FEAR NOT!

The angels who announced the birth of the Christ-child to the humble shepherds can teach all "wise men" and "wise women" who seek to worship and adore the Savior an incredible lesson.  Their charge to "fear not" can change and improve both our discipleship and our everyday lives!

A few years ago I was honored with the opportunity to share some thoughts with the women of our church congregation at their annual Relief Society Christmas Social.  In preparing the message that follows, I became increasingly aware how debilitating fear can be in keeping us from being all our Heavenly Father and His beloved Son, Jesus Christ want and need us to be.

Have you heard this joke?

In a small Southern town there was a nativity scene that indicated great skill and talent in its creation. One small feature bothered me though. The three wise men were wearing fireman's helmets. Totally unable to come up with a reason or explanation, I left. At a gas station on the edge of town, I asked the lady behind the counter about the helmets. She exploded into a rage, yelling at me, "You darn Yankees, never do read the Bible!"   I assured her that I did, but simply couldn't recall anything about firemen in the Bible. She jerked her Bible from behind the counter and ruffled through some pages, and finally jabbed her finger at a particular passage.   Sticking it in my face she said in her southern drawl,  "See, it says right here, “The three wise men came from afar.”

We may laugh, but we do know the Nativities we see and sing about are not always doctrinally correct.  Besides the fact that the Wise Men were never at the stable and came much later, most biblical scholars question whether Christ’s birth was even in December!  Why?:

1. Constantine a pagan who converted to Christianity (some think for political gain), and looking to unify Rome decided to combine pagan and Christian beliefs while he was emperor in the year 320.  He moved  the celebration of Christ’s birth to December and merged it with the pagan holiday Yuletide.  

2.  The census that was taken among the Jews that required Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem was traditionally done during Passover which is in the spring of the year.   

3.  Shepherds were abiding in the fields but rarely during winter, it is too cold even in the middle east for them to spend the night outside with the flock.

4.  Modern Revelation- In the Mormon faith, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on April 6, and in Joseph Smith's words it was 1,830 years after Jesus Christ’s birth and many think his words were literal.    

Whatever the date, if we were blessed to be at the lowly stable in Bethlehem to welcome the miracle that was Emanuel (God with us) what would we have offered the Christ child as a gift at the manger?  I am reminded of the final verse from a favorite carol ‘In the bleak midwinter’.

What then can I give him, empty as I am? 

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; 

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part; 

What then can I give him:  I must give my heart.

Check out my favorite two renditions of this hymn by clicking here:
Sissel with MOTAB    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zAgEt6sCMA
James Taylor             https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qmtO6cebcU

What gift would you give? Yes it’s very personal, custom and can prove quite sacred.

Your RS Presidency’s gift this evening is a book mark with this quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley, “You are very precious, each of you, regardless of your circumstances.  You occupy a high and sacred place in the eternal plan of God, our Father in Heaven.  You are his daughters, precious to him, loved by Him, and very important to him.  His grand design cannot succeed without you!”

Like Mary, you are called to be Handmaidens in all your strengths and with all your weaknesses. “Luke 1: 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. 

I marvel at Mary’s Courage! 

What’s keeping you from being the Handmaid that God expects, needs and knows you can be?

I think of another powerful lesson we learn from the Nativity.  What were the first words out of the mouths of the angels when the heavens opened and choirs of angels sang to the lowly shepherds?  FEAR NOT!

Luke 2: 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

  8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

  9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

  10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

  11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

  12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

  13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

  14 Glory to God in the highest, and on eart h peace, good will toward men.

  15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

  16 And they came with haste and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Why where they commanded to fear not?  Because fear would have kept them from listening to these good tidings of great joy.  If they had run to hide, they would have missed hearing the caroling angels sing.  If they had feared, they wouldn't have left their flocks nor follow the star and would have missed the miracle of Jesus's birth. It's clear that our fear can impede the gifts God has for us! 

The Savior warned and taught us against fear many times.  In fact it's said that the words "fear not" and/or "be not afraid appear 365 times in the Bible. I am particularly impressed with the Lord's conversation with the ruler of the synagogue. You will recall that the ruler was told that his daughter was dead and that he should not trouble the Master about it. When the Savior came into the house of this grieving father, He said: “Why make ye this ado, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. … And he took the [girl] by the hand, and said …, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked. … And they were astonished with a great astonishment.” The Savior’s words to the leader of the synagogue capture the essence of this story: “Be not afraid, only believe.”  
These five words are incredibly powerful and comprise the purpose of my thoughts tonight. 

