy in hearts.