The Apostle Peter wrote that disciples of Jesus Christ are
to have "compassion one of another." In that spirit I
wish to speak to those who suffer from some form of
mental illness or emotional disorder, whether those
afflictions be slight or severe, of brief duration or
persistent over a lifetime.
We sense the complexity of such matters when we hear
professionals speak of neuroses and psychoses, of
genetic predispositions and chromosome defects, of
bipolarity and paranoia and schizophrenia.
However bewildering this all may be, these afflictions are
some of the realities of mortal life,
and there should be no more shame in acknowledging them
than acknowledging a battle with high blood pressure or
the sudden appearance of a malignant tumor.
In striving for some peace and understanding in these
difficult matters, it's crucial to remember that we
are living--and chose to live--in a fallen world where,
for divine purposes, our pursuit of godliness will be
tested and tried again and again.
Of greatest assurance in such a plan is that a Savior was
promised, a Redeemer who through our faith in Him would
lift us triumphantly over those tests and trials, even
though the cost to do so would be unfathomable for both the
Father who sent Him and the Son who came.
It is only an appreciation of this divine love that will
make our own lesser suffering first bearable, then
understandable, and finally redemptive.
Let me leave the extraordinary illnesses I have mentioned to
concentrate on MDD, Major Depressive Disorder, or more
commonly, simply depression.
When I speak of this, I'm not speaking of bad hair days, or
tax deadlines, or other discouraging
moments we all have.
Everyone is going to be anxious or
downhearted on occasion.
The Book of Mormon says Ammon and his brethren were
depressed at a very difficult time, and so can
the rest of us be.
But today I'm speaking of something more serious, of an
affliction so severe that it significantly restricts a
person's ability to function fully, a crater in the mind so
deep that no one can responsibly suggest that it
would surely go away if those victims would just square
their shoulders and think more positively--though I am a
vigorous advocate of square shoulders
and positive thinking!
No, this dark night of the mind and spirit is more than
mere discouragement.
I have seen it come to an absolutely angelic man when
his beloved spouse of 50 years passed away.
I have seen it in new mothers with what is euphemistically
labeled "after-baby blues." I've seen it strike anxious
students, military veterans, grandmother's worried about
the well-being of their grown children,
and I've seen it in young fathers trying to provide for
their families.
In that regard, I once,
terrifyingly, saw it in myself.
At one point in our married life, when financial fears
collided with staggering fatigue, I took a psychic blow
that was as unanticipated as it was real.
With the grace of God and the love of my family, I kept
functioning and kept working.
But even after all these years, I continue to feel a
deep sympathy for others more chronically or more deeply
afflicted with such gloom than I was.
In any case, we've all taken courage from those who, in the
words of the Prophet Joseph, "search[ed]
and contemplate[d]
the darkest abyss" and persevered through it, not the
least of which were Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill,
and Elder George Albert Smith, the latter being one of the
most gentle and Christlike men of our dispensation, who
battled recurring depression for several years before later
becoming the universally beloved eighth prophet and
President of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints.
So how do you best respond when mental or emotional
challenges confront you or those you love?
Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who
loves you more than you can comprehend.
As President Monson said to the Relief Society sisters so
movingly last Saturday evening at this pulpit, "That love
never changes." It is there for you when you are sad or
happy, discouraged or hopeful.
God's love is there for you whether or not you deserve it.
It is simply always there.
Never, ever, doubt that, and never harden your heart.
Faithfully pursue the time-tested devotional
practices that bring the Spirit of the
Lord into your life.
Seek the counsel of those who hold keys for your spiritual
well-being.
Ask for and cherish priesthood blessings, take the sacrament
every week, and hold fast to the perfecting promises of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Believe in miracles.
I have seen so many.
They came when every indication would say
that hope was lost.
Hope is never lost.
If those miracles do not come soon or fully or seemingly at
all, remember the Savior's own anguished example: If the
bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong,
trusting in happier days ahead.
