Mary and Martha lost hope after the fourth day that Lazarus had been dead. Sometimes our trials leave us feeling hopeless and out of options, but even then, Christ can be a source of hope.
Four days after Lazarus’s death and burial, Mary and Martha had given up hope. When Lazarus got sick, his sisters trusted that Jesus would come and work a miracle. They waited, full of hope, but Jesus took too long. Lazarus died, and they fell into despair, wondering how Christ could have abandoned them in their time of need.
But the Savior did not in fact abandon Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He raised Lazarus from the dead, after so much time had passed that his sisters were without hope. Elder W. Mark Bassett recounts this story in his general conference talk, “After the Fourth Day,” and teaches us that Jesus Christ “will always come to our aid or to raise our hopes back to life.”
During the last year of my life, I’ve experienced a lot of hopeless days. Trials that I never expected have tested my hope, and sometimes fully snuffed it out. Though I never lost my faith in Christ, I became familiar with the despair that comes when hope ran out days ago.
My experiences echo Elder Bassett’s words: “Sometimes during our own challenges, we might feel like Christ is too late, and our hope and faith might even feel challenged.… It may seem like He doesn’t come to us until the figurative fourth day, after all hope seems lost.”
But he does come. In our limited perspective, it may seem like he has abandoned us, but our Savior, who knows perfectly our circumstances and pain, will always come to our aid. Elder Bassett teaches us that faith in Jesus Christ can carry us to the figurative fourth day, and “with the Lord’s help we will also be capable of moving stones that are in our path, arising from despair, and loosening ourselves of all that binds us.”
Looking back, I can see that the Savior did come to me and brought me hope when hope was gone. He worked little miracles that kept me afloat, pushed me to act in faith, and carried me when I couldn’t do it on my own. Though waiting for him was never easy, I know he was watching over me and standing with me—and he still is.
Learn more about the hope Jesus brings us by reading Elder W. Mark Bassett’s full general conference talk, “After the Fourth Day.”
Source: General Conference
—June Cazier, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY DAVID TOMASETI
Find more insights
Explore Sister Camille N. Johnson’s message about becoming whole through Christ in her general conference talk “Spiritually Whole in Him.”
Read President Russell M. Nelson’s talk “The Answer Is Always Jesus Christ” for inspiration about how to get through challenging trials and questions.
Listen to the youth song “Peace in Christ” for a beautiful message about finding peace and hope in Jesus Christ.