3 Nephi 1

The people of God were waiting for the sign of Christ's birth, for that night which would not darken even though the sun would go down, so that there would be a day and a night and a day with no darkness. Meanwhile, the non-believers saw that the appointed time for the sign to be fulfilled was at hand:

5 But there were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled, which were spoken by Samuel, the Lamanite.
6 And they began to rejoice over their brethren, saying: Behold the time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been vain.
7 And it came to pass that they did make a great uproar throughout the land; and the people who believed began to be very sorrowful, lest by any means those things which had been spoken might not come to pass.
8 But behold, they did watch steadfastly for that day and that night and that day which should be as one day as if there were no night, that they might know that their faith had not been vain.

It must have taken great strength and courage for these people to trust in the Lord and wait for Him to fulfill the sign of Christ's birth. What makes their courage even more amazing is this:

9 Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet.

This test of faith required the believers to put their very lives on the line. That is what makes their faith so impressive to me. Their faith had to be stronger than their fear of death. They were facing the very real prospect of having to die for their belief in this sign. The temptation to defect, to denounce their faith and turn to the side of the non-believers in order to save their lives must have been overwhelming.

Placing myself in the shoes of one of the believers, how would I have reacted? Would I have kept the faith? Is my faith currently strong enough? Do I love the Lord enough to die for Him today?

Thankfully, the previous question is just theory. Gratefully I live in a different time with different challenges to my faith. However, discouragement and despair are just as toxic to my faith now as they were to those Christians back then. How will I react to discouragement in my life? When I have worked and sweated and sacrificed and yet it still seems that my faith has been spent in vain, will I give in to despair, or will I do as these faithful people did, watching steadfastly and keeping the faith?

In time I will answer that critical question myself. But I know Who to go to for strength and comfort during those times. God will see me through any trial if I ask Him for help. That's why every day I pray for just that amount of strength I will need to meet the challenges and opportunities of the day. I have noticed from my reading of the scriptures that the sincere prayer for strength is one that God always honors.