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God Prepares You For A Moment Like This - Esther · ToddTalks--Spirit By Design: Your Weekly Survival Guide

• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Doing the right thing requires courage, becoming an Esther in your generation.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Esther four fourteen says, For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Also from the Lord of the Rings.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Gandalf tells Frodo after Frodo laments that the ring came to him and wishes none of it had happened.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Gandalf replies, So do all who live to see such times.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: But that is not for them to decide.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: And on that note, welcome back to Todd Talk, Spirit by Design, where we explore how we intentionally build a life centered on Jesus Christ in preparation for his second coming.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Today's episode asks a question every disciple eventually faces.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: What do you do when you know it's right, but doing it might cost you something?
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: Our culture often celebrates comfort over conviction.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: It rewards popularity more than principles.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: It tells us to avoid conflict, blend in, don't make a scene, never make anyone uncomfortable.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Heaven forbid you offend somebody.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: It tells us to avoid conflict.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yet the gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us something radically different.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord has never called his covenant people to be comfortable, he has called them to be courageous.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Every generation has moments when ordinary people must choose between convenience and conviction.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: The Book of Mormon is filled with these people, the Bible is filled with these people, church history is filled with these people.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: One of the greatest examples is a young Jewish woman named Esther.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: She wasn't a prophet, she wasn't a military leader, she wasn't wealthy by birth.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: She simply became willing to do what God asked even when it terrified her.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: And because of that courage, an entire nation was saved.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Today we'll discover that Esther's story isn't merely history, it's your story and mine, because every disciple eventually hears heaven whisper, This is your moment.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Courage isn't the absence of fear.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: One of Satan's greatest lies is this if you're afraid, you must not have enough faith.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: The scriptures, military, they all teach the exact opposite.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: Courage isn't the absence of fear.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Courage is obeying despite fear.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: Thomas S.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Monson taught, May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Notice he didn't say the right would always be easy.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: He didn't even say the right would always prevail.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: Often it is costly.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus himself demonstrated this in Gethsemane.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: He felt the crushing weight of what lay ahead, yet he prayed, Not my will but thine be done.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: The greatest act of courage in history happened because the Savior chose obedience over comfort.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Every disciple is eventually invited to follow that pattern.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: Courage is moving forward in spite of fear and doing what's right.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Esther's story.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine the setting.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: Jewish people are living under Persian rule.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: A wicked official named Haman hates Mordecai, Esther's cousin.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: His hatred grows until it becomes something much darker.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: He devises a plan to exterminate every Jew in the empire.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: A royal decree is signed, a death sentence is set.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Entire families face destruction.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: For doing what?
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: For praying.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Mordecai sends word to Esther she is now queen.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Surely she can intervene, but there is a problem.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Approaching the king without being summoned is punishable by death.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: Unless the king extends his golden scepter.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_00: Esther dies.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: She tells Mordecai she cannot simply walk into the throne room.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: Then comes one of the most powerful verses in scripture.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Mordecai responds, Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: Esther 4.14.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: In other words, maybe God has been preparing you your entire life for this very moment.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: How often does that happen to us?
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: We pray for purpose, then purpose arrives disguised as a difficult decision.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: All the time.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Esther's preparation.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Notice that Esther does next.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: She doesn't rush forward relying on her own strength.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: She asks every Jew to fast for three days and fasts herself.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: She seeks divine help before taking divine action.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: This is a pattern every disciple should remember.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: When difficult decisions come, fast, pray, seek revelation, then move.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: Faith never means acting recklessly.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: Faith means acting after seeking God's will, receiving personal revelation and acting on it.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: After fasting, Esther utters one of the greatest declarations of courage ever recorded.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: I will go in unto the king, and if I perish, I perish.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: She doesn't know the outcome.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: She only knows what God requires.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: Think about Abinedi.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: He did what God required of him, and he was burned to death for it.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: But he did it because God required it of him.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: Esther only knows what God requires, and that is faith.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_00: Too often we wait until we know everything will work out.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: God usually asks us to move to move first.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: Nephi built a ship before seeing the promised land.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: Abraham climbed the mountain before seeing the rain, the ram.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Joshua stepped into the Jordan before the waters parted.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: Peter stepped out of the boat before walking on water.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Shoot! Noah started building the boat, and it took a hundred years for the rain to fall.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Esther entered the throne room before knowing whether she would live or die.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: The miracle almost always comes after obedience.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: So, what does courage look like today?
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Most of us will never stand before an ancient king and face death just for walking into the room, but we face modern throne rooms every day.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Courage today might mean standing for truth when everyone else remains silent, defending someone who is being ridiculed or attacked, refusing dishonest business practices, protecting your marriage when the world mocks commitment, turning off media that weakens your spirit, remaining morally clean, paying an honest tithe, sharing your testimony, inviting a friend to church, repenting when pride wants to hide.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: None of these may seem dramatic, but heaven measures courage differently than the world.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: Every act of obedience strengthens spiritual muscles, and the last episode was about strengthening your physical muscles.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: Satan doesn't begin by asking us to deny Christ.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Someone else will speak.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: It isn't worth the conflict.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: Don't offend anyone.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Small compromises become habits.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: Habits become character.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: Character determines destiny.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: President Russell M.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: Nelson is repeatedly taught that in coming days we will need personal revelation more than ever before.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: Why?
