Courage (Part 1)

I have had the topic of courage on my mind lately.  Several events that have occurred to people I know or to their children started my mind thinking of courage. I was on the phone with a friend and she told me of three different marriages that were ending due to infidelity and/or pornography.  Then about one week later my dear friend (not the one on the phone) had her world and family turned upside down by her husband’s poor choices.  My heart was aching for these people and the horrible challenges they were facing.  Their lives were being changed drastically not because of their own choices but because of the choices made by someone they loved. 

            I began to think of what could have possibly lead to different outcomes in these situations.  In each, there had to have been a point where a choice could be made to stay on the straight and narrow or to follow a path that seemed pleasing, enticing, or inviting.  I wondered why they did not have the courage to stay and not to veer.  I then began to think of all of the situations where courage is needed to make good choices or to do hard things.  I thought of the people affected and the courage they now needed to take the life they now have and make it into something better, not to become bitter and to discover the true beauty of the atonement and seek the ability to forgive the one who has harmed them. 

            Courage is actually defined as: the power or quality of dealing with or facing fear, danger, pain, etc.; the confidence to act in accordance to one’s beliefs; to nerve oneself to perform an action.  I also found an obsolete definition which is: mind, disposition, spirit.  So really, courage comes in many different forms and is not the same for any two people. 

            Peter has been watching the show Band of Brothers recently and as I watched with him one evening I was reminded of the apostles and prophet who we have as our leaders who found themselves serving in that same war (WWII).  Those soldiers (even soldiers today) exhibit a courage that I do not know if I possess.  They showed courage in facing the horrors of war and then again as they came home and tried to put those horrors aside and move forward doing good and normal life things: marriage, family, job, church, etc.  I realized that it is a blessing that we have such brave, strong and courageous men leading us today.  They faced things that many of us will never know or understand and yet we can be inspired by their example as we are faced with challenges. 

            I heard Elder Perry share a story of when he was serving in Japan during WWII.  I believe he was in Nagasaki and the city was in shambles.  As they were moving around the city, he noticed that the Christian places of worship had been abandoned for some time and in need of many repairs.  He and several other soldiers asked their commanding officers if they could spend their free time working to rebuild these places of worship.  They were granted permission and spent time rebuilding and seeking out the pastors and ministers of these places.  These soldiers were mocked by other soldiers who had chosen to drink and find girlfriends in their time off.  But when the time came for the soldiers to leave, they were sitting on the train and saw a group of people come marching down the hill.  It was the people they had served and helped to rebuild.  They were singing “Onward Christian Soldiers”. 

            After hearing this story, my mind again thought of courage.  Yes, they showed courage in serving in the military and being at war.  But, they showed courage again when they chose to look past the “enemy” and see God’s children and an opportunity to serve in the time they had.  Do I have this kind of courage?  I pray that I can find this courage in my heart.

            Another example of courage to me is the early Saints.  They showed a type of courage that again I do not know if I possess.  First, the courage to believe in the prophet Joseph Smith and the true gospel message he brought.  They were baptized, traveled across the ocean in some cases, traveled around the Eastern and Midwest striving to find a place to call Zion, then traveled into the unknown West after being forced from Nauvoo, buried children and loved ones all along the way, they then worked to build Zion, sent husbands on missions for 3 or more years at a time, carried on at home and fought with nature and the elements.  Would I have been able to believe and face so many obstacles, fears, and pains (refer to the definition of courage)? 

            In the song “Come, Come Ye Saints”, the second verse reads: “Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? Tis not so, all is right. Why should we think to earn a great reward if we now shun the fight? Gird up your loins, fresh courage take, our God will never us forsake.  And soon we’ll have this tale to tell.  All is well, All is well.”  I am so thankful for the perspective of these words.  My lot is not hard- I am grateful for the chance I have had to know sorrow and hardship so that I can appreciate the joy more fully.  I do gain courage in knowing that God will never forsake me.  He is always there for me.  I have faced my challenges and without a doubt I know that those were the times that I felt Him watching over me more closely hoping that I will come out of the refiner’s fire a bit more polished, a bit more complete.  He does not want me to suffer or to struggle but He does want me to gain experience.

            I have had so many other thoughts about courage but in closing I want to share these two quotes by Pres. Monson.

“We are surrounded by the messages of the adversary: “Just this once won’t matter.” “Don’t worry; no one will know.”  Decisions are constantly before us.  To make them wisely, courage is needed-the courage to say no, the courage to say yes.  Decisions do determine destiny. “

 “Finally, may you endure.  What does it mean to endure?  I love this definition: to withstand with courage.  Courage may be necessary for you to believe; it will at times be necessary as you obey.  It will most certainly be required as you endure until that day when you will leave this mortal existence.”

            I may not know exactly what sort of courage I have. But, I do have a great desire to endure to the end and so I will use what courage I have and the faith that I have to face what lies ahead of me.