Firmness of Mind: is your cup half full or half empty? – Eunjin Kim

We often hear or read about having firmness of mind from the leaders of our Church and from the scriptures. What does having firmness of mind mean? Why is it so important to us? The word firmness can be replaced with words such as fixed, steadfast, immovable, and unshaken. So, who or what are we supposed to have a steadfast and immovable mind on? Jacob gave us an answer to that question. He said, “But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.”[1] He especially told us to have firmness of mind in the Father and he even promised us blessings if we do so.





Whatever thoughts we have in our minds eventually comes out actions. Thoughts, which created in our minds, make us who we are and determine what we do daily. Here is a good example. On the table, there is a half cup of water. Is this cup half full or is it half empty? In general, if the answer is half full, the individual is more of an optimistic person and, if the answer is half empty, he or she is more of a pessimistic person. Just like this simple question, we need to ask ourselves: are we walking on the Lord’s side or on the opposite side? If our mind is set on the gospel and what the Lord wants us to do, it will eventually determine our actions and who we are in this life. Looking upon the Lord with firmness of mind and praying unto him with exceeding faith leads to a solution for our daily problems. It is a commandment and, at the same time, a blessing. We get to see the glass as half full.

“O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever.”[2] If our hearts are pure, we gladly receive the words of the Father, and we gain strength and courage just like Helaman’s Ammonite stripling warriors. “Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.”[3] They never hesitated to follow the Lord’s commandments and had no doubt. Because their minds were set on the Father, they knew what was right and what they should do to stand up for it.

“For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.”[4] When I was thirteen, a new Youngman visited my ward. He was not a member of the Church yet, but he was having discussions with the missionaries. Soon he got baptized and became one of the most faithful and humble church members I’ve ever met. Because of the five-year age difference and my shyness, I didn’t get to know him very well until I became a single adult, but I admired him the whole time and he was definitely my role model in church. Later I got a chance to talk to him about his personal life and I was amazed how he changed so much by just deciding to have a firmness of mind on the Lord. He had pretty serious drinking problems and he had strayed away and was lost before he knew the gospel. However, the missionaries taught him to pray just like Joseph Smith and he did. He found a spot in the woods in his neighborhood and start praying with a pure heart and sincere mind. He found what he was missing in his life and he was changed. Of course, he had difficult time pursuing his decision, but he tried and was steadfast and immovable. The conversation with him hit me so hard and touched my heart so much. Once again, I felt the power of the gospel and the love of the Father for us.

Heavenly Father has given us a foundation to rely on: He Himself and His Son, Jesus Christ. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.”[5] Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, “The Lord Jesus Christ is our partner, helper, and advocate. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be successful. If we do our part, he will step in.”[6] What He wants for us is to have joy in our lives and return to Him. He promised to be with us all the time, even if we stray away a little from where we are supposed to be. With His mercy and love, we can repent through the Atonement and be clean again. That’s all we need to do: have firmness of mind upon Him, rely on him, endure to the end, be steadfast and immovable. We are not alone. He promised not just His companionship through our lives but also blessings as a reward. We can have courage and stand up for what is right. As Nephi said, “…for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”[7] There are no challenges we face in life that we could not overcome with the help of the Father. We can say, “Come what may, I can do it!”

Having firmness of mind upon the Lord makes a difference in our lives. I know it because I have seen it, felt it, and experienced it myself. I imagine what would I be like if I weren’t the member of the church. I ask myself, “Would my life been better without the gospel as some of my friends told me?” The answer is no. My faith upon the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, made me who I am today. I love my relationship with my Father and my Oldest Brother. I feel safe and loved. I know that just being LDS doesn’t do anything. I need to act upon my firmness of mind and overcome the challenges and temptations of this world. I have a destination, and leaving the train in the middle of the journey doesn’t do anything for me, even though I feel like I want to sometimes. In those moments, however, I always realize I have my firm foundation that I can hold on to. Help comes in various ways that I never could imagine. It is amazing how His love works for us if we just rely on him. I know that the Book of Mormon is given to us as another testament of Jesus Christ and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet who restored the gospel in these latter days. Heavenly Father loves us and He wants us to be happy. I love this gospel and I’m so grateful for it. I bare this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.



[1] Jacob 3:1
[2] Jacob 3:2
[3] Alma 57:27
[4] Moroni 7:30
[5] John 3:16
[6] Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Come What May, and Love It”, Ensign November 2008
[7] 1 Nephi 3:7