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because increasing darkness requires increasing courage.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: The Book of Mormon gives us another remarkable example.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: My favorite.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: I hope to meet him someday.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: Captain Moroni.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: He raised the title of Liberty because he understood something.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: Freedom survives only when courageous people defend it.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: What is the title of Liberty?
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: It was a banner that he posted that said, In memory of our God, our religion and freedom and our peace, our wives and our children.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: The reason to fight for freedom and liberty.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: That is the title of liberty.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: He tore his cloak, wrote that on it.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: He wasn't seeking war.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: Freedom survives only when courageous people defend it.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: He was protecting covenant principles.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_00: Likewise, Esther wasn't seeking political power.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: She was protecting God's covenant people.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Different centuries, same courage.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord repeatedly raises ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary purposes.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: History is filled with modern Esther's, missionaries who serve despite fear, parents who choose faith over popularity, young adults who refuse to compromise their standards, employees who refuse to falsify reports, students who defend someone being bullied, doctors who choose ethics over profit, pilots who refuse unsafe shortcuts.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: The easiest path isn't always the safest path.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: The Holy Ghost often guides us into difficult difficult situations because He sees what we cannot.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: Disciples fly by revelation, not emotion.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: So today is a good example.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: We were holding there was bad weather between us and the field that we were going to.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: There was a hole in the weather.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Using our radar, using the vectors that they gave us, trusting our instruments, we acted in faith, flew through, got a couple of bumps, but we made it to our destination.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: Every disciple, every courageous disciple points back to Jesus Christ.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: He stood before Pilate.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: He endured mockery, he carried his cross, he forgave his enemies, he completed the atonement, not because it was easy, but because it was right.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_00: The Savior never asked, What is the most comfortable?
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: He always asked, What does the Father desire?
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: That is discipleship.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: So what is your such a time as this?
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps you've wondered why certain opportunities or challenges have entered your life.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're the only faithful member in your workplace.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe your family needs someone to lead spiritually.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe your children need a parent willing to live the gospel with consistency.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe someone around you is praying for help and the Lord intends to answer that prayer through you.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: Mordecai's question echoes across the centuries.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: Who knoweth whether thou art come for such a time as this?
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: And as we find ourselves in difficult situations, Gandalf tells us, all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord prepares people long before he presents opportunities.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: He shapes our character through quiet obedience, daily prayer, scripture study, repentance, and service.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: Then when the critical moment arrives, we discover that he has been preparing us all along.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: So three principles of courage are one, courage grows through daily obedience.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Great acts of bravery are usually built on countless small acts of faithfulness.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: Two, courage is fueled by revelation.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like Esther, seek the Lord first, fast, pray, study, then move forward with confidence.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: And three, courage blesses more than you.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: Esther's decision didn't just affect her, it preserved an entire people.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Your faithful choices will bless your family, your ward, your community, and generations yet unborn.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you've heard the story or seen the movie Hexar Ridge that tells the true story of Desmond Das, a U.S.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: Army medic in World War II, who refused to carry or use a weapon because of his religious beliefs.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: He was mocked, scorned, punished, but never gave up.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: And then, on Okinawa, during the Battle of the Okinawa, he saved 75 lives, lowering them down the cliff.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: He was shot, hit with a hand grenade, torn up, and even got off his own stretcher to give it to somebody else.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: He saved 75 lives.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: That was his moment for such a time as this.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: So, you're not called into battle, hopefully.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: But uh this week, ask the Lord in prayer, where do you need me to be courageous?
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: Then listen.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps it's making a phone call, offering forgiveness, bearing testimony, repenting, defending truth, moving forward with faith, serving someone who can't repay you.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: Don't wait.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: Don't wait until you feel fearless.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: Move forward.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: Remember Esther, remember Moroni, remember the Savior.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord doesn't usually call the fearless, he strengthens those who answer his call.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: History doesn't change because everyone agrees.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: History changes because someone chooses to take a stand.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps that someone is you.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps your family has been prepared for this generation.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps your testimony is exactly what someone else needs.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: And perhaps, just perhaps, the Lord has placed you exactly where you are for such a time as this.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: If today's message strengthened your faith, share this episode with someone who may need the courage to choose the harder right over the easier wrong.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, remember, design your spirit intentionally.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: Build your life upon Jesus Christ.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: And when your moment comes, choose courage, because doing the right thing is rarely the easiest path, but it is always the path that leads to the Savior.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_00: As always, have a blessed day.