Elisha Elisha was the prophet of the northern kingdom after Elijah ascended to Heaven. Here is a story telling how God protected Elisha. 2 Kings 6 [8] Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. [9] And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. [10] And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. [11] Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? [12] And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. [13] And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. [14] Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. [15] And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? [16] And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. [17] And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. [18] And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

If you take each challenge one step at a time, with faith in every footstep, your strength and understanding will increase. You cannot foresee all of the turns and twists ahead. My counsel to you is to follow the direction of the Savior of the world: “Be not afraid, only believe.” We are not alone in our mortal struggles. As the prophet Elisha teaches, unseen hosts watch over us. In his day, Syria was at war against Israel, and the prophet Elisha counseled the king of Israel against entrapment. The king of Israel followed that counsel and saved himself again and again. This stirred up the king of Syria, who sent by night “horses, and chariots, and a great host,” and surrounded the city. “And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?” Then the prophet answered, saying, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. “And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” With the help of the Lord, the prophet Elisha was able to save Israel. We can overcome all of our fears, not all at once, but one at a time. As we do so we will grow in confidence. James E. Faust, “Pioneers of the Future: ‘Be Not Afraid, Only Believe,’ ” Ensign, Nov. 1997, 42

Another story of protection involved a prophet and his young servant. Because Elisha had helped the kingdom of Israel repel the Syrians, they sent a great army with horses and chariots to capture the prophet. When Elisha’s young servant saw the armies surrounding their city, he cried out in fear, butElisha reassured him: “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. “AndElisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” The Lord intervened to confuse and blind the Syrians, and they were taken prisoners by the armies of Israel. When I read this wonderful story as a boy, I always identified with the young servant of Elisha. I thought, If I am ever surrounded by the forces of evil while I am in the Lord’s service, I hope the Lord will open my eyes and give me faith to understand that when we are in the work of the Lord, those that are with us are always more powerful than those that oppose us. Bible stories such as these do not mean that the servants of God are delivered from all hardship or that they are always saved from death. Some believers lose their lives in persecutions, and some suffer great hardships as a result of their faith. But the protection promised to the faithful servants of God is a reality today as it was in Bible times. All over the world, faithful Latter-day Saints are protected from the powers of the evil one and his servants until they have finished their missions in mortality. For some the mortal mission is brief, as with some valiant young men who have lost their lives in missionary service. But for most of us the mortal journey is long, and we continue our course with the protection of guardian angels. Priesthood Session, 3 October 1992, Bible Stories and Personal Protection, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Howard W. Hunter, “Blessed from on High,” Friend, Nov. 1989, inside front cover All of us face times in our lives when we need heavenly help. The Lord has promised that if we will be humble in such times of need and turn to Him for aid, we will “be made strong, and [be] blessed from on high” . Perhaps no promise in life is more reassuring than that promise of divine assistance and spiritual guidance in times of need. Let me give you an example of just such a struggle. Elisha, a prophet, seer, and revelator, had counseled the king of Israel on how and where and when to defend against the warring Syrians. The king of Syria, of course, wished to rid his army of Elisha’s prophetic interference. The record reads: “Therefore [the king of Syria] sent … thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.” The odds were staggering. It was an old man and a boy against what looked like the whole world. Elisha’s young companion was fearful and cried, “Alas, my master! how shall we do?” And Elisha’s reply? “Fear not: for they that be with us aremore than they that be with them.” But there were no others with the old man and his young companion. From what source could their help possibly come? Then Elisha turned his eyes heavenward, saying, “Lord, I pray thee, open [the boy’s] eyes, that he may see.” And, we read, “the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” The Lord had sent His hosts from heaven to protect them. In the gospel of Jesus Christ we have help from on high. I testify of the divinity of Jesus Christ. God does live and imparts to us His Spirit. In facing life’s problems and meeting life’s tasks, may we all claim that gift from God our Father and find spiritual joy, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.