This morning as part of our family sacrament service, my son Mark played the talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "Lord, I Believe". I was touched by Elder Hollands description of the New Testament story of a father requesting a blessing from Jesus Christ for his son. Elder Holland states -

"With no other hope remaining, this father asserts what faith he has and pleads with the Savior of the world, “If thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.” I can hardly read those words without weeping. The plural pronoun us is obviously used intentionally. This man is saying, in effect, “Our whole family is pleading. Our struggle never ceases. We are exhausted. Our son falls into the water. He falls into the fire. He is continually in danger, and we are continually afraid. We don’t know where else to turn. Can you help us? We will be grateful for anything—a partial blessing, a glimmer of hope, some small lifting of the burden carried by this boy’s mother every day of her life.”

“If thou canst do any thing,” spoken by the father, comes back to him “If thou canst believe,” spoken by the Master.

“Straightway,” the scripture says—not slowly nor skeptically nor cynically but “straightway”—the father cries out in his unvarnished parental pain, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” In response to new and still partial faith, Jesus heals the boy, almost literally raising him from the dead, as Mark describes the incident."

Elder Holland goes on to describe how just a little belief in the beginning can result in miracles, and ultimately can build great faith and knowledge. Elder Holland further testifies -

"Brothers and sisters, this is a divine work in process, with the manifestations and blessings of it abounding in every direction, so please don’t hyperventilate if from time to time issues arise that need to be examined, understood, and resolved. They do and they will. In this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know. And remember, in this world, everyone is to walk by faith."

My brothers and sisters, this is indeed a difficult and uncertain time for all of us. I am thankful that we have been given such good and strong general and local leaders in the church. I believe in Jesus Christ and his work, and by extension the work of our general and local leaders. I personally am both strengthened in my faith and comforted in my difficulties by these good and righteous leaders and the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Brother Connors