How firm a foundation in hope

As I have pondered the topic "Hope Through Christ and His Atonement",
The first word stands out to me.  I think to understand this statement,
we must understand what the word Hope means in this context. Elder Neal A. Maxwell
pointed out that our common usage of the word hope implies an outcome that is uncertain.
In the Nov 1998 Ensign, he states, "Our everyday usage of the word hope includes how we “hope” to arrive at a certain destination by a certain time. We “hope” the world economy will improve. We “hope” for the visit of a loved one...Life’s disappointments often represent the debris of our failed, proximate hopes."

I'm sure at some point we've all said something similar.  Some statement of, as Elder Maxwell puts it, a proximate hope.  This common usage is in line with the definition found in Webster's as an intransitive verb: to cherish a desire with anticipation.  Kind of like I cherish the desire for my AMD stock to go through the roof so I can retire early.  Probably not going to happen.  As a transitive verb however, hope as a very different meaning.  Again in Webster's: to desire with expectation of obtainment, or to expect with confidence.  I like that, to expect with confidence.
It is this usage that we find the hope as quoted by Apostles and Prophets.

Elder Maxwell goes on to say that hope "is tied to Jesus and the blessings of the great Atonement, blessings resulting in the universal Resurrection and the precious opportunity provided thereby for us to practice emancipating repentance, making possible what the scriptures call 'a perfect brightness of hope'"

Peter calls it a lively hope.  In 1 Peter 1:3 we read, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant amercy hath bbegotten us again unto a clively dhope by the resurrection of eJesus Christ from the dead.  To quote Amulek, in Alma 34:41 he states, "But that ye have apatience, and bear with those bafflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.  Or as Elder Maxwell quoted,
Nephi says, "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of bhope, and a clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eeternal life. (2 Nephi 31:20)

A quick search in the scriptures resulted in more than 350 instances of the word hope, as we begin to read, a commonality quickly surfaces.  Some action associated with hope.  Nephi again, “ye must press forward”; Amulek, “that ye have patience and bear with those afflictions”, and Elder Maxwell. “the precious opportunity provided thereby for us to practice emancipating repentance.  What this implies to me is that in order to have hope, that “expectation of obtainment” to quote Webster again, some action is required on my part.

President Uchtdorf, recounts a story from his youth in the Nov 2008 Liahona.  He tells of a time when his mother left her children on a train to get some food while the train was stopped to resupply.  To her horror, when she returned, the train was gone.  She had hope she would find her children again, and she did after searching frantically, going from one track to the next.  The hope she possessed involved her actively searching, as opposed to just sitting around ‘wishing’ the train would find her.

To quote Elder Maxwell again, “Real hope keeps us “anxiously engaged” in good causes even when these appear to be losing causes on the mortal scoreboard (see D&C 58:27). Likewise, real hope is much more than wishful musing. It stiffens, not slackens, the spiritual spine. Hope is serene, not giddy, eager without being naive, and pleasantly steady without being smug. Hope is realistic anticipation which takes the form of a determination—not only to survive adversity but, moreover, to “endure … well” to the end (D&C 121:8).”

So when we hope, we are doing something we are anxiously engaged.  So what are we engaged in?   Moroni adds yet another facet.  “And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning ahope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?  And what is it that ye shall ahope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have bhope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life ceternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.  Wherefore, if a man have afaith he bmust needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.” (Moroni 7:40-42)

This outlines then the importance of hope.  For without hope we cannot have faith, and it is our faith that drives towards our actions, living in accordance to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I said earlier that as we read many of the scriptural quotes regarding hope, they tend to imply some activity on our part.  Additionally, they tend to specify hope in Jesus Christ, in his Atonement and Resurrection. Going to my physical fitness test example, to hope for a good score I must prepare accordingly.  And to prepare accordingly I must have an understanding of the physical fitness test it, what it entails.  The same is true when we speak of hope in Jesus Christ, in his Atonement and Resurrection.  We must have an understanding of who he is.  Of the sacrifice he made as he atoned for us, and of his resurrection.  For it because of him that have the opportunity to be raised unto eternal life.  It is in this that we hope and that we have faith.  And as we increase our understanding, then we increase our hope and faith.  Through prayerful study of the scriptures and the words of our modern day prophets, we can increase our understanding. 
And it is because of out hope that we keep anxiously engaged in good causes as Elder Maxwell said.  It is this hope and faith that carries us from day to day, regardless of our individual situations.  When I think of hope in Christ, it reminds me of a hymn:

How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

In every condition in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea
As thy days may demand so thy succor shall be.

Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall no thee o'erflow,
For I will be with thee, they troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee they deepest distress.

When through fiery trials they pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

E'en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sov'reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, through all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!

I leave you with my testimony that Jesus is the Christ.

Jaime Mackenzie Pritchard

I am here because I desire with all my heart to follow my Master, Jesus Christ. I yearn to do all that He asks of me in this great cause. I hunger to be edified by the Holy Spirit and hear the voice of God as He speaks through His ordained servants. I am here to become a better man, to be lifted by the inspiring examples of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and to learn how to more effectively minister to those in need.

