Aug 7, 2023

It can be easy to feel “ashamed of the gospel of Christ,” but the Apostle Paul refused to, despite all the persecution he encountered. He knew and testified of the truth, encouraging others to believe in the “power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16).

Today, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has over 17 million members. Compared with nearly 7.9 billion people in the world, this is still a relatively small number. If you’re surrounded by people who might not believe what you do, it can be easy to feel embarrassed by your relationship with God, especially when you make choices other people don’t understand or agree with.

In 1890, Wilford Woodruff gave a discourse encouraging the youth of the Church to stay strong and cling to God, because God is the one who helps us through the trials and tribulations in life. But he also reminded them, “Those who have obeyed and served God have always been unpopular with the world, in every age, from the time of Christ Himself.”¹ Every day presents a new trial to overcome, new challenges to face. Sometimes we trip and fall and get beaten up by those challenges for a while. But while we may feel alone, we never are, because God is always with us. Wilford continued, “Do not be discouraged or fear that the Lord will fail any of you. This kingdom will increase in power and glory, the kingdom of God will increase until all those gathered together are prepared for the coming of the Son of Man.”² God is never the one to let us down; when we believe in God and cling to Him, He will always be there for us.


Miriam Foulke is a Senior Editorial Assistant for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation. She recently graduated from Brigham Young University–Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Technical Writing. She loves learning about the small and simple actions people make that lead to large changes in the culture of the world.