Hope that saves is born of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and leads one to it hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Hope is not merely wishful thinking, fantasizing, or emotional escapism. It is a moving confidence and a firm expectation of eternal life that comes from trusting in and following the Savior (see Mormon Doctrine, pp. 365-66).
The hope that is an anchor to the souls of men is riveted to the infinite and eternal sacrifice of the Lord. It is by reason of the Atonement that we have hope for a better world. Hope in Christ that flows from faith is an abiding confidence in the fulfillment of God’s promises and covenants to us. It is an inner peace that results from a personal relationship with Deity. This active hope in Christ makes one “sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.”
From Book of Mormon usage of the concept of hope it appears that hope is linked to the change of heart that comes with “faith unto repentance. ” Faith leads one to desire righteousness, which in turn leads to repentance and a change of heart, which brings hope. Such hope leads one to continue to abound in righteousness and to a yearning for eternal associations with the pure in heart and those whose garments have been made white by the blood of the Lamb.
Elder John H. Groberg declared:
“The basis of all righteous hope is the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Him all hope has its existence. Without Him there is no hope. But because He was and is and ever will be, there was, is, and ever will be hope … . In Christ who lives and loves and works miracles now, there is always hope.”
(“There Is Always Hope,” in Hope, pp. 48, 65; for a more extensive discussion of faith, hope, and charity, see commentary on Moroni 7; see also Larry E. Dahl, “Faith, Hope, Charity,” in The Book of Mormon: The Keystone Scripture, pp. 137-50.)