Help in these Difficult Times

Many of us know we can pray to God and have felt His help in our lives, but we long for more guidance from the Lord. We want to know what we can do to be prepared to deal with these difficult times and for what will come in the future. We want to know what we can do to keep our family safe.

The good news in these challenging days is that we do have a loving Heavenly Father who not only wants us to make it through these times, but wants us to thrive. He is doing this by giving us specific guidance to help us be prepared for the challenges we are now experiencing. 

For many years, God has warned us, through His Prophets, to store food and water, get out of debt, and have a reserve of money. Now, I know why we were given this counsel. In this time of pandemic, it is a great comfort to me to have food stored, a paid for home to live in, and be out of debt. 

It also helps me feel more secure as I see how the Lord has set up a strong organization to provide the emotional and spiritual support we need especially in challenging times. A year before the pandemic, emphasis was given on our being a church that is family entered and church supported. People had time to adjust to leading their family in Sunday Gospel study lessons and in guiding their children's physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional development through the new worldwide Children and Youth Program. 

The Lord also has in place a website where families can find many resources, such as scripture videos, to help them teach their children what they need to know to navigate through these difficult times. Also, a new system was put in place to ensure that people's needs will be met. The new  Ministering program emphasizes serving others in a more Christlike way and has helped us to be ready to help others when we can no longer visit in person. Procedures and training was given to leaders to prepare them to deal with pandemics and other disasters. 

Seeing all these changes the Lord made to help us be prepared to thrive in these times, I feel more secure. I know that God knows what is coming, and that He will help me handle whatever happens. He even has all the technology in place so that, even though I can't be physically close to others, I can still keep in touch with other people and even watch and participate in church meetings through my computer and phone.  

We can have more help. God does love us and is providing advice to us to help us be prepared to face these times. He gives us this counsel through His Prophets. It is in times like we are experiencing that we understand the need to have a Prophet on the earth today to bring us God's counsel on how to be prepared to face our challenges.

To see the Lord's latest guidance go to churchofjesuschrist.org . 

There will be messages on the main page.

Also, go to the most recent General Conference talks at  churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference

To view inspiring videos and images go here:

churchofjesuschrist.org/media?lang=eng

The narrator you hear in the video at the first of this post is the voice of President Nelson, God's prophet on the earth today.

churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2019-12-0140-hear-him-to-find-peace-during-turbulent-times?