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Choosing
Happiness
by Stormy
Draney, special to Mormonchic.com
In 2 Nephi
2:25 we learn, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are
that they might have joy.” This scripture teaches us that
Adam needed to be disobedient and partake of the fruit so that
we could come to earth and get physical bodies. And
why do we exist? The scripture says simply “to have joy.”
We exist to have joy. That is what the Lord planned for us. And
He has continually reinforced that message over and over again
by telling us, His children, to “be of good cheer.”
Do you think
that our omniscient Heavenly Father did not know what we would
have to face or what earth life would REALLY be like, or what
our personal obstacles to joy and good cheer would be when he
said to “be of good cheer”? The scriptures are filled
with specific examples that the Lord wanted us to have that we
might come to understand He knew fully well what we faced and
how He would still have us respond:
- In Matthew
9:2 the Savior told a man that was both physically
sick and had need to repent, “Son, be of good cheer; thy
sins are forgiven thee.”
- In Matthew
14:27, the disciples see Jesus walking on water in
the middle of a storm and are afraid – thinking that He
is a ghost – the Savior tells them to, “Be of good
cheer.”
- John
16:33 tells of Jesus teaching his disciples that in
the world they will have tribulations, but…”be of
good cheer”
- In
Acts (23:11) Paul was in danger of losing his
life. The Savior appeared and told him to “be of good
cheer.”
- When the
Nephites were facing an uncertain future, Jacob tells them to
be of good cheer (2 Ne.10:23)
-
3 Nephi (1:13) tells us that when the believers are
about to be put to death – Nephi prays and the voice of
the Savior tells him to (yes, you guessed it) “be of good
cheer.”
- In Doctrine
& Covenants 61:36 the Savior says, “And now,
verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all,
be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst and
I have not forsaken you."
- And again
in D&C 68:6: “Wherefore, be of good
cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will
stand by you.”
In all these
situations – whether sinful, afraid, in the midst of tribulation,
if we have an uncertain future, even if we are about to lose our
very lives – the Lord has told us to be of good cheer. The
Lord NEVER asks us to do something we do not have the ability
to do. But, what if we suffer from depression – how can
we possibly “be of good cheer” – He surely didn’t
mean us – We have no control over our depression.
Listen to
what the scriptures say, “There hath no temptation taken
you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will
not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will
with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be
able to bear it.” (1 Cor. 10:13) I think that temptation
can also be another way of saying trial. God will never give us
a trial above what we are able to bear. But, the part of the scripture
we don’t always pay attention to is the part that He will
“make a way to escape” for us, that we “may
be able to bear it.”
The Lord HAS
provided a way to escape from the terrible burden of depression.
And I would like to give anyone who suffers from depression, no
matter the extent, hope and encouragement and empowerment to know
that there is a way to “escape” the darkness and misery
of depression and be of good cheer. That there are real, concrete,
effective things that you can do that will make a difference and
give you the ability to climb out of the dark hole of depression.
And these same principles will help anyone to decrease the chances
of depression and live a more happy and fulfilled life- to find
that joy that we were meant to have.
First off,
let me say that I know that there are many different kinds of
depression – and different degrees of depression. I do not
believe you can just think positively and no longer be depressed.
I know that it is real and I know that there are certain kinds
of depression that should be treated with medication. The things
I will share with you are not meant to be construed as anti-medication.
You can do these things in addition to taking medication if you
are on such or they can be done by themselves if you are not on
medication. But as I have researched and prayed, read the scriptures
and the words of the prophets and our modern day apostles and
talked to doctors – both medical and psychological - I know
that there are effective things that can be done to combat depression
besides just medication.
There are
three distinct parts or areas that will give us the tools to make
a dramatic difference - Physical, Mental, Spirit. Because they
are all interconnected, the greatest success and relief will come
when we work on all three areas at the same time.
PHYSICAL
It has been clinically proven that there are certain physical
behaviors that have a TREMENDOUS effect on depression –
to lessen its effects or even in overcoming it entirely.