WHAT DO YOU FEAR?

Fear of Man.-  Elder Hales, an apostle of the Lord traveled a thousand miles to the Maple Valley Stake a couple years ago and told us that we must shed our fear of man as it relates to missionary work.  He said Jesus chided those who “will not open their mouths, [to share the gospel] … because of the fear of man” (D&C 60:2). What has been our response to this charge by a modern day apostle and the Savior himself?

Fear of Abuse-  Much of the world ekes out existences in a world based on fear.  Abuses by political and military regimes, social class and unfair economical disparity are very real.  Sadly, fear and abuse may even exist in our own homes and among our own families. Abuse in marriage is a sin. God does not intend His children to live in fear.  No woman is expected to suffer abuse of any form. 

Fear of Criticism. Much more prevalent than physical fear is the fear of criticism, rejection, and verbal opposition. Again, the scriptures are replete with counsel and admonition. In a latter-day revelation to Joseph Smith the Prophet, the Lord said, in relation to the loss of 116 pages of manuscript of the Book of Mormon, “You should not have feared man more than God” (D&C 3:7). 

Fear of the News and World Events- Jennifer and I attended General Conference in Salt Lake City just a few short weeks after the terror of  9/11 in 2001.  The sessions seemed particularly solemn and tears rolled down my cheeks as we heard the choir sing,

How gentle God’s commands!
How kind his precepts are!
Come, cast your burdens on the Lord
And trust his constant care.

Why should this anxious load
Press down your weary mind?
Haste to your Heav’nly Father’s throne
And sweet refreshment find.

Fear of Death. This particular fear arises from misunderstanding the purpose of life and lack of knowledge of the plan of our Eternal Father. Isn’t it telling that the fear of death seams to increase the less one is aligned with the gospel and the commandments of God.

Fear of the Unknown. This may be experienced in a number of ways: fear of the dark, fear of change, fear of the future. Such fear can be overcome by faith, as the Lord showed as he rebuked the winds and the sea. “Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” he challenged his disciples (Matt. 8:26).  The bottom line is worrying is a waste of time and effort.  Worry is nothing more than paying interest before the sum is due!

Fear of Responsibility.  I remember reading in the Ensign the story told by a new member of the General Primary presidency.  She accompanied the new presidency to a foreign land to conduct some training for local church leadership.  While being introduced by the local leader who was conducting the meeting, the local leader went on and on, touting the virtues of the past General Presidency who had come years before and had served so well and faithfully.  The leader’s words struck fear in this newly called sister and made her question her calling and abilities, wondering to herself whether she could ever measure up to the exploits of those that served before her. 

Paralyzed with fear, she finally voiced her concerns to the new General President of the Primary who wisely responded, “I have had those same feelings, but it is comforting to me to know that I need only be concerned that what I do and say is acceptable and pleasing to the Lord.” Her words brought such immediate peace to this sister’s mind that she repeated them over and over to herself in countless situations.  She later said, “As women, we like very much to please others—sometimes seeking approval so frantically that we become torn and confused by the conflicting needs of those around us. Concentrating on pleasing Heavenly Father brings peace, a respite from fear and anxiety. “I only need to worry about pleasing the Lord.” I think some of your fears will evaporate. The prophet David said: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps. 27:1.)

Fear of Loneliness. Linked with this fear is the fear of being in a small minority. This type of fear often results in compromise of principles and giving in to the demands of others for fear of being lonely or the odd-one-out. In latter-day revelation, the Lord has given comfort and assurance to those in this situation.
“Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail” (D&C 6:34).
Fear of loneliness includes fear of not having anyone to talk to or being without help in time of need. These fears can be conquered by reaching out and giving service to others. It means to become "outward looking" instead of "inward looking". In order to have a friend, we must be a friend.

Fear of self doubt which translates generally to poor self esteem:  To quote the words of Phillips Brooks:

Everywhere, everywhere, Christmas tonight!
Christmas in lands of the fir-tree and pine,
Christmas in lands of the palm-tree and vine,
Christmas where snow peaks stand solemn and white,
Christmas where cornfields stand sunny and bright. …
Everywhere, everywhere, Christmas tonight!
For the Christ-child who comes is the Master of all;
No palace too great, no cottage too small.
(“Christmas Everywhere,” in Best-Loved Poems of the LDS People, compiled by Jack M. Lyon and others [1996], 30)

It doesn’t matter to Our Heavenly Father how small, tattered, torn or week our cottage (life) is, He is the Master of ALL.  He is your master, yes, even you, right now, as you are, warts and all! 

