 |
| Source We all need the healing the Redeemer can provide.... No matter what the source of difficulty and no matter how you begin to obtain relief—through a qualified professional therapist, doctor, priesthood leader, friend, concerned parent, or loved one—no matter how you begin, those solutions will never provide a complete answer. The final healing comes through faith in Jesus Christ and His teachings, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and obedience to His commandments. |
Easter brings thoughts of the Savior, His life, His
atonement, His resurrection, His love. He has risen from the dead “with healing
in his wings.” 1
Oh, how we all need the healing the Redeemer can provide.
Mine is a message of hope for you who yearn for relief from heavy burdens that
have come through no conscious act of your own while you have lived a worthy
life. It is based on principles embodied in the teachings of the Savior. Your
challenge may be a serious physical disability, a struggle with lingering
illness, or a daily wrestle with a life-threatening disease. It may have roots
in the death of a loved one, the anguish caused by another bound by sin, or
come from abuse in any of its evil forms. Whatever the cause, I testify that
lasting relief is available on conditions established by the Lord.
Help from the Lord always follows eternal law. The better
you understand that law, the easier it is to receive His help. Some of the
principles upon which His healing is predicated follow.
It is important to understand that His healing can mean
being cured, or having your burdens eased, or even coming to realize that it is
worth it to endure to the end patiently, for God needs brave sons and daughters
who are willing to be polished when in His wisdom that is His will.
Recognize that some challenges in life will not be resolved
here on earth. Paul pled thrice that “a thorn in the flesh” be removed. The Lord
simply answered, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness.” 2 He gave Paul strength to compensate so he could live a
most meaningful life. He wants you to learn how to be cured when that is His
will and how to obtain strength to live with your challenge when He intends it
to be an instrument for growth. In either case the Redeemer will support you.
That is why He said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; … For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light.” 3
When you feel you can do no more, temporarily lay your
challenges at His feet. The scriptures tell you how. For example, when the
oppressed people of Alma “did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the
thoughts of their hearts,” the Lord blessed them, saying:
“I will … ease the burdens which are put upon your
shoulders, that … you cannot feel them, … that ye may know … that I, the Lord
God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
“And … the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up
their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to
all the will of the Lord.” 4
Submitting “cheerfully and with patience” to all His will
lets you learn precious if difficult lessons and eternal truths that will yield
blessings. 5 The example of Alma and Amulek is enlightening. While striving to
do good among the people of Ammonihah, they were taken captive. Amulek trusted
his more seasoned companion, Alma, who led him to greater confidence in the
Lord. Forced to observe women and children consumed by fire, Amulek said,
“Perhaps they will burn us also.” Alma answered, “Be it according to the will
of the Lord”—a vital principle. “But … our work is not finished; therefore they
burn us not.” 6
The chief judge and others over many days smote, spit upon,
starved, questioned, and harassed them with mocking words and threats. Though
commanded to speak, they withstood, bound and naked, in silence waiting
patiently for the Lord to inspire them to act. Then “the power of God was upon
Alma and Amulek, and they rose.” Alma cried, “Give us strength according to our
faith which is in Christ, even unto deliverance. And they broke the cords with
which they were bound.” 7 The earth shook; the prison walls were rent. All who
smote Alma and Amulek were slain, and they were freed. On another occasion Alma
prayed, “O Lord … , have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith
which is in Christ.” 8
These two examples give the essential key to healing. The
Lord will give relief with divine power when you seek deliverance in humility
and faith in Jesus Christ.
Don’t say, “No one understands me; I can’t sort it out, or
get the help I need.” Those comments are self-defeating. No one can help you
without faith and effort on your part. 9 Your personal growth requires that.
Don’t look for a life virtually free from discomfort, pain, pressure,
challenge, or grief, for those are the tools a loving Father uses to stimulate
our personal growth and understanding. As the scriptures repeatedly affirm, you
will be helped as you exercise faith in Jesus Christ. 10 That faith is
demonstrated by a willingness to trust His promises given through His prophets
11 and in His scriptures, which contain His own words. You may not fully
understand how to do this yet, but trust that He will help you use your agency
to open the doors for His healing to occur. Faith in Christ means we trust Him;
we trust His teachings. That leads to hope, and hope brings charity, the pure
love of Christ—that peaceful feeling that comes when we sense His concern, His
love, and His capacity to cure us or to ease our burdens with His healing
power.
Is there a potentially destructive pattern in your life?
When discouraged do you feel overwhelmed and in desperation seek for others to
solve your problems, overlooking your own capacity to make much improvement? Do
you understand the necessity to do what you can so that the Lord can do what He
will to help you?
Your access to the Savior’s help comes in different ways.
The most direct and often the most powerful way is through humble, trusting
prayers to your Father in Heaven, which are answered through the Holy Ghost to
your spirit. 12 Yet this help is sometimes difficult to initiate and hard to
recognize when you are learning how to pray with faith. If so, begin elsewhere.
