10 And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell?
In our everyday conversations, we use the word “hope” to express a desire for an uncertain outcome. The word conveys a sense of doubt. For example, when we say, “I sure hope so,” we mean something like, “I would be delighted if that happened, but I’m not convinced it will.”
In contrast, the word “hope” in a gospel context conveys confidence and conviction. We hope for things which we know are true because they have been manifest to us by the Spirit of the Lord.
For example, when Alma was teaching the people of the city of Zarahemla, he reminded them of the hope their fathers had obtained and asks them, “What grounds had they to hope for salvation?” He then explained that their hearts were changed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and they were faithful to the end of their lives. These facts provided a basis for their hope for salvation–not wishful thinking, but rather a well-founded expectation based on positive evidence.
Today, I will remember the basis of my hope. I will recognize that my hope is based on genuine spiritual experience. I hope for the blessings promised to the faithful because I have a conviction that my Heavenly Father really did make those promises and that He is perfectly reliable.
In contrast, the word “hope” in a gospel context conveys confidence and conviction. We hope for things which we know are true because they have been manifest to us by the Spirit of the Lord.
For example, when Alma was teaching the people of the city of Zarahemla, he reminded them of the hope their fathers had obtained and asks them, “What grounds had they to hope for salvation?” He then explained that their hearts were changed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and they were faithful to the end of their lives. These facts provided a basis for their hope for salvation–not wishful thinking, but rather a well-founded expectation based on positive evidence.
Today, I will remember the basis of my hope. I will recognize that my hope is based on genuine spiritual experience. I hope for the blessings promised to the faithful because I have a conviction that my Heavenly Father really did make those promises and that He is perfectly reliable.
Leave a Reply