EATING
HEALTHILY – This one is really
hard for some because food is their source of comfort. Before
you turn off your ears – hear me out. Not only do I know
that all the doctors and all the clinical research says eating
right has a major effect on how you feel – I know from personal
experience.
Almost 5 years
ago I went through a total year of chemotherapy, surgery, and
radiation for cancer. The treatment almost killed me. For the
three years following the treatment – I felt horrible. It
took every ounce of strength and willpower I had to get out of
bed everyday and function. I honestly didn’t think that
I would ever feel good or normal again. And then I was told about
the South Beach Diet. It was nutritionally sound in theory and
others of my extended family had had success losing weight on
this diet. I had gained some weight from the treatments and also
from not being able to do anything physical because I felt so
poorly. So, I decided to try this diet. It totally changed my
life! For the first time in four years I felt good physically.
I had energy and I felt like I had a new body (not because it
was smaller, but because it worked so well!) It’s amazing
how good you feel mentally when you feel good physically (and
that has nothing to do with how much you weigh) I’m not
talking about feeling good about yourself – I’m talking
about just feeling really good physically. Now don’t get
me wrong – I’m not a spokesperson for the South Beach
Diet – I’m not saying that this is the only way that
you will feel good. I’m just saying that it worked for me.
It really changed my life because it is nutritionally sound. Find
some way to eat that is truly healthy. And I mean healthy - the
goal is to give you body what it really needs to function optimally.
Whatever works for you. Today, we are all pretty much informed
about how we should be eating – what the good things are
and what we should avoid. So do it. It’s not to lose weight
(although that might be a nice side benefit) it’s to fight
a strong fight against the monster Depression. IT WORKS –
I PROMISE.
ADEQUATE
SLEEP – Sleep is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL for a balanced
state of mind. The Lord has counseled us to “retire to thy
bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies
and your minds may be invigorated” (D&C 88:124). It
is amazing the difference that consistent, adequate sleep can
make. Everything is better when you have slept well. Your reasoning
is better, your ability to cope is increased, your emotions are
more easily controlled, and you are not as irritable, anti-social
or sad when you have enough sleep. Some people have trouble sleeping
at night and get in the ugly cycle of having to take a nap to
make it through the day, which means that they are not tired when
it’s bedtime and so they can’t sleep, so they need
a nap….do you see the vicious cycle? Break the cycle –
do whatever you can to stay awake during the day to give your
body a chance to adjust to the correct sleep cycle so that you
can get a good night’s rest. Most people need at least 8
hours – some require more. Start with 8 and adjust if you
need more. It’s vital. Also, to help you get that good night’s
sleep, we come to the next physical behavior:
EXERCISE
I don’t think that there could possibly be anyone in America
that doesn’t know the benefits of exercise. We are bombarded
constantly by studies, articles, T.V. shows, etc. that speak of
the benefits of exercise. But to someone who is depressed –
it can be a lifeline. Exercise is a potent antidepressant. Exercise
releases chemicals in your body which elevate your mood –
they make you feel good. If you want to feel good and get a better
night’s rest – exercise. You need to get at least
35 minutes of aerobic activity at least 3 times per week minimally.There
are about as many ways to exercise as there are people, so find
one that you enjoy and force yourself to do it. And if it happens
to be an outside activity – even better because the next
make-a-difference behavior is:
GETTING
AT LEAST 30 to 60 MINUTES OF SUNSHINE A DAY
This gives us an important Vitamin that also helps with our moods.
You don’t have to exercise outside if you don’t want
to. Maybe you could just sit in the sun and read a book, or write
in your journal, or watch the birds or your children play. It’s
just important that you do it every day. Some even say that it
doesn’t matter if the sun is shining – the feel good
rays can get through the clouds and you get the same results.
This
brings us to the next physical behavior:
1,000
MILLIGRAMS DAILY OF OMEGA-3 TYPE EPA FATTY ACIDS
Some studies have shown that fish oil relieves depression.
