When speaking to Ensign College students in a devotional on Tuesday, Sept. 15, Elder Rubén V. Alliaud, a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, acknowledged that now is a time of many challenges — full of difficulties and opposition.
In scripture wording, people live in a time of “calamity” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:17) and “commotion” (Doctrine and Covenants 45:26), Elder Alliaud said during the devotional at the Salt Lake City campus.
“But there is the promise ‘that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good’ (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7),” he said.
Problems cannot possibly be solved by ordinary means or thinking only of obvious realities. “We need men and women who can dream of things that never were and ask themselves, ‘Why not, why not me, why not now?’”
In her remarks, Sister Fabiana Alliaud showed a painting she made from a picture of a beloved spot in Uruguay. Her instructor told her she needed to respect the rules of geometry and perspective.
“I realized when we follow our Father’s plan and perspective, even when we don’t realize the why of everything, we know the why of why we are following Him. There are things we will understand as time passes by,” Sister Alliaud said.
She encouraged the students to take responsibility to strengthen their faith and testimonies.
Elder Alliaud said he learned through closed doors in his education and career how what could have been “calamity” and “commotion” turned to be things that gave him experience and were for his good.
His invitation to the students was to cast aside the “obvious realities” and let the Lord guide them.
Choose prophecy over projections
The first principle Elder Alliaud titled “choose prophecy over projections.” When looking to the future, if all that someone expects to happen comes only from what they see with their natural eyes, they cannot expect much, he said.
For example, when looking at a field and the only thing someone sees is dirt and irrigation channels, they are missing the most important thing.
In Alma 32:40, Alma said, “And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit.”
A sower — and the Savior — can see the fruit even before it is there.
“Faith, like prophecy, always looks to the future,” Elder Alliaud said, adding, “Never underestimate the power of prophecy. Do not be bound by the past.”
‘Take no counsel from your fears’
The second principle Elder Alliaud shared with the students he titled “take no counsel from your fears.” When Elder Alliaud was called to be an Area Seventy, he felt worried and afraid, questioning if he was capable of doing what was required of him. During a training session, President Boyd K. Packer, then the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, stood up and said, “Do not take counsel from your fears.”
Elder Alliaud felt as if a bolt of lightning had hit him — it felt like an answer to his unspoken, silent prayer. Later, Elder Alliaud learned that none of the others there remembered President Packer saying those words.
“How many times scriptures tell us not to fear,” Elder Alliaud said. “’Fear not, I am with thee’ (see Isaiah 41:10). Fear is opposed to faith and always will paralyze you. Instead, move on, even if you don’t know beforehand in detail all the things which you should do (see 1 Nephi 4:6).”
Go high and fly
When speaking about his final bullet point, “go high and fly,” Elder Alliaud told the students about his passion for the sport of rugby and his love for Argentina’s team. In 2007, the Rugby World Cup was played in France. Argentina was going to play their first game against France, one of the top teams in the world, in their home stadium.
An Argentinian journalist asked Agustín Pichot, the Argentine captain, how he felt about an imminent loss to France. Pichot said, “Yes, they are better than we are. But we can be better for 40 minutes.”
When Elder Alliaud heard that answer, he knew Argentina was going to win the game. And that’s what happened.
Showing pictures of the Argentine team lifting a teammate high in the air, and another teammate appearing to fly through the air with the ball, Elder Alliaud said, “If it is really in your heart, you must be willing to aim high and, certainly, you must be willing to fly.”
Life will feel hard, he said. But, “we can do it 40 minutes.”
Get rid of obvious realities, look forward with faith and seek prophecy. “Do not ever take counsel from your fears and embrace your faith and your testimony with all your heart,” he concluded. “Fear not, for He is with us.”