In short, I am here because I love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

--Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Jaime Mackenzie Pritchard, I'm not sure there is anything I can say that has not already been expressed.  However as I sat listening to your sisters beautiful eulogy I felt impressed to express a few of my thoughts.  As I was driving home from your funeral I decided to listen the Priesthood session of the last General Conference, and when I heard Pres. Uchtdorf say the previous quote I was immediately struck with the impression you could have uttered those very words.  In my mind I heard your voice in place of Pres. Uchtdorf's.  And I wept.

I wept when I first learned of your passing, and i have wept many times since, though we did not know each other as well as I would have liked.  I am saddened that I did not take the opportunity to get to know you better.  I grieve not only for your passing, but also for what was not and what will not be.  Sometime after we first met, while talking after an FHE activity, you found out I frequented West Coast Swing dances, and asked me if I would teach you how to dance.  Yet somehow in the course of conversation I never gave you an answer.  And then the days past, and then weeks, and soon months, and now not quite a year gone, much to my consternation never did give you an answer.  Of course the answer was, nay, is yes.  So when next we meet, let’s dance.

We have not known each other long, nor did we know each other well, so it is sometimes difficult for me to explain the intense grief I have experienced over the past week.  For reasons I cannot explain I've always felt some connection to you, as if we knew each other far longer than the short year and a half that we did.  I always looked forward to seeing you at family home evening activities, though you weren't always in attendance when I was.  Your smile and spirit were infectious.

As I reflect on what I knew about you before you left this mortal realm and what more I learned since. it is my sincerest hope that we who remain can strive to exemplify the monumental example you set for us.  You did not allow life’s challenges to get in the way of your service to your brothers and sisters.  Your life’s vocation was one of service, both professionally and personally.  Your actions and magnificent spirit have touched and impacted many.  The seeds you have sown are plentiful, some have been harvested, some are ready to harvest, and some still growing. You are a stalwart daughter of God and have served valiantly.
"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."
--Matthew 25:40

Though there may have been much left in this earthly existence you had yet to accomplish, our Father in Heaven saw it was time to assign you a greater calling.  I have no doubt you are far busier now than you ever were here on Earth.

"But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead." 

--President Joseph F. Smith, Doctrine and Covenants, 138:30

Semper Fidelis Jaime

Sincerely,

Ryan Francis

2 Channel Stereo

In my previous post I talked about going to the Utah Symphony Concert with Hilary Hahn.  On my way home listened to a Hilary Hahn recording I had in my car. Apparently I didn't get enough of her at the concert. Of course the audiophile in me started comparing the experience of listening to performance at a concert to that of listening to a recording, particularly in the car. It also got me to thinking about 2 channel stereo. 2 channel stereo is the dominant way we listen to music since its advent. However the experience of listening to music in stereo can vary greatly depending on how you are listening to it.

Back to my comparison of the concert venue, vs the car. In the concert hall, the source of the sound is obviously in front of me, and that is where my ears tell me the sound is coming from. And were I to do this, I could point to where the different instruments are with my eyes closed. In my car however I have speakers in front of me, to the sides of me, and behind me. I might be able to detect one instrument is dominant on the right or the left, but certainly have no perception of the placement of the instrument in a 3 dimensional space.

For classical music or other "acoustic" music performances, car audio does a rather poor job of "recreating" the experience. The reason 2 channel stereo still dominates recorded music, the ability to create a stereo image of the sound in front of, as if were coming from the stage. Unfortunately most people today never experience this when listening to music.

Most people are typically listening to music in their cars, on their iPods through not very good headphones, a small speaker system such as an iPod dock , or from their computer. None of these will create a stereo image with a deep soundstage in an attempt to transport you back to the concert venue. Well it can be done to a point with computer speakers, but most people don't have the proper set up to achieve this. Additionally most people aren't really "listening" to the music, they have it on as background noise while doing something else.

Hilary Hahn Concert

Went to the Utah Symphony concert last night and it was awesome. They began the program with Mozart's Symphony No. 41, his last and arguably the best known. It seems the 4th Movement at least is heard more frequently than his other symphonic works. Be it on classical radio or in some soundtrack. I would wager many people unfamiliar with Mozart's symphony's would recognize the 4th Movement.

That was followed by the Mahler's Symphony No. 10 1st Movement: Adagio. For those that don't know, the reason only one movement was played, is that it is the only one he completed before he died. Those familiar with classical music are aware of the curse of the 9th symphony. From Beethoven on, it seems all the great symphonic composers die after they complete their 9th symphony. Of course this is pure superstition and not at all true, as many composers have more than 9 symphonies.

Hilary Hahn anchored the program with Korngold's violin concerto, and she was stupendous. Korngold's music drips with unabashed romanticism, and this concerto in particular, Hollywood 'schmulziness'. The 3rd Movement is just fun. You can really hear some of his "film score" traits come out in it. Hilary was in top form, of course I'm somewhat biased. I have been fan of Hilary since she was 18 when I first heard her and own several of her recordings.

I just happened to have one of her recordings in the car. So still in the mood I listened to it on the way home. I have to say, it just ain't the same listening to recording. There is an energy in a live performance that gets lost on the recording. I guess I'll just have to bide my time till the next the concert.