Moroni 9:25

My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.

The bleak events of the world can weigh us down and overwhelm us. But they do not have to crush us. Christ can lift us, strengthen us, and comfort us, even in the midst of turmoil.

Mormon 8:35

Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.

Moroni knew exactly to whom he was writing. He has described perfectly the days in which we live, for he saw them in living color. Heavenly Father knew exactly when he would send the Book of Mormon among his children. We can take some comfort, in spite of the disasters and perplexities around us, that God knows us and our situation.  He has given us the Book of Mormon as a sign of his love. He knows us, what we need, and how to rescue us. This book is proof we are not alone.

Mormon 5:11

For I know that such will sorrow for the calamity of the house of Israel; yea, they will sorrow for the destruction of this people; they will sorrow that this people had not repented that they might have been clasped in the arms of Jesus.

Because the Nephites willingly and intentionally turned away from Christ, he could do nothing for them. He cannot embrace those who do not want to be embraced. I do not understand why anyone would not want to be clasped in the arms of Jesus. To be warm and safe in his arms is the most comforting experience I can imagine. I make lots of mistakes and fail constantly to live up to the life I know I should live, but I repent when I realize my mistakes. And so I have hope in Christ.

Helaman 5:47

Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world.

Faith in Christ brings peace. We cannot be distraught by the calamities of the world if we believe Christ has overcome the world. We cannot despair of life of we believe Jesus is the Life. Our lives cannot seem too dark if we believe Jesus is the Light. Despite the trials, Christ has promised to not leave us comfortless.

Alma 31:31

O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people.

Our souls are comforted in Christ when we are comforted by the love of Christ, which is given to us through the power of the Holy Ghost, who is the Comforter. We are comforted about the troubles we face by the knowledge that Christ has suffered all things and overcome all things. He will not let us fail if we are trying. He will make up for our weaknesses and pardon our mistakes. We can have hope and comfort in this life and the rest of the Lord in the life to come.

Alma 17:9

And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and prayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an instrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the traditions of their fathers, which were not correct.

When we are in the wilderness of our lives, prayer and fasting are critical in keeping the Holy Ghost with us. God may not rescue us immediately from the wilderness, but he will not leave us comfortless or without guidance.

Jacob 3:1

But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction.

Even the pure in heart will have afflictions. If we lay those afflictions at the Lord's feet, however, he will help us bear the burden and comfort us.

Second Nephi 9:3

Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.

Prophecies are given to bring us hope. Even prophecies of doom are accompanied by promises of hope, mercy, and restoration. When we understand the Lord's plan of salvation and his great love for all his children, we have much cause to rejoice. God does not bring us sorrow. We do that to ourselves. He always offers hope and good things if we can endure the trials.

Second Nephi 8:12

I am he; yea, I am he that comforteth you. Behold, who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of man, who shall die, and of the son of man, who shall be made like unto grass?

Christ, the Messiah, is the only One who can comfort us. No one else offers the gift of the atonement, which is the ultimate comfort. Why, He asks rhetorically, are we afraid of mortal men, who have no more power than we do, and fail to rely on God, who has infinite power? If we have faith in God, our enemies do not stand a chance against the power of the All Mighty. While many people experience temporal oppression in many forms, we all face spiritual oppression from the enemy of our souls. Yet just as God can deliver people from political, economic, social and other forms of oppression, so He can deliver us all from spiritual oppression of sin and guilt. We do not need to fear Satan, for we can be confident that Christ has overcome the world and the devil who reigns over it. Satan’s fury is no match for God’s love.