Fear

2 Nephi 20:33

"Behold, the Lord, the Lord of Hosts shall lop the bough with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down; and the haughty shall be humbled."

What is fear?  The best definition I have for fear (better than Webster's in my opinion) is not a definition that I received on my own accord.  But it is a definition that I have yet to disprove.  Fear is, simply put, the absense of faith.  Though, to understand that definition, you need to understand what faith is.  Faith is belief in something that is not seen, but is true.  

You might say that faith is hope that is acted upon.  Hope on its own accord is worth nothing, but if you have faith, you have no reason not to strive for something, because once your hope has turned into faith, you perceive it as truth.  And if something is true, what is the point of not seeking after it?  But what are the operative words that have been used to describe faith?  Truth, striving, seeking, action.  So, without those operative words, faith means nothing.  Faith on its own accord benefits you nothing if you do not act upon it.

I'm reminded of a lesson that a good man named Eric Anderson taught for Sunday School a few weeks ago.  He had me come up to the front of the class, and he put a marker on the desk.  Then he told me to use my faith to get that marker into my hand.  Knowing what he was after in the lesson, I reached out and grabbed the marker without hesitation.  He then asked me (something along these lines) "How did you get that marker into your hands?"  To which I replied "By acting on my faith."  After I sat down, he kept going with the object lesson.  He put the marker back on the table and said "I am now going to try to get that marker into my hand using nothing but my faith" in which he proceeded to start intently at the marker for about 30 seconds... to no avail.

So, if the marker represents our eternal goals, what good does it do to simply have faith that we will eventually achieve them through no effort of our own?  Our goals are right there infront of our faces, all we have to do is reach out there and grab them.  Now, it may not be as easy as picking up a marker off of a table... but if we truly desire the Celestial Kingdom, and we know the path (thanks to the scriptures, Christ, and prophets), then if we truly accept the life-principles that get us there and truly become what He wants us to be, is it really so much harder than reaching out and taking it?

So that's faith in a nutshell, and if fear is the absense of faith, what then is fear?

Faith implies action and motion, therefore fear must imply non-action and freezing.  Fear is hesitation, fear is not trusting in the truth, fear is doubt.  Why would a child be afraid of the dark?  Because he doesn't trust in the truth his parents tell him, that there is nothing bad going to happen.  And what does the child do while he's afraid?  He tightens up, he freezes, he clutches his blanket.  He takes no action.  When a deer is "caught in the headlights," it freezes, it doubts its ability to get away from the oncoming car, it hesitates.  None of those emotions or reactions are present when one has faith.

Satan, the master of fear, traps us in the headlights, immobilizes our thoughts and morals, and then ensnares us.  That's what we should be fearful of.  If there is anything to fear, it really is fear itself.  (I really did not mean to quote that just now.. it actually kind of just came out haha)  Should we ever find ourself doubting the teachings of the gospel, or our own ability to perform righteous acts, we must recognize that for fear and then realize that Christ does not operate out of fear, but out of faith.

There is a scripture that struck me when I read it today, it sums up many of my thoughts on this topic (thank you jimmy for reminding me about it today).

"Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.

Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for it ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and sin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.

Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."