[THUNDER] [MUSIC PLAYING]

Fear is not new. The disciples of Jesus Christ, out on the Sea of Galilee, feared the "wind, and the waves" in the dark of the night.

As His disciples today, we too have fears.

Widows fear going forward alone. Teenagers fear not being accepted. Grade schoolers fear the first day of school. University students fear getting back a test. We feel failure, rejection, disappointment, and the unknown. The world will always be scary. There's always opposition in all things. And there's definitely things that are ugly. But where I find peace is the Savior. We fear not being chosen. We fear being chosen. We fear not being good enough. We fear the Lord has no blessings for us. We fear change. And our fears can escalate to terror. Everyone has to face whatever challenges that come into our life. So we need not be hopeless. We can exercise belief that through the gospel, there is a better future for us. The Lord knew that at times we would feel fear. I have been there, and so have you, which is why the scriptures are replete with the Lord's counsel: "Be of good cheer, and do not fear." "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." Fear ultimately is the unknown. When we have those times where we're scared or where we don't know what's going on, that's what prayer is about. That's why He gave us the Holy Ghost, so that we don't have to feel alone--so that we can always have that peace and that comfort and that reassurance. How is fear dispelled? First, stand in holy places. When we stand in holy places--our righteous homes, our dedicated chapels, the consecrated temples--we feel the Spirit of the Lord with us. When we stand in holy places, we can feel God's love, and "perfect love casteth out all fear." The Savior helps me so much in dealing with fear, and I turn to Him all the time. Even though it's a crazy, scary world, we have nothing to fear because we have Heavenly Father by our side. He is fully in control. The next promise is "Be not troubled." No matter how much wickedness and chaos fills the earth, we are promised by our daily faithfulness in Jesus Christ the "peace of God, which passeth all understanding." Prayer is a source of help that God extends to us. Because of our mortal condition, there's a limitation sometimes to face certain crises. But if we believe in God and His mercy and His love for us, He has revealed to us that prayer is a channel for us to seek additional help. The last point: trust the Lord and His promises. I know that all His promises will be fulfilled. I know it as firmly as I stand here before you. If we actively trust in the Lord and His ways, if we are engaged in His work, we will not fear the trends of the world or be troubled by them.

I plead with you to set aside worldly influences and pressures and seek spirituality in your daily life. Love what the Lord loves--which includes His commandments, His holy houses, our sacred covenants with Him, the sacrament each Sabbath day, our communication through prayer--and you will not be troubled. [MUSIC PLAYING]