Before you read on, take the time to watch this beautiful music video, by The Piano Guys. If you don’t read past it, that’s okay. Your life will have been made better simply by the music.

(Read and Follow the Directions)

Today, I helped with a goal-setting program the young women (teens) of our church have, called the Personal Progress program. As a part of this activity, I read about the importance of having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and how that can help us move forward when circumstances seem to work against us.

There have been some recent tragedies that have made my heart rather tender. The first tragedy was the loss of someone I have never met, Annie Schmidt, who went missing while hiking. Her father, Jon Schmidt (from The Piano Guys), is one of the kindest, most loving people I have ever met. Years ago, I saw him conduct a small piano concert under the least ideal circumstances that I could have ever imagined, but he did it with grace and enthusiasm, to encourage young piano players to keep at their learning and practicing. To hear of this painful loss to his family tore at my heart in unexpected ways. Yet he and his family have handled it with so much faith and gratitude, that it makes me want to be a better person.

Then just days later, the death of a man in our congregation (I mentioned this before) who is a husband and father to two beautiful children. I do not know how you go forward when all you want to do is freeze time back to the hours before the one that changed everything, but I know that faith – confidence in God’s good plan for you – has a great deal to do with it.

We exercised our faith in Heavenly Father’s plan and the role of the Savior and his atonement before we came to earth. We are here to continue to develop our faith in God and his Son, that it will be a strength to us throughout our lives, and continue on with us after death to lead us to eternal salvation and exaltation.

Elder Neil L. Anderson, Faith is Not by Chance, but by Choice, October 2015 General Conference

“My dear friends, your faith did not begin at birth, and it will not end at death. Faith is a choice. Strengthen your faith, and live to be deserving of the Savior’s approving words: “Great is thy faith.” As you do, I promise you that your faith, through the grace of Jesus Christ, will one day allow you to stand with those you love, clean and pure in the presence of God, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.” Elder Neil L. Anderson, Faith is Not by Chance, but by Choice, October 2015 General Conference

Image quote referenced to Henry B. Eyring, Mountains to Climb, April 2012 General Conference (Image 2011 Sacred Grove, Palmyra, NY)