Fighting For Us

I took seminary for three years in high school, but I never really liked it. It wasn’t my thing, and it didn’t make me happy. Moving up to college, I decided to take institute. Institute is similar to seminary but is specifically for college kids.

I’ve been in institute for a month now, and I love it so much! I wish I could describe to you how much I learn and how happy I feel each day I go. I am signed up for institute choir and institute class. In choir one day, the teacher wrote on the board: The God I know _______.

She then invited us to grab a marker and fill it in.

The board filled up pretty fast and seeing the different answers was awesome. Although God is the Heavenly Father to us all, we each know him differently and personally. I find that to be remarkable!

Some of my favorites that people said:

• Does not use fear as motivation
• Never gives up on us
• is pretty dang nice 😂
• Never leaves us
• Knows me perfectly
• Hears my prayers
• is kind
• Wants me to be happy
• Has a plan for me
• is all knowing
• Knows what I need better than I do

After the board filled up, I could tell she had a point to this lesson; I’m not sure who wrote it, (if she did or had someone specifically write it) but one of them said “fights for us.” She read it aloud and then wrote it directly in the blank that she had left after the phrase “The God I Know…”

Then, she shared two scripture passages, and we all read them together:

14 For behold, I do not require at their hands to fight the battles of Zion; for, as I said in a former commandment, even so will I fulfil—I will fight your battles.

D&C 105:14

13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Exodus 14:13-14

After expressing that he fights for us, she handed out this song and had us listen to it. (A version of the song is down below, but we are doing a different version for choir—SATB.) I encourage you to listen to it. It’s amazing.

Fights for Us Song

A few days later, I saw that Dieter F. Uchtdorf had posted on social media that mentioned God fighting for us:

One could argue it was a coincidence, but I know it was by divine design.

I’ve thought a lot about this idea; God fighting for us. The song says,

Even in ways we don’t know, you’re fighting for us

…

You won’t hold back when it comes to your children

You fiercely defend us til we stand delivered

You’re fighting for us

Always fighting for us

…

You don’t back down facing armies of thousands

You speak one word and they scatter around us

You’re fighting for us

Always fighting for us

Next day

Okay remember my philosophy teacher? (See Securing Yourself on a Strong Foundation) I’ve been having a hard time in that class because I get so frustrated at things he says, and I hate the topics we discuss. My brain thinks deeply all the time, so it wasn’t that it “hurt” my brain to be thinking about nothing existing and about universal questions that we may have. Therefore, I haven’t given up on philosophy, but I did drop the class.

What?! I dropped the class? Yes, and thanks to all my prayers, (I’ve giving them credit 😉) it was really easy. I made an appointment with my advisor yesterday, met with him this morning, dropped it, AND I was able to sign up for a different class to fill the credits. I didn’t think that was an option, but apparently they offer some classes in the “second session” of a semester. This means that there is the same amount of coursework stuffed into half the time…BUT it also means that although I am dropping a 3 credit class, I am still able to finish this semester with 15 credits.

The new class I will be taking starts October 25, and it is all online. I’m very grateful that they had a class I was interested in…because there weren’t many options. (It’s criminal investigation.)

I stopped writing yesterday after typing out some of the lyrics to the song because I didn’t know what else to talk about. This happens so often to me; I get an idea and can write pretty consistently…until my idea dies out and I’ve used it all up.

I’m so grateful that today, I had personal proof that He fights for us.

I know not everyday has a happily ever after like it did for me this morning, but I do know that even though we cannot see it directly, He is fighting for us, has been fighting for us, and will continue to fight for us.