 I have often found hope in these words by Elder Neal A Maxwell, “ Life in the Church soon teaches us that the Lord does not ask us about our ability, but only about our availability. And then, if we demonstrate our dependability, the Lord will increase our capability.”

Fear of the Past. This fear haunts those who have transgressed and have not yet gained forgiveness and remission. It holds them back, but this should be but a temporary phase. As President Kimball has counseled: 

“To cure spiritual diseases which throttle us and plague our lives, the Lord has given us a sure cure—repentance” 
"Furthermore, the Lord has given us a wonderful formula to enable us to remove fear and guilt: “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.
“By this ye may know if a man repenteth of his sins—behold, he will confess them and forsake them” (D&C 58:42–43).
"Sincere repentance is many faceted; it is more than confession. There must needs be a forsaking and turning away from transgression in all its sordid forms."
 “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”
"As does the housewife, we need to spring clean our lives, sweep out each nook and cranny and under the carpet. In the world of industry and commerce, which used to be my environment, regular inventory is taken. At this time a decision might be taken to eliminate certain items from the inventory and to mark down in value other items."

Fear of Failure. There are those who will not even attempt to do something because they lack the self-assurance that they can accomplish it. We were all raised with the old adage ringing in our ears: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.“ There is no disgrace in failure, and in any case, we have never failed until we give up.

President N. Eldon Tanner remarked on one occasion, “One of the evils of the world today is not failure but low aim.” Just as we should not fear to fail, neither should we fear to aim high.

(‘The Futility of Fear’ Ensign Magazine Nov.1985)

Fear of Change!

As difficult as our fears may be, we sometimes and unbelievably embrace them rather than address and change them.  They are familiar and known. Why do battered wives often stay with their abusers?  They fear change.  Even at the cost of their lives!  Why do we remain in sin when it brings such terrible consequences?  Often because as difficult as it is to admit, we have mistakenly found comfort in our present state. It becomes easy to tell ourselves we don't deserve better nor do we have the willpower to make the needed changes.  
I believe one of the most powerful teachings addressing our fear of change is the allegory of the greasy red lizard by CS Lewis in his book the great divorce. Time does not permit it's discussion, but if you haven't read this, I promise is worth the effort.  In fact, here is a link to the allegory itself.  It is gold!  http://www.covenanteyes.com/2009/04/20/cs-lewis-on-lust/

WE HAVE THE ANSWER TO CAST OFF FEARS!  We have been promised the Messiah, who came with healing in His wings. He was the worker of miracles, the great healer, the resurrection and the life. His is the only name under heaven whereby we must be saved.
 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).

Joy to the world, the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King!
Let ev’ry heart prepare him room,
And Saints and angels sing.
(“Joy to the World,” Hymns, number 201)

Click here for a favorite rendition of this carol;
David Archuleta with MOTAB        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4CSJvzGai4

President Hinckley once stated in a Christmas message, “We leave a blessing upon you, a blessing of Christmas, that you may be happy. May even those whose hearts are heavy rise with the healing which comes alone from Him who comforts and reassures. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1).So said He in His hour of great tribulation: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).We are not alone in our mortal struggles. “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. We can overcome all of our fears, not all at once, but one at a time. As we do so we will grow in confidence.

Heavenly Father Will Comfort Us- Remember, the Lord has said, “The very hairs of your head are all numbered” unto the Father. “Fear ye not therefore” (Matt. 10:30–31). He knows us, He loves us, and He knows our needs. He will comfort us if we will only trust in Him and His goodness and wisdom.

There are many things that we cannot change. We all have difficulties and disappointments but like the analogy of CS Lewis's red lizard, often these turn out to be opportunities. The Lord can measure how strong we are by how we handle these difficulties in our lives. As the Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good” (D&C 122:7).
We are each entitled to receive personal inspiration to guide us through our mortal probation. May we so live that our hearts are open at all times to the whisperings and comfort of the Spirit.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7.)

Let’s Give Him a Gift of Courage, AND LEAVE OUR FEAR AT THE MANGER!
Away in a manger:
 Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And fit us for heaven to live with thee there.

Click here for a favorite rendition from MOTAB  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLWnarUwamU