Courage

Photo: Hamburg, 1936; during the celebration for the launch of a ship. In the crowd, one person refused to raise his arm to give the Nazi salute. The man was August Landmesser. He had already been in trouble with the authorities, sentenced to two years hard labor for marrying a Jewish woman.

We know little else about August Landmesser, except that he had two children. By pure chance, one of his children recognized her father in this photo when it was published in a German newspaper in 1991. How proud she must have been in that moment.

We all have the ability to be courageous. We simply have to make the hard choice, and decide to strongly misbehave if our values and principles compel us to do so.

If you face a situation where the beliefs of others pressure you to compromise your own, be courageous. Even at our most ordinary, courage is our omnipotence.

Sometimes it's hard to imagine what we would do in the midst of a difficult situation, until we're faced with it head on.  I've always felt that the important thing is to decide before you get there, so that when you do encounter opposition, you've already prepared to do exactly what you fully believe is right.  When it comes to the choices we make, each one is a life changing event.  With each decision, we are fundamentally altered.  Whether the change that takes place incurs progress, regress, or simply leaves us stagnant, depends entirely upon whether it is based on the basic principles & ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Should we not put great emphasis then, by investing our time in two way heavenly conversations, on even the most seemingly insignificant matters?  How much more will we benefit from taking the Lord into our confidence & accepting His will in our lives, than we would treading the paths of life alone?  The Lord has promised to take our yokes upon Him, lightening our burdens & giving us the strength to endure every trial, but He does not promise to take them away entirely.  We still must do our part, with courage and conviction, to adhere to His teachings.  So the next time you are faced with a seemingly insurmountable issue, remember to courageously stand yourself in holy places & allow the light of the gospel to shine through your actions.  Only then can you be confident that, no matter the outcome, He is well pleased with your efforts.