Hope

Some thoughts about the nature of hope:

Hope based in the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ (just like faith and charity) is the only hope. All other hopes may fail, as their fulfillment is generally based upon the actions of fallible humans. But that hope based in Christ is the fire for all other hopes. It sustains faith and charity.

Hope is the balm that soothes the pain of faith and charity. It is the sugar that makes discipleship sweet. Gratitude and hope together is rejoicing and exultation - the kind that makes my heart feel like my body is too small to express my feeling.

Hope is independent of action - meaning that I don't have to physically do anything to have hope. This is in contrast to faith and charity which do require physical action in order to leave the realm of mere belief.

But there is a physical result to hope - hope makes me feel healthy and energized. Despair makes me feel lethargic.

Hope is forward looking.

Hope comes from learning about people in the past, hearing the words of prophets and then applying those stories to our own lives. 1 Nephi 19:22-24.

More thoughts to come as I study this more.