That Awful Fear of Death – Mormon 6:7

When we are not well-grounded spiritually, we may experience debilitating fear in the face of danger or uncertainty. Russell M. Nelson discovered a few years ago how spiritual well-being can make us resilient in times of crisis:

I remember vividly an experience I had as a passenger in a small two-propeller airplane. One of its engines suddenly burst open and caught on fire. The propeller of the flaming engine was starkly stilled. As we plummeted in a steep spiral dive toward the earth, I expected to die. Some of the passengers screamed in hysterical panic. Miraculously, the precipitous dive extinguished the flames. Then, by starting up the other engine, the pilot was able to stabilize the plane and bring us down safely.
Throughout that ordeal, though I “knew” death was coming, my paramount feeling was that I was not afraid to die. I remember a sense of returning home to meet ancestors for whom I had done temple work. I remember my deep sense of gratitude that my sweetheart and I had been sealed eternally to each other and to our children, born and reared in the covenant. I realized that our marriage in the temple was my most important accomplishment. Honors bestowed upon me by men could not approach the inner peace provided by sealings performed in the house of the Lord (“Doors of Death,” General Conference, April 1992. See also the Mormon Message entitled “Men’s Hearts Shall Fail Them.”).

Today, I will exercise faith in Jesus Christ and will face my challenges with courage. I will remember the promises I have received from God and the assurances that I have felt through the Holy Ghost. I will lean on those realities as I navigate a world of instability and uncertainty.