Trust someone near to you; then as you learn, that trust will extend to God and
His healing. 13 Begin with a friend or bishop who understands the teachings of
the Savior. Often they have personally obtained healing through application of
truth with faith in the Redeemer. They can show you how. Or start by reading,
pondering, and applying the teachings of the scriptures. They are a very powerful
source of assistance. 14 While examples and anecdotes will help to understand
principle, you will find that power comes from scriptural doctrine, as these
quotes illustrate:
• “I see that your faith is sufficient that I should heal
you.” 15
• “Come unto me with full purpose of heart.” 16
• “Return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be
converted, that I may heal you.” 17
• “Turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your
trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, [and] if ye do this, he
will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.” 18
Even if they had unlimited time and resources, which they
don’t, priesthood leaders could not provide all of the help. They are agents of
the Lord, and His law requires that you do your part. They will show you the
way. They can provide priesthood blessings. 19 Your faith, 20 purity, and
obedience and that of the priesthood holder have great effect on the
pronouncement and realization of the blessing. Healing can occur in the act,
yet more often it occurs over a period of time determined by the faith and
obedience of the individual and the will of the Lord. 21 I feel that the pace
is generally set by the individual, not by the Lord. He expects you to use
other resources available, including competent professional help when
indicated; then He provides the balance needed according to His will. 22
Love is a potent healer. Realizing that, Satan would
separate you from the power of the love of God, kindred, and friends, who want
to help. He would lead you to feel that the walls are pressing in around you
and there is no escape or relief. He wants you to believe you lack the capacity
to help yourself and that no one else is really interested. If he succeeds, you
will be driven to further despair and heartache. His strategy is to have you
think you are not appreciated, loved, or wanted so that you in despair will
turn to self-criticism, and in the extreme even to despising yourself and
feeling evil when you are not. Remember the wisdom of the Lord “is greater than
the cunning of the devil.” 23 If you have such thoughts, break through those
helpless feelings by reaching out in love to another in need. That may sound
cruel and unfeeling when you long so much for healing, but it is based upon
truth. Paul taught, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of
Christ.” 24
Love comes by learning how to give it to another in a spirit
of trust. If you feel deprived of love, that is difficult. Yet sustained
concern and support of others will engender their interest and love. You will
feel needed. You become an instrument through which the Lord can bless another.
The Spirit will let you feel the Savior’s concern and interest, then the warmth
and strength of His love. President Kimball said: “God does notice us, and he
watches over us. But it is usually through another mortal that he meets our
needs. Therefore, it is vital that we serve each other.” 25
Challenge comes as testing from a wise, knowing Father to
give experience, that we may be seasoned, mature, and grow in understanding and
application of His truths. When you are worthy, a challenge becomes a
contribution to growth, not a barrier to it. Yet no matter what the source of
difficulty and no matter how you begin to obtain relief—through a qualified
professional therapist, doctor, priesthood leader, friend, concerned parent, or
loved one—no matter how you begin, those solutions will never provide a
complete answer. The final healing comes through faith in Jesus Christ and His
teachings, with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and obedience to His
commandments. That is why human reaction to challenge in life that engenders
hatred, despondency, distrust, anger, or revenge must be supplanted by the
tender mercies of a loving Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son.
When anguish comes from evil acts of others, there should be
punishment and corrective action taken, but the offended is not the one to
initiate that action. Leave it to others who have that responsibility. Learn to
forgive; though terribly hard, it will release you and open the way to a
newness of life. 26 Time devoted by one injured to ensure the offender is
punished is time wasted in the healing process.
In summary, do what you can do a step at a time. Seek to
understand the principles of healing from the scriptures and through prayer.
Help others. Forgive. “Submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of
the Lord.” 27 Above all, exercise faith in Jesus Christ.
I testify that the surest, most effective, and shortest path
to healing comes through application of the teachings of Jesus Christ in your
life. It begins with an understanding of and appreciation for the principles of
moral agency and the atonement of Jesus Christ. It leads to faith in Him and
obedience to His commandments, and that brings healing.
If you are caught on a plateau of spiritual healing and
don’t seem to be making progress, if you seem to be constantly dependent on
another mortal for support, look up in faith to Jesus Christ. I know that the
Master loves you and will heal you according to your faith in Him. In the name
of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
1. Mal. 4:2; 2 Ne.
25:13.
2. 2 Cor. 12:7–9.
3. Matt. 11:29–30.
4. Mosiah 24:12,
14–15; emphasis added.
5. See Jacob 4:10.
6. Alma 14:12–13;
emphasis added.
7. Alma 14:15, 19,
24–26; emphasis added.
8. Alma 15:10;
emphasis added.
9. See Harold B.
Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1974), pp.
241–42.
10. See Enos 1:15–18.
11. See Marion G.
Romney, in Conference Report, Oct. 1969, pp. 57–60; or Improvement Era, Dec.
1969, pp. 66–69.
12. See Hel. 3:35.
13. See Ether
12:27–31.
14. See 2 Tim.
3:14–17.
15. 3 Ne. 17:8.
16. 3 Ne. 18:32.
17. 3 Ne. 9:13; see
D&C 112:13.
18. Mosiah 7:33.
19. See Bruce R.
McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, 4 vols. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.,
1979–81), 3:28–29.
20. See The
Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball (Salt Lake City:
Bookcraft, 1982), pp. 510–11.
21. See James E.
Talmage, The Articles of Faith, (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, 1968), p. 226.
22. See Discourses
of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co.,
1941), p. 163.
23. D&C 10:43.
24. Gal. 6:2.
25. The Teachings of
Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982), p.
252.
26. See Richard G.
Scott, Ensign, May 1992, pp. 31–33.
27. Mosiah 24:15.
No comments:
Post a Comment