Why is there a need to fear?

The LDS community is very small! At a fireside last night some elders introduced me to their investigator, Julia. She is an Auburn fan! That's the first "war eagle" I've heard my whole mission!

This week I want to tell you about a great learning experience I had on an exchanges. I like to prepare for exchanges and have a few topics on my mind to refer to. This exchange, I felt that this sister needed to learn how to recognize God's love and then return the love. She needed to be motivated through faith, not fear.

As we went throughout the exchange, we witnessed a lot of opportunities to testify of this exact principle. I've seen on my mission and in my own life how, when motivated by fear, motivation is but a moment. When motivated be faith, motivation is eternal. For example: a missionary struggles being motivated to wake up at 6:30 and start working out. If this missionary hears the alarm go off and they think "oh no, what are my leaders going to think of me not waking up on time..." they are fearful of what others will think, their reputation. Fear of looking bad to others strikes. Without fail, motivation fades when missionaries act out of fear.

On the other hand, when a missionary hears the alarm go off and thinks "I have a family back home who will become stronger in the gospel because of my obedience" or "I have investigators that I'm asking to do hard things and if I wake up and do hard things too, I can relate to them and have the spirit to teach them" or "I LOVE GOD."

The last is my favorite. If we love our Heavenly Father and want nothing but to do his will, then we have all the motivation we'll ever need. We shouldn't fear God. Fear is the opposite of faith. We should have enough faith in God that we can do hard things and the Atonement of Christ and the grace of the Father will help us.

We all have moments of fear where we don't know what on earth to do. As we turn to faith: asking ourselves what good is in store, rather then turning to fear: asking what could go wrong, we will live much happier lives and come to know the way our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ think. Coming full circle, this principle I was prompted to teach the sister I was on exchanges with, is just what I needed to be taught. Heavenly Father knows us. He is watching out for us. Why is there a need to fear?

Love,
Sister Fredrick