This week, for General Conference Odyssey, we are covering the October 1989 Priesthood session of conference. It matches up nicely with our reading of Captain Moroni, in the Book of Mormon, and our life today with the pandemic and such. I am referring to Elder Marvin J. Ashton’s talk entitled, “Stalwart and Brave We Stand.”

In his talk, Elder Ashton describes a runner who loses his shoe during a race. Instead of giving up he keeps running through several laps. He doesn’t win, but he doesn’t quit either. Elder Ashton likens this runner to the hymn, “Carry On” (#255). This hymn was written by Ruth May Fox, whose personal motto was, “The kingdom of God or nothing.”

Giving up or giving in to pressure is pretty common in our day and age. Pretty much, every so-called sports, movie, or political idol has fallen from grace. We want our children to have heroes to look up to and sadly, we’ve had to resort to make-believe superheroes.

Captain Moroni is a true hero. He is completely focused. The only reason he fights is to protect “our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children” (Alma 46:12). And when he captures the enemy, he gives them a chance to choose God and support the cause of freedom. If they refuse, “he caused [them] to be put to death” (Alma 46:35). That’s commitment to the cause!

Now, that may seem a little extreme to us today, but there is definitely a need for us to make a stand. We are in the position to choose good over evil. We are in the position to choose faith over fear. And we are in the position to choose our own personal outcome.

My husband keeps saying that this pandemic is a prequel for what is to come. How are we maintaining our faith, our hope, and our love for Jesus Christ? Are we standing on a rock or a sandy shore? Are we losing our grip on our testimonies? Are we losing our ability to survive the onslaught of Satan and his destructive nature?

So, here’s the question. Are we just waiting for the pandemic to move passed us? Or are we checking how strong our faith is in the unknown Jesus Christ sometimes asks us to go through? Is our faith stronger or weaker? Are we full of doubt and uncertainty, or do we trust that Jesus is still in control and has redeemed us?

Captain Moroni rallies his people and declares, “We covenant with our God, that we shall be destroyed, … if we shall fall into transgression” (Alma 46:22). What kind of commitment is that???? It sounds like what Ruth May Fox said, “The kingdom of God or nothing.”

We’re all just a little nervous about what the final days before the coming of the Lord will look like. We absolutely don’t like the idea of suffering. But what is suffering for seconds (in the scheme of things) to suffering for eternity? What do we believe? And what are we willing to do about it?