You can either take it in capsule form that is easy to buy in
just about any store, or you can eat it in the form of tuna, mackerel,
sardines, lake trout or salmon. And last but not least of our
physical behaviors:
GET
UP AND DO SOMETHING
It has been proven that if you are immobilized by your depression
– it only makes it worse if you do nothing. You need to
force yourself as much as you can to get up and do something even
if it is a small and simple thing. The doing will make you feel
better. Count each act as a personal victory – record it
and reward yourself. And keep going – pretty soon, you will
be able to do more and more. President Ezra Taft Benson said,
“Work is our blessing, not our doom” and KittieTurmell
says, “Happiness walks on busy feet”. If you try to
keep yourself busy, you will have less time to dwell on self-defeating
thoughts and behaviors. Take it even one step better and do something
that you really enjoy doing. I know that it is hard to enjoy much
when you are depressed, but try to do something you enjoy each
day. Maybe it’s reading, or maybe it’s listening to
your favorite music. Whatever it is – get connected again.
All of these physical things truly make a difference. Albert Schweitzer
believed that, “Happiness is nothing more than health and
a poor memory.” Work on your health – the poor memory
will come on it’s own!
MENTAL
Psychologists state that medication may elevate your mood or give
you energy, but you still will be depressed if you do not learn
to change your thought patterns. They are often the underlying
cause of depression. We need to learn to do what the Lord has
counseled us to do – “Look unto me in every thought;
doubt not, fear not”. We need to turn our thoughts to Him
and His plan and how He sees us – because of course He sees
things as they really are. One
of the first things that we need to change about our thought patterns
is to:
HAVE
A REALISTIC IDEA OF THE PURPOSE OF LIFE
Do we have a realistic understanding of what earth life is supposed
to be like? In a talk at a BYU Women’s conference Sheri
Dew stated, “Lucifer whispers that life’s not fair
and that if the gospel were true we would never have problems
or disappointments. Bad things [like depression] shouldn’t
happen to good members of the Church, should they? The adversary
would have us believe that with baptism comes a Magic Kingdom
Club-like card, and that if our lives aren’t like perpetual
trips to Disney World, we’re getting short-changed.”
Anyone who
reads the scriptures know that plenty of people – even the
choicest, most righteous of people - have terrible things happen
to them. Just cast your mind to the experiences of John the Baptist,
Joseph (of the coat of many colors), the original twelve apostles,
Job, Abinadi, Joseph Smith or in our times Spencer W. Kimball
(who was plagued, I think, by every sickness known to man) and
lastly our beloved older brother, Jesus Christ. Plenty of bad
things happened to them and it was all part of the plan. Our bad
things are probably part of our plan too.
Beverly Campbell
has written in her new book, Eve and the Mortal Journey, “It
would make little sense to ask to come to Earth to be proven and
then to ask, “Why am I being tested?” Do we really
know why we are here? If we do know, we will not ask, “Why
me? Rather we will ask “Why not me? and, What can I learn
from this experience to help me on my road to exaltation and how
can I use the wisdom gained to help others”? Shove out those
thoughts that make you wallow in self-pity for your problems and
look to the Lord for understanding and deliverance. We
also need to look to Heavenly Father to give us:
A
REALISTIC SELF-IMAGE
This is our next thought pattern to put into place. Do we see
ourselves as we truly are?
Sheri Dew
tells us that, “If we don’t have a clear sense of
our identity and purpose, we are much more vulnerable to Lucifer.”
(No Doubt About It, p. 7.). She also shares that her own realistic
self-image came only through the Spirit. I quote, “It wasn’t
until I began to understand how the Lord felt about me that my
feelings about myself began to change”…she goes on
to elaborate, “Truly, there is nothing more vital to our
success and our happiness here in mortality than learning to hear
the voice of the Spirit, for it is the Spirit who reveals to us
our identity—which isn’t just who we are, but who
we have always been. And when we know, our lives take on a purpose
so stunning that we are changed forever”.
