While thinking through these concerns a few nights ago, I remembered hearing a talk once by President Boyd K. Packer where he expressed similar fears. All I could remember about this talk was that he mentioned one of his grandsons. I went to lds.org and typed the words Packer, grandson, and fear into the search bar. The second link to pop up was the April 2004 General Conference talk entitled Do Not Fear. I eagerly read through it and found it to be even more personally applicable, reassuring, and insightful than it was when I first heard it almost five years ago. Here are some of my favorite parts:
A few weeks ago our youngest son and his wife and family stopped to see us. The first one out of the car was our two-year-old grandson. He came running to me with his arms outstretched, shouting, "Gwampa! Gwampa! Gwampa!"
He hugged my legs, and I looked down at that smiling face and those big, innocent eyes and thought, "What kind of a world awaits him?"
For a moment I had that feeling of anxiety, that fear of the future that so many parents express to us. Everywhere we go fathers and mothers worry about the future of their children in this very troubled world.
But then a feeling of assurance came over me. My fear of the future faded.
That guiding, comforting Spirit, with which we in the Church are so familiar, brought to my remembrance what I already knew. The fear of the future was gone. That bright-eyed, little two-year-old can have a good life—a very good life—and so can his children and his grandchildren, even though they will live in a world where there is much of wickedness.
They will see many events transpire in the course of their lifetime. Some of these shall tax their courage and extend their faith. But if they seek prayerfully for help and guidance, they shall be given power over adverse things. Such trials shall not be permitted to stand in the way of their progress, but instead shall act as stepping-stones to greater knowledge. ...
We do not fear the future for ourselves or for our children. We live in dangerously troubled times. The values that steadied mankind in earlier times are being tossed away. ...The moral values upon which civilization itself must depend spiral downward at an ever-increasing pace. Nevertheless, I do not fear the future. ...
Parents now are concerned about the moral and spiritual diseases. These can have terrible complications when standards and values are abandoned. We must all take protective measures.
With the proper serum, the physical body is protected against disease. We can also protect our children from moral and spiritual diseases.
The word inoculate has two parts: in —"to be within"—and oculate means "eye to see."
When children are baptized and confirmed, we place an eye within them —the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost. With the Restoration of the gospel came authority to confer this gift. ...
If you will accept it in your mind and cradle it in your feelings, a knowledge of the restored gospel and a testimony of Jesus Christ can spiritually immunize your children.One thing is very clear: the safest place and the best protection against the moral and spiritual diseases is a stable home and family. This has always been true; it will be true forever. We must keep that foremost in our minds. ...
Our young people in many ways are much stronger and better than we were. They and we should not be afraid of what is ahead.Encourage our young people. They need not live in fear. Fear is the opposite of faith.
While we cannot erase wickedness, we can produce young Latter-day Saints who, spiritually nourished, are immunized against evil influences.
As a grandfather who has lived a long time, I counsel you to have faith. Things have a way of working out. Stay close to the Church. Keep your children close to the Church. ...
The Lord Himself encouraged, "Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come." In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.I love the words of modern day Prophets and Apostles. I know they teach the truth - plainly and simply. I know that their messages are inspired by a concerned and loving Father in Heaven who is keenly aware of what His children are struggling with here on earth. I feel peace and assurance in my heart when I hear and read their messages. And in my mind I receive a clearer picture of the course I need to pursue in life.
The scripture below loosely ties into this theme of being troubled. I thought it might make a suitable ending to this post.
Alma 42:29
"And now, my son, I desire that ye should let these things trouble you no more, and only let your sins trouble you, with that trouble which shall bring you down unto repentance."
My new long-term, lofty goal - less worrying about the uncertain conditions of the future, and more worrying about my present spiritual condition.
