From YA Weekly
3 Gospel Truths That Give Me Hope When the World Feels Hopeless
The truths of the gospel can always bring us hope in uncertainty.
When I first stumbled across the term “Mormons” online at age 18, almost everything I read was negative. But something about this faith called to me anyway. At the time, I was away from home and feeling anxious about my future.
I grew up Christian, but my church didn’t have structured doctrine, and I felt like something was missing. So I decided to study different religions, and I felt an impression to learn more about this faith.
I soon discovered the “Come unto Christ” page and learned more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I could tell it was different from what I had studied before. When I met with missionaries, the doctrine they taught me felt right.
The truths of the gospel have taught me how, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we can always have hope. Here are just three of those truths.
1. Peacemaking Changes the World
When my parents found out I was meeting with missionaries, they forbade the missionaries from coming to our house. They didn’t want me to get baptized, and when they found out I had a copy of the Book of Mormon, an argument broke out, and my copy was destroyed. I was devastated.
But I thought about how the Savior would react, and I chose to remain silent and peaceful.
I wanted to follow President Russell M. Nelson’s (1924–2025) counsel “to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always.”
I know the Savior helped me respond to my family with compassion instead of anger.
When I got baptized, to my surprise, my parents apologized. They were touched by how I had responded when they destroyed my Book of Mormon, and we mended our relationship.
This showed me how charity can transform people. When someone acts with hostility but receives love in return, that love can change them.
2. The Lord Is Aware of Us
Even though I’d found the truth I’d been searching for, my future was still uncertain. I felt alone.
After attending institute one day, I decided to pray for help to find good friends who would bring me closer to Christ. Months later, I realized I was surrounded by people who were helping me spiritually. They weren’t just casual friends but people who loved and supported me.
At that time, I was encouraged to serve a mission, but I was hesitant for a lot of reasons. One night I had a dream that I was serving a mission in the Dominican Republic. In this vivid dream, I served others and felt so much love for them.
When I woke up, I was longing for people I had never met and a place I had never been. I felt like I needed to find people who were searching for hope and guidance. So I submitted my papers.
When my call came, I laughed in complete shock when I read it. I was called to serve in the Dominican Republic—the place I had dreamed about!
Once again, I knew the Lord was guiding me. Serving a mission was going to be a big sacrifice, but I trusted that God would provide a way. It’s scary to not always see a clear way forward, but knowing He is aware of me gives me the hope I need to keep going.
3. We Can Always Have Hope in Christ
One of my comfort scriptures is from the Apostle Paul:
“For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
“But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. …
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:24–25, 28).
Hope is an act of faith. Even when we don’t see immediate changes or know how everything will turn out, when we have hope in God’s promises, He will always be working behind the scenes, guiding us to beautiful blessings.
I’m still learning, but I know Jesus Christ gives me strength to follow Him. He helps me love others even when it’s hard. He teaches me to be patient and to trust in His timing. Most of all, He gives me hope—not just for my life now but also for my future.
When the world feels hopeless, I believe He can give you that same hope too.