Thoughts on Courage

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

In Revelation Chapter 20, we find an interesting scripture about those who take part in the first resurrection and reign with Christ during the Millennium.

It reads, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (Rev. 20:4)

So those who take part in the first resurrection and reign with Christ during the Millennium are those who “were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and [who] do not worship the beast, neither his image, neither receive his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands.”

What is it that enables a man to give his life, even allows himself to be beheaded, for his witness of Jesus. What is the trait that motivates individuals to turn and run the other direction while everyone else is running to worship the beast?

While there are many possible answers, I believe at least one trait these individuals posses is Courage. In fact, I believe an important lesson we can learn from this verse is that unless we possess courage, we will not rise in morning of the first resurrection, reign with Christ during the Millennium, or even be saved in the Kingdom of God

So what then is courage?

You may say that courage is simply faith, but while the two are closely related, and often connected, there is a difference.

The word courage comes from the Latin cor, meaning “heart,” and originally referred to speaking or acting from one’s heart. In Old French, it evolved into corage, meaning inner strength or spirit. Today the dictionary definition of courage is this, “The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery”

The word faith on the other hand means trust, belief, or confidence. Faith is a sense of loyalty, trustworthiness, and belief in God.

Can you have faith without courage?

Peter had faith that Jesus was the Christ (Matt 16:16) yet, when under pressure, denied him three times (Matthew 26:74-75).

Moments like these are more common in my own life than I’d like to admit.

But Peter did not let this moment of weakness define him. He later became a man of immense courage, even giving his body to be crucified upside down for his faith in Christ.

True courage strengthens faith.

As we repent and move forward in faith, relying upon the Saviors grace, we too can become men and women of great courage.

Here is what others have to say about courage.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. - Nelson Mandela

Without courage, wisdom bears no fruit. - Baltasar Gracián

Courage is grace under pressure. - Ernest Hemingway

Courage is the rarest of all good traits. - Dennis Prager

Courage: To not be afraid, especially of doing what is right. - LDS Guide to the Scriptures

Courage becomes a living and an attractive virtue when it is regarded not only as a willingness to die manfully but also as the determination to live decently. - Thomas S. Monson

It takes courage to be faithful when others are giving in to temptation. - Richard G. Scott

Courage is the form of every virtue at the testing point. - C.S. Lewis

Courage comes from one’s heart. It is the strength of your spirit. The determination to do what is right even in the face of danger or ridicule. It is confronting fear head on. It is standing for truth even when standing alone.

Courage must be rooted in truth or it is worthless. The very pursuit of truth and aligning your life with The Truth takes courage.

The world says that it takes courage to follow your heart and live “your truth.” But in reality, it takes much more courage to search for The Truth and then to do everything you can, in opposition of the world, to align your life with The Truth.

Courage is leaving the world behind. It is putting off the natural man.

Courage is resisting temptation.

C. S. Lewis once said, “Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in… A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later… We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it.”

It took courage for Lehi to preach Christ in Jerusalem and then to leave behind his riches to journey with his family through the wilderness to an unknown land.

It took courage for Nephi to return for the brass plates and to build a ship to carry his family across the ocean to the promised land. It then took courage for his family to board that ship sail the unknown waters.

It took courage for Abinadi to call King Noah and his wicked priests to repentance and to give his life for his witness of Christ. It took courage for Alma to believe the words of Abinadi, leave the comfort of his position, and to preach the gospel in danger of his life.

The heroes of history are ordinary people who possessed courage.

The scriptures are filled with examples of men and women doing courageous things. Without their courage, we would not have the scriptures neither would there be any hope for salvation.

It took courage for Christ to atone for the sins of all mankind and offer Himself to die upon the cross. It took courage for Christ to conquer death and rise again the third day.

Jesus Christ is the epitome of courage. As always, He is our perfect example. Through faith in Him, we too can posses courage, and when the tests of life come, we can stand tall.

“Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” He said to His disciples (John 14:27).

“Look unto [Him] in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” (D&C 6:36)

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid… for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Deut. 31:6)