In this same
talk, she shares, “Our spirits long for us to remember the
truth about who we are, because the way we see ourselves, or our
sense of identity affects everything we do. It affects the way
we behave, the way we respond to uncertainty, the way we see others,
the way we handle pressure and disappointment, the way we feel
about ourselves, and the way we make choices. In short, it determines
how we live our lives” S.D. p. 36, 37). Later on in her
book she expresses that we women, of this final dispensation are,
“Noble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and
fearless. That is who you are and who you have always been. And
understanding it can change your life, because this knowledge
carries a confidence that cannot be duplicated any other way”(S.D.
p. 42). We
will talk a little bit later about how to accept and believe that.
Taking control
of our thought patterns also requires that we give up our negative
self-talk and replace it with the reality of these truths. Steve
Gilliland shares a way to accomplish this, “Search for your
good qualities, your strengths. Think of the good things you have
done and those times when the Spirit has whispered to your soul.
(Fight off that satanic reflex that says, “Yes, but you
didn’t do…) Enjoy the good that you are. Express your
gratitude to the Lord for these good things. As He helps you cast
out evil, defeating thoughts, fill the vacuum with productive
memories”. (From the talk, “Awake My Soul!”:
Dealing Firmly with Depression). Often our self-image will improve
if we will learn our next mind discipline, which is:
GET
RID OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS
None of us have control over the thoughts that pop into our minds,
but we do have control over whether we allow them to stay.
Joel Osteen,
author of the book, Your Best Life Now, says, “Simply because
the enemy plants a negative, discouraging thought in your brain
doesn’t mean you have to “water” it, nurture
it, coddle it, and help it to grow. No, you can choose to cast
it down and dismiss it from your mind…If you make that mistake
and start dwelling on it, that thought will affect your emotions,
your attitudes, and—if you continue to give it free rein
in your mind—it will inevitably affect your actions. You
will be more prone to discouragement and depression, and if you
continue pondering that negative thought, it holds the potential
to sap the energy and strength right out of you. You will lose
your motivation to move forward in a positive direction”
(p. 102).
Can you see
how important it is to push out all our negative, self-defeating,
self-esteeming squashing thoughts? A good example of something
to kick out would be comparisons. Listen again to Sheri Dew, “Satan
wants us to feel that we’re not worth a whole lot, that
no matter how hard we try, we’ll never make much of a difference,
never make “the grade,” never really measure up. He’d
like us to think that we’ll never be as valuable, talented,
clever, poised, spiritual, intelligent, or accomplished as our
mothers or colleagues or friends or other women. He loves it when
we compare ourselves with each other, realizing that in such artificial
comparisons we tend to compare our areas of weakness against others’
areas of strength. The result, naturally, is that we inevitably
come out on the short end of the measuring stick – a measuring
stick that is flawed in every respect” (S.D., No Doubt About
It, p. 92). Whenever you catch yourself having negative, destructive
thoughts-immediately replace them with positive ones. The
last mental hurdle to go over is:
LET
GO OF THE PAST AND FORGIVE
Another destructive thought pattern that keeps us in depression
is dwelling on past hurts, disappointments, what could have been,
should have been, or might have been, what someone has done to
you, etc. Joel Osteen has some good advice – “We all
know how to use the remote control to change the channels on the
TV. If we see something we don’t like, no big deal—we
just flip channels. We need to learn how to mentally change channels
when negative images of the past pop up in our minds unexpectedly.
Unfortunately, when some people see those negative experiences
on their minds’ “screens,” instead of quickly
changing channels, they pull up a chair and get some popcorn,
as though they’re going to watch a good movie. They willingly
allow themselves to relive all those hurts and pains. Then they
wonder why they are depressed, upset, or discouraged. Learn to
change the channel. Don’t let your mind or your emotions
drag you down into despair. Instead, dwell on the good things
God has done in your life” (J.O., Your Best Life Now, p.
144-145).
The apostle
Paul also taught us about letting go of the past and moving on
in our lives…”but this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
that are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philip 3:13-14). That’s
what we need to do – quit looking at and dwelling on the
past and instead look forward and progress toward our celestial
goals. WE CAN DO IT! The biggest part and probably the hardest
part of letting go of the past is to forgive. We cannot ever truly
put the past behind us if we are still resentful and unforgiving.
