Nourish Your Own Faith

Helping to lift another’s burden takes effort and can stretch us in unexpected ways. Be sure to take spiritual care of yourself and stay grounded in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. In an emergency, passengers on an airplane are instructed to secure their own oxygen masks first and then help others. Similarly, we can only lift others if we tend to the important work of nourishing our own faith and testimony.

The following principles can help you strengthen your faith while ministering to others:

Remember what you believe and have experienced. Reflect on moments when you have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost. Remember times you have experienced peace, joy, love, and clarity. Think about when you have felt God speaking to you in private ways to confirm your faith. Your past spiritual experiences can serve as a source of strength and protection from doubt and fear.
Continue cultivating your testimony. It’s important to keep doing the things that helped you build your testimony of the gospel. These could include reading the scriptures, praying, partaking of the sacrament, worshipping in the temple, and serving others. These simple practices can help you feel the influence of the Spirit and remain faithful.
Reach out to others. If the burden of ministering to a friend or family member feels heavy, remember that you aren’t alone. You can reach out to trusted family members, friends, Church leaders, or professionals. Their empathy, prayers, and expertise can help you remember how much God loves you. They can also support you as you seek answers to your own questions.
Establish healthy boundaries. While we should strive to listen to and support others with their questions or concerns, we should also recognize our own needs and limitations. Your emotions and feelings matter too. You may experience fear, frustration, and grief during this process. If a conversation feels too overwhelming, express your feelings and arrange for another time to talk. Your loved one may want to make their questions the subject of every conversation or talk about a subject in a way that demeans you or your faith. Just as you need to respect the journey of others, they need to respect yours. You do not need to feel minimized or unintelligent if you arrive at a different conclusion than someone else.
Become better informed. You don’t need to be an expert on an issue to be a good supporter. But it can be very positive to learn about a topic you don’t have context for. Pursue a thoughtful study of the Church’s doctrine and history. Become more familiar with common questions. Learn what Church leaders and faithful experts have said on these topics. In this process, you may learn, unlearn, and relearn many things.
Become familiar with principles for seeking answers. Study and act on the principles discussed in the “Seeking Answers to Your Questions” section of this resource.

Key scriptures: Luke 22:31–32; 1 Nephi 15:8–11; Jacob 4:6; Alma 32:41–43; Doctrine and Covenants 6:14