Unshaken Faith and Hope

I was touched by the story of Nishan and Rebecca Sherinian who were among the very first converts to the Church in Armenia in 1888 and 1891, respectively. Nishan commented, “But from the day of our baptism, it seemed to us that the adversary arose against us in full force,” and they indeed faced terrible trials throughout their lives related to their faith. For example, “When Nishan went on a short mission, his half-brother mismanaged his store and Nishan became the target of an unjust property lawsuit. He lost his money and spent 90 days in jail.” As if that wasn’t enough, while he was in prison, “their first son, Yervant, contracted pneumonia and died.” In 1898 when Nishan was serving another mission, “Rebecca wrote to report that their son Hasoo had cancer in his thigh bone. Nishan returned to Zara in June. In July, their daughter Araxy suddenly died of pneumonia, and one month later Hasoo also died.” Because of tensions between the Armenia and Turkey, they emigrated with their three remaining children to Utah. But instead of finding refuge there, “In 1904, two small boys from neighbor families antagonistic to the Sherinians pushed a pile of carelessly stacked lumber onto their three-year-old son, Krikor, killing him.” That was their fourth child who had died. Nishan, with incredible faith, said this: “This was a very sorrowful time, for we were still strange to the land and people. However, we still gave thanks unto the Lord for ‘He giveth and taketh away. Blessed be His holy name.’ For He had raised up for us many good friends who helped us in our ordeal and watched over us with tender care.”

Despite these trials, like Job they ultimately remained faithful and Nishan said this in his autobiography to his children: “May God, our Heavenly Father, accept our humble prayers and through our unshaken faith and hope, greet us in the life eternal, that we may be with our entire families in that great, happy reunion in His celestial kingdom.” What incredible faith he had! Despite losing so many of his family in mortality far too early, he looked forward with confidence to the day when they would all be reunited in the celestial kingdom of God. The legacy of faith from this couple lived on with an enduring artifact. When Nishan met Elder Anthon Lund in 1898 during a mission, he brought with him a hand-spun, hand-dyed, handwoven rug that had been made by Rebecca. Elder Lund took that back to Utah, and President Snow “placed in the Apostles’ meeting room within the temple.” It stayed there for over eighty years until it was removed and preserved with the Church’s historical collections. It is fitting that a witness of Nishan and Rebecca’s faith was present in the apostles’ councils for many decades.

Their story highlights what Mormon taught as he recorded the trials of the people of Alma who were under bondage to the Lamanites: “Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.” We who follow the Savior do not have a guarantee that it will all eventually be made easy in this life, but we do know this: “Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day” (Mosiah 23:21-22). For those who trust in the Lord, even when He is trying our patience and our faith, we have the promise that it will all work out in the end, even if that doesn’t fully happen in this life. I have often thought of the verse from Job after he lost his children that Nishan quoted: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). The Lord does give and take away in this life, and our only sure path is to hold on to our faith in Him no matter what, for ultimately we have His promise that He will give us all when we show forth "unshaken faith and hope" like the as the Sherinians. As Savior promised: “And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:38).