We are commanded
to forgive. “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive,
but of you it is required to forgive all men” (D&C 64:10).
The Lord wants us to forgive so that we can let go of the bitterness,
animosity and ugliness that canker our souls when we hold on to
past wrongs. We can’t move forward with that burden dragging
down our spirits. We need to ask ourselves, Do we really want
to keep carrying this heavy load? Isn’t it about time we
gave it over to the Lord and let him deal with it? We know that
His justice will take care of it. We can be free and lighthearted
when our burden is gone – we can go forward with peace.
But how can we let go – when we have held on so tightly
for so long that we’ve forgotten how to release it? That
only comes through our third area to explore:
SPIRIT
Our bodies, minds and spirits are interconnected. One area affects
the other two. We need to be particularly conscientious about
doing those spiritual things that will heal our bodies and minds.
PRAYER
The first, of course, is prayer and seeking the Spirit in prayer.
President Ezra Taft Benson taught us, “Prayer in the hour
of need is a great boon. From simple trials to our Gethsemanes,
prayer—persistent prayer—can put us in touch with
God, our greatest source of comfort and counsel…Exerting
all my powers to call upon God to deliver me” is how the
young Joseph Smith describes the method that he used in the Sacred
Grove to keep the adversary from destroying him. (JS—H1:
16.) THIS IS ALSO A KEY TO USE IN KEEPING DEPRESSION FROM DESTROYING
US”. (First Presidency Message, Do Not Despair) and Jeffery
R. Holland reinforced this when he said, “Fighting through
darkness and despair and pleading for the light is what opened
this dispensation. It is what keeps it going, and it is what will
keep you going.”
The Lord assures
us in Doctrine & Covenants 50:24-25: “That which is
of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in
God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and
brighter until the perfect day. And… I say unto you, and
I say it that you may know the truth, that you may CHASE DARKNESS
FROM AMONG YOU.” That is the promise God has given us. We
have the power to chase darkness away from us – through
prayer and seeking the spirit. He has commanded us to “Pray
always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer
Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan
that do uphold his work” D&C 10:5). There’s that
escape word again – remember that the Lord promised that
He would give us a way to escape – this is one of the most
important ways to escape.
Mollie Sorensen
in “My Battle with Depression” shared this
personal experience that illustrates the importance of prayer.
She said,
“We
were having a casual conversation when my friend remarked, “Mollie,
you will never be able to maintain the Spirit in your life until
you learn to pray continually.”
After we
hung up, I snarled, “Who is she to tell me? How does she
know I don’t pray enough?”
After my
feathers smoothed down, I realized she was right! As I honestly
evaluated my life, I realized that seeking the Spirit was not
really a priority for me. I seldom prayed in the morning and
often skipped evening prayers. It wasn’t that I was lazy.
I spent a lot of energy every day—worrying, planning,
rushing from task to task, feeling guilty when I continually
fell short of perfection. But I took very little time to confide
in Heavenly Father, to seek his comforting peace, to ask for
his guiding Spirit in my life.
The apostle
Paul taught that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance”(Gal. 5:22-23.)
Not surprisingly,
all of these delicious fruits were notably missing from my life.
In fact, I was starving for them. An important reason was that
I was not faithfully seeking the Spirit day by day, and the
price I paid was constant turmoil and frustration.”
Prayer can
give you the fruits of the Spirit to combat depression.
READING
THE SCRIPTURES
This is right up there with prayer in importance in arming ourselves
against the enemy of depression. There are so many blessings associated
with immersing ourselves in the scriptures. Sean E. Brotherson
shared this insight, “Many individuals in the scriptures,
while not necessarily experiencing chronic depression, show how
to handle difficult feelings or circumstances. Nephi spoke of
lingering “in the valley of sorrow” (2 Ne. 4:26);
Joseph Smith cried out, “O God, where art thou?” (D&C
121:1); Christ Himself was a “man of sorrows, acquainted
with grief” (Isa. 53:3)… Triumph came for Nephi, the
Prophet Joseph Smith, and the Savior as they persevered, refusing
to be ruled by negative feelings.
