Elder Uchtdorf introduced us to the concept of Weltschmerz. He said:

‘Loosely defined, it means a sadness that comes from brooding about how the world is inferior to how we think it ought to be.’

Is this a feeling that you are familiar with?

It is perhaps not surprising that most, if not all, of us feel Weltschmerz from time to time – modern communications make sure that we are almost instantly made aware of problems, tragedies and calamities all around the world.

However, Elder Uchtdorf says:

‘The good news is, there is hope. There is a solution to the emptiness, vanity, and Weltschmerz of life. There is a solution to even the deepest hopelessness and discouragement you might feel.

This hope is found in the transformative power of the gospel of Jesus Christ and in the Savior’s redemptive power to heal us of our soul-sickness.’

Why is it important to have hope?

And what should we have hope in?

In the Encyclopaedia of Mormonism we read:

“The concept of hope plays a vital role in Latter-day Saint thought. Firmly centered in Christ and his resurrection, it is the ‘hope of eternal life’ (Titus 1:2) repeatedly alluded to by Paul. It is the opposite of the despair found among those who are ‘without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world’ (Eph. 2:12). As the Book of Mormon prophet Moroni writes, ‘If ye have no hope, ye must needs be in despair’ (Moro. 10:22). For those, however, who accept Christ’s Atonement and resurrection, there comes a ‘brightness of hope’ (2 Ne. 31:20) through which all who believe in God ‘might with surety hope for a better world’ (Ether 12:4).”

Note that hope must be firmly centred in Christ – Elder Uchtdorf is not using hope in the everyday sense of something that we would like to come true but we are not sure of, like we hope that it will be sunny tomorrow. In Romans 8:24 Paul says that we are ‘saved by hope’. It is clearly not hope for a sunny day tomorrow that saves us but the quiet assurance that comes to us through Christ’s atonement.

Elder Uchtdorf quotes John 10:10 and says:

We achieve that abundant life not by focusing on our own needs or on our own achievements but by becoming true disciples of Jesus Christ—by following in His ways and engaging in His work. We find the abundant life by forgetting ourselves and engaging in the great cause of Christ.

Have you experienced this?

Elder Uchtdorf then suggests that engaging in the great cause of Christ and becoming true disciples of Jesus Christ begin with three simple words:

• Believe
• Love
• Do

Believe

Elder Uchtdorf says that ‘For some, the act of believing is difficult.’ One thing that he singles out that can make it difficult for us to believe is pride.

How can pride make it difficult for us to believe?

‘Perhaps we think that because we are intelligent, educated, or experienced, we simply cannot believe in God. And we begin to look at religion as foolish tradition.’

He suggests that belief is not passive but active:

‘In my experience, belief is not so much like a painting we look at and admire and about which we discuss and theorize. It is more like a plow that we take into the fields and, by the sweat of our brow, create furrows in the earth that accept seeds and bear fruit that shall remain.’

What does Elder Uchtdorf mean here? How is belief like taking a plow into a field?

Patricia Pinegar suggested that believing is an active choice that we make:

‘Choosing to believe is an important step in increasing our faith in the Savior. It has to be our choice. No one can make that choice for you. If I stand in front of a mirror and look myself in the eye and say, “I choose to believe in the Savior,” that helps me; then whenever I look in a mirror it reminds me of my choice.’ (Patricia P Pinegar, General Conference, April 1994)

What do you think of that?

Love:

Love is a word that is much used and much misused.

Elder Uchtdorf says:

‘The love God speaks of is the kind that enters our hearts when we awake in the morning, stays with us throughout the day, and swells in our hearts as we give voice to our prayers of gratitude at evening’s end.’

How does love counter Weltschmerz?

How does love help us to become disciples of Christ?

Do:

‘The organization our Savior created on earth—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—helps us to do just that. It offers a place to practice living the way He taught and blessing others the way He did.’

In what ways does the Church enable us to practice living as Jesus taught?

‘We can best exemplify our love for our God by living our religion. It is vain to profess a love for God while speaking evil of or doing wrong to His children. The sacred covenants we have made with Him strictly impose upon us the duties we owe to one another; and the great office of religion is to teach us how to perform those duties so as to produce the greatest happiness for ourselves and for our fellow-beings. When the obligations of our religion are observed, no words are spoken or acts are committed that would injure a neighbor. If the Latter-day Saints lived as they should do, and as their religion teaches them to do, there would be no feeling in any breast but that of brotherly and sisterly affection and love. Backbiting and evil-speaking would have no existence among us,; but peace and love and good will would reign in all our hearts and habitations and settlements. We would be the happiest people on the face of the earth, and the blessing and peace of Heaven would rest upon us and upon all that belongs to us.’ (Wilford Woodruff, James R. Clark, comp., Messages of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-75), 3: 146.)

Elder Uchtdorf closes with a blessing and a testimony:

‘I testify and leave you my blessing that as we believe in God, as we love Him and love His children with all our hearts, and as we strive to do as God has instructed us, we will find healing and peace, happiness and meaning. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.’

How can you more fully believe, love and do?