Comfort from the Holy Ghost
The Savior’s peace is made manifest through the comforting power of the Holy Ghost.
Recently a friend of mine received a call from his wife informing him that their young married son had unexpectedly passed away the night before. He told me a single thought came to his mind at that moment: “I can’t fix this.”
We are trained from a young age to solve problems, to be independent, to have perseverance and resilience. But our apparent self-reliance masks a deeper reality: All of us, regardless of experience, talent, or willpower, will sooner or later encounter burdens we cannot possibly carry ourselves.
On another occasion we had the opportunity to go to dinner with a young couple who had recently lost one of their twins right before birth. It was the couple’s first pregnancy.
My wife and I went through a similar experience many years ago when she was preparing to deliver twins and one of them passed away before birth. As we sat at the table expressing empathy gained through our own suffering, we were grateful “to mourn with those that mourn … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.” We spoke together of parenthood, feelings of loss, and the path to healing and hope.
Our mortal journey is designed to try our faith. Our challenges will be different depending on personal circumstance and even where we live in the world. I know that some of you worry about having enough food each day for you and your family. All of us face eventual limitations of physical or emotional health or the health of loved ones. We mourn when those close to us stray from the gospel path. We can be hurt by someone we love or hurt by the pain we have caused someone we love. We may feel misunderstood or deeply lonely. We might have a bad habit we’ve tried to overcome repeatedly without success.
It is important to not allow our challenges to negatively impact our faith. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered for us. He knows exactly how we feel, especially in our darkest and most trying times. As you humbly turn to the Lord and cast your burdens on Him, you have His promise: “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you.” He will provide comfort; He will provide answers on His timetable as you turn to Him. Answers will come by various means as guided by the Spirit, sometimes in the form of tools, resources, and help from other people. The Lord has promised:
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
“Even the Spirit of truth; … for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
We have received repeated prophetic warnings that in coming days we will not survive spiritually without the constant influence of the Holy Ghost. One reason is that in a world of increasing temporal and spiritual turbulence, true sources of comfort will become more scarce. Without divine comfort, we risk losing hope; and without hope, we can lose our faith and stop trying. Our hearts can fail us.
There is hope in Jesus Christ.
President Dallin H. Oaks said recently: “I wonder if we fully appreciate the enormous significance of this belief in a literal, universal resurrection. The conviction that death is not the conclusion of our identity changes the whole perspective of our mortal life. It affects how we look on the physical challenges of mortality. It gives us the strength and perspective to endure the mortal challenges faced by each of us and by those we love. It signifies that mortal deficiencies are only temporary! It also gives us the courage to face our own death or that of loved ones—even deaths we might call premature.”
Do we truly appreciate all the Lord has done for us? He spares us from the only two things that can bring us permanent misery: separation from our bodies and separation from God because of sin. Even as He comforts us through temporary times of challenge and pain, He has prepared our rescue from permanent tragedy.
Jacob, in the Book of Mormon, taught: “O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.”
Someday we will more fully realize how generous and kind the Lord has been to each of us. We will better understand and appreciate the depth of the Savior’s sacrifice and the reality that He and the Father are truly givers of good gifts.
“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” We will realize that all the suffering that brought us closer to the Savior was preparing us for greater blessings.
While in the hospital following the loss of the young couple’s twin baby, the new mother received a priesthood blessing. The husband, however, did not. After our dinner together, I had the opportunity to give this grieving father a priesthood blessing. Through the whisperings of the Spirit, he was promised peace “which passeth all understanding” during this difficult time and throughout his life. As he and his wife left that evening, their countenances shone with the light of the One in whom we must all put our complete trust.
The Savior’s peace is made manifest through the comforting power of the Holy Ghost. That comfort will help us when we go through the inevitable hardships of life and times when we can’t fix things on our own. Living worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost should be one of our highest priorities.
I bear my witness that Jesus Christ lives. May we forever place our faith and hope in Him and believe and find comfort in His promise: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.