In preventing illness whenever possible, watch for the stress
indicators in yourself and in others you
may be able to help.
As with your automobile, be alert to rising temperatures,
excessive speed, or a tank low on fuel.
When you face "depletion depression," make the
requisite adjustments.
Fatigue is the common enemy of us all.
So slow down, rest up, replenish, and refill.
Physicians promise us that if we do not take time to be
well, we most assuredly will take time later on to be ill.
If things continue to be debilitating, seek the advice
of reputable people with certified training,
professional skills, and good values.
Be honest with them about your history and your struggles.
Prayerfully and responsibly consider the counsel they give
and the solutions they prescribe.
If you had appendicitis, God would expect you to seek a
priesthood blessing and get the best
medical care available.
So, too, with emotional disorders.
Our Father in Heaven expects us to use all the marvelous
gifts he has provided in this glorious dispensation.
If you're the one afflicted or a caregiver to such, try not
to be overwhelmed with the size of your task.
Don't assume you can fix everything, but
fix what you can.
If those are only small victories, be
grateful for them.
And be patient.
Dozens of times in the scriptures, the Lord commands
someone to "stand still" or "be still"--and wait.
Patiently enduring some things is part
of our mortal education.
For caregivers, in your devoted effort to assist with
another's health, do not destroy your own.
In all these things be wise.
Don't run faster than you have strength.
Whatever else you may or may not be able to provide, you
can offer your prayers, and you can give "love unfeigned."
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; .
.
[it] beareth all things, [it]
hopeth all things, [it] endureth all things.
Charity never faileth." And also, let us remember that
through any illness or difficult challenge, there is
still much in life to be hopeful about
and grateful for.
We are infinitely more than our limitations or our
afflictions.
Stephanie Clark Nielsen and her family have been our
friends for more than 30 years.
On August 16, 2008, Stephanie and her husband, Christian,
were in a plane crash and subsequent fire that scarred
her so horrifically that only her painted toenails were
recognizable when family members came to
identify the victims.
There was almost no chance Stephanie could live.
After five months in a sleep-induced coma, she awoke
to see herself.
With that, the psychic scarring and horrendous
depression came.
Having four children under the age of seven, Stephanie did
not want them to see her ever again.
She felt it would be better not to live.
"I thought it would be easier," Stephanie once told
me in my office, "if they just forgot about me and I quietly
slipped out of their life."
But to her eternal credit--and with the prayers of her
husband, family, friends, four beautiful children, and a
fifth born to the Nielsens just 18 months ago--Stephanie
fought her way back from the abyss of self-destruction to
be one of the most popular mommy bloggers in the nation,
openly declaring to the four million who follow her blog
that her divine purpose in life is to be a mom and to
cherish every day she has been given with them on this
beautiful earth.
Whatever your struggle, my brothers and sisters, mental,
or emotional, or physical, or otherwise, do not vote against
the preciousness of life by ending it.
Trust in God.
Hold on in His love.
Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all
shadows of mortality will flee.
Though we may feel we are "like a broken vessel," as the
psalmist says, we must remember that vessel is in the
hands of the divine potter.
Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and
broken hearts are healed.
While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us
can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind.
I testify of the holy Resurrection, that unspeakable
cornerstone gift in the Atonement of
the Lord Jesus Christ!
With the apostle Paul, I testify that that which was
sown in corruption will one day be raised in incorruption
and that which was sown in weakness will ultimately be
raised in power.
I bear witness of that day when loved ones whom we knew
to have disabilities in mortality will stand before us
glorified and grand, breathtakingly
perfect in body and mind.
What a thrilling moment that will be!
I do not know whether we will be happier for ourselves that
we have witnessed such a miracle or happier for them
that they are fully perfect and finally "free at last."
Until that hour when Christ's consummate gift is evident to
us all, may we live by faith, hold fast to hope, and show
"compassion one of another," I pray, in the name of Jesus
Christ, amen.