Be Not Troubled

Matthew 24: 6-7 says, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

Even though the world will be in commotion, Jesus has told us not to fear.

President Joseph F. Smith said, “We believe that these severe, natural calamities are visited upon men by the Lord for the good of his children, to quicken their devotion to others, and to bring out their better natures, that they may love and serve him. We believe, further, that they are the heralds and tokens of his final judgment, and the schoolmasters to teach the people to prepare themselves by righteous living for the coming of the Savior to reign upon the earth” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith [1998], Italics added).

We can overcome our fear when such catastrophes occur (and even when we're just anxious about daily life) in a few different ways:

1) Prepare ourselves. Spiritual preparedness should be our first priority, but we can also prepare physically by having emergency supplies, food storage, and plans in place in case of crisis. As the scriptures state, “…if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30).

2) Remember what Mister Rogers’ mother taught him as a boy when he would see scary things on the news, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Focus on the positive side of the disaster. Although it is easy to get sucked in to the sadness and negativity, there are always miracles and blessings that occur also.

3) Become one of the helpers. “…whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35). We can follow our Savior’s example and reach out to those in need, putting service before our own worries and cares. When we do this, we often find that our troubles appear smaller and more manageable.