"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.
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.
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.
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."
3 Nephi 1:6-9
The first and last verse show a group of people progressing from mockery to murder, while the middle two verses show people who are afraid, but are not abandoning their faith. And I think had to be incredibly hard in their situation, because they couldn't read further and find out what happens. They didn't know what was going to happen, but they held on, kept praying, and didn't abandon their fellows and join the mocker-murderers.
The world feels a little like the beginning of 3rd Nephi to me. The amazing blessings that are coming later in the book aren't able to be seen yet (except by God), and there are external reasons to fear, but despite the huge trials and the destruction to come... the happy ending is waiting there on the other side. To get there, like the scared people in the middle verses here, we need to hold onto our faith despite our fear, and despite the mockery, and worse, from others.
Today, let's trust God and believe in the happy ending, even if others can't see it. Even if *we* can't see it yet, let's stick with God and have faith until the day that God opens our eyes. :)
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