Once in a while there comes along a person who leaves a footprint in your life. His contribution usually comes by way of a good example and of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Such an example to me is a man by the name of Caleb. Many of you will recognize this man as a companion to Joshua, son of Nun, who became the leader and commander of the Israelites as they entered their Land of Promise.
Joshua and Caleb were among the 12 spies sent by Moses to survey the land they were promised by the Lord. Ten of the spies brought back a negative report and spoke of giants in the land and of walled cities.They wrung their hands in despair of ever conquering their enemies. Caleb and Joshua, however, had a different report. They spoke of hope and faith in the Lord and assured the Israelites that the land was theirs and God would lead them to success.
This optimistic attitude nearly got Joshua and Caleb killed by the angry Israelites, who chose to believe the negative report of the ten other spies. As you may remember, the Lord was angry with his people and caused that they should wander in the wilderness for forty years while those of age forty and over died. Only Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land of those who were over forty years of age. Those under the age of forty learned faith and trust in God and were prepared to enter the land at the end of the days of preparation.
Listen to the words of Caleb as he is about to receive his homestead in the Promised Land:
“Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed the Lord my God.
And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for inheritance, and thy children’s forever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God.
And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.” (Joshua 14:7-12) Italics mine
We learn, in the next chapter, that this 85 year old did as he said he would do and drove out the three sons of Anak, who, by the way, were giants!
Do you have any mountains to conquer? I do –and this man Caleb has inspired me with his exclamation: “Give me this mountain!” This great man, Caleb, truly set a good example for us, in that he “wholly followed the Lord.” Therein is our strength to conquer any mountain.
Elder Richard G. Scott, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, further reinforced the principle of obedience to God in his Conference address in October, 2013 entitled, “Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”
Here are five steps he outlined in order for us to receive strength, through the Atonement of Christ, to conquer our “mountains:”
1. Sincere, thorough, and complete repentance.
2. Make covenants and receive ordinances for yourself. Then steadily and consistently work to provide ordinances in the temple for your own ancestors.
3. Share the gospel with family members or friends. Sharing these truths can bring a renewed enthusiasm into your own life.
4. Serve faithfully in all Church callings, especially in ministering. Reach out to each individual member of the family. Get to know them personally. Be a real friend. Through acts of kindness, show them how very much you care for each of them.
5. Most important, serve the members of your own family. Make the spiritual development of your spouse and children a very high priority. Be attentive to the things you can do to help each one. Give freely of your time and attention.
Elder Scott summarized these five steps by saying, “In each of these suggestions, there is a common theme: fill your life with service to others. As you lose your life in the service of Father in Heaven’s children, Satan’s temptations lose power in your life.”
May each of us find strength, through the Atonement of Christ, to overcome every mountain in our life that brings heartache and stops our eternal progression.
Merlin Frei