This morning, I was listening to Elder Holland's talk from the past General Conference (check it out here). This talk was really powerful for me when I heard it the first time, and the same message came through clear for me again today. There are a lot of things I'm unsure of, and unsurety frustrates me. I am a planner through and through and not knowing what's going on or what will happen makes me crazy. That's part of why I love the Gospel - the Lord has made it crystal clear what we need to do in order to get the outcome that we want. There's no need to be guessing about our eternal fate- we can feel sure and confident in the sight of God when we keep His commandments and repent daily.

Unfortunately, mixed into those absolute truths and spiritual confirmations is a lot of unknown, and that's where faith comes in. The Lord gives us commandments and guidelines to help us keep ourselves on the right path, but on that path we will still be faced with a lot of opportunities to trust His will and timing and accept that He is the one who can see the end from the beginning. That's the part I struggle with.

Elder Holland's talk highlighted the need we have in those times of trial and unsurety to assert our faith and trust by focusing on the things we know, the things we've learned, and rely on the power of the Atonement to make up for the things we don't know. I felt impressed that this was something I needed to work on, since so much of my thoughts and feelings are tied up in focusing on what I don't know, which is definitely not the way to increase faith. In order to help myself in that effort, I made a list of things I know and posted it on my wall right by my door so I can reread it often.

These are some things that I know:

-Miracles have not ceased.
-Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, called to restore Christ's church.
-Thomas S. Monson is a living prophet, and he is God's mouthpiece on the earth today.
-Jesus Christ performed the ultimate sacrifice, not only so I could be resurrected but so that I could be comforted and strengthened in my times of need.
-Complaining and feeling sorry for myself help nothing.
-The family is a divine institution and in our families we feel the closest thing possible to God-like love that we can in this life.
-I'm supposed to be in Indiana.
-I'm supposed to be teaching.
-I'm temple-worthy.
-God loves me.
-God knows my desires and efforts.
-God knows how hard certain trials are for me.
-God wants the best for me.
-The Lord's way is the best way.
-God keeps his promises.
-God has heard and answered my prayers in the past.
-I need to the Lord to accomplish my goals.
-God has not forgotten me.

Elder Holland said, "In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited....When those moments come and issues surface, the resolution of which is not immediately forthcoming, hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes."

I'll hold on to the things I know.