Cook - Live by Faith and Not by Fear - October 2007

Today I would like to tell you about Elder Quentin L Cook's first talk as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
He named the talk "Live By Faith and Not By Fear". It is a great talk, you should go read it in it's entirety.

• When we choose to follow Christ in faith rather than choosing another path out of fear, we are blessed with a consequence that is consistent with our choice.

First, he stated his love and support to President Henry B. Eyring. Then he stated his own feelings of being called as a member of the Twelve Apostles:

• To say that I feel deeply inadequate would be an understatement. When I was called as a General Authority in April of 1996, I also felt unequal to the calling. Elder Neal A. Maxwell reassured me then that the most important qualification for all of us serving in the kingdom is to be comfortable in bearing witness of the divinity of the Savior. A peace came over me at that time and has stayed with me since because I love the Savior and have had spiritual experiences that allow me to testify of Him. I rejoice in the opportunity to bear witness of Jesus Christ in all the world (see D&C 107:23), notwithstanding my inadequacies.

Elder Perry stated that his overwhelming feeling in receiving his new calling was, that we must live by faith and not by fear. He then quoted 2 Timothy 1:7.
He talks a bit about his history in life and his service to this church.. He served 11 1/2 years as a Seventy. He stated:

• I love the Brethren we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators with all my heart. I’ve tried to serve honorably and lighten their responsibilities in any way I could. I’m grateful to the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve for their lives of goodness and example, their patience, their teaching, their kindness, their devotion to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and His restored gospel. I am grateful that God called Joseph Smith to be a prophet through whom the fulness of the gospel was restored to earth.

He quoted Elder Harold B. Lee, who stated that "we could raise out families in righteousness is we would:

1. Follow the prophet.
2. Create the true spirit of the gospel in our hearts and homes.
3. Be a light to those among whom we live.
4. Focus on the ordinances and principles taught in the temple. (See D&C 115:5; Harold B. Lee, “Your Light to Be a Standard unto the Nations,” Ensign,Aug. 1973, 3–4.)"

He made the statement, "as we followed that counsel our faith increased and our fears decreased".
Next Elder Cook gave examples of some areas in which members can apply faith:

• missionary effort
• individual callings

He then ends this talk with a prayer and testimony:

• May we all recognize and give thanks for the incomparable gift of life we each enjoy and for the breath that He lends us daily. May we choose to have conviction at the crossroads of life and exercise faith in Jesus Christ. My prayer is that we will live by faith and not by fear. I bear my witness of God, who is our Heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, who atoned for our sins, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I love this talk because it speaks to my spirit and my experience. I have had a long journey to finding faith in Heavenly Father and my Savior, so I know personally that as I work at increasing my faith, my fear does decrease. Remembering this sometimes is somewhat of a problem, but when I remember it and do the work, I receive the blessing!!

My blog is at www.pattypooh67.wordpress.com   This blog post can also be found at my blog site here:  https://pattypooh67.wordpress.com/2016/04/22/live-by-faith-and-not-by-fear/ 
Follow Patty on Twitter at: @pattypooh67