The scriptures
are an invaluable source of comfort and hope. One Latter-day Saint
who struggled with depression wrote that “the physical,
mental and emotional act of reading the scriptures somehow opened
my heart and mind to the possibility of peace” (When
Your Child is Depressed). We need to read and re-read these
experiences in the scriptures to see how they were able to overcome
their negative feelings. We can do the same. The scriptures will
always leave us refreshed and renewed if we will sincerely search
and ponder them.
FASTING
Ezra
Taft Benson has said, “A certain kind of devil goes not
out except by fasting and prayer, the scriptures tell us. (See
Matt.17:14-21.) Periodic fasting can help clear the mind and strengthen
the body and the spirit.” (E.T.B. First Presidency Message,
Do Not Despair) To draw upon the powers of heaven to help us in
our deep depression, we may need to fast to obtain the relief
that we desire.
BLESSINGS
Priesthood blessings are another source of comfort and help. We
can receive a priesthood blessing to help us through our difficult
times. We can read our patriarchal blessings to remind us of the
great things that are in store for us and feel again the confidence
that the Lord has in us. We can literally count our blessings
– name them one by one - maybe even write them down and
read them to give us true perspective about how blessed we really
are.
REPENT
IF NECESSARY
Repentance
just might be another step in overcoming depression. If the cause
of your depression has at root a violation of the commandments
THAT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED through the proper priesthood channels
– go to your bishop and let go of your burden. The sooner
you go – the sooner the darkness will leave. It may be hard,
but I promise you, it will be easier than carrying your sins.
The Lord loves you – He knew that we all would make mistakes
– Jesus atoned for anything that we have done – if
we will repent – so the way is already laid for our forgiveness.
So go – don’t wait any longer.
What I have
talked about so far – healing our bodies, minds and spirits
are things that will definitely bring us out of the depths of
depression – but they are not quick fixes. They must be
done consistently, day in and day out and the progress will be
slow, but there will be progress. You will start to feel the difference
as you continue looking to the Savior in all your thoughts.
But there
are some other things that you can do whenever you need an instant
pick me up that will help too. Some of my favorites are:
Listening to Uplifting Music has the power to touch
or souls.
Reading
Uplifting Books give us the ability to forget ourselves
and see life from a different perspective.
Doing
Service — Albert Schweitzer gave us this insight,
“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one
thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really
happy are those who have sought and found how to serve”.
Getting outside of yourself – forgetting about yourself
to serve another will ALWAYS (guaranteed) make you feel good.
Smile
and Laugh — I know this is hard when you are
depressed, but both things release those feel good chemicals
and your body doesn’t know if you’re sincere or
not, so just fake away – it will still work. Besides as
Sister Marjorie Hinckley used to say “You either have
to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.”
Mary Ellen
Edmunds recounted how a group of missionaries at the MTC “asked
how I was and I answered, “I’m happy, thanks,”
they said, “That’s what you always say.” I
said, “Because I’m almost always happy.” “But
how can you always be happy?” I responded with something
like, “Well, I’ve tried being unhappy, and I don’t
like how it feels!” (M.E.E. Happiness, Finders, Keepers
p. 30,31)
An old Scottish
proverb says, “Be happy while your living, for you’re
a long time dead.”
And the
legendary George Burns said, “Happiness is having a large,
loving, caring, close-knit family – in another city.”
Find things
that make you smile and then put them in your Happy
Book . What’s a happy book you ask? Mary Ellen
Edmunds shares how to make or write one of your own, “You
could begin collecting things that lift your spirits and make
you smile—either quietly or out loud. Maybe you heard
a joke that cracked you up; write it in your Happy Book. Maybe
you see cartoons from time to time that hit all the right buttons.
Cut ‘em out and paste ‘em in! Maybe you heard or
read something in the news that touched your heart. Capture
it the best you can and include it in the book.”
“I
like to include pictures I’ve cut from magazines or newspapers.
Sometimes I “doctor” the pictures so they make me
laugh. How about cutting out pictures of people who are laughing?
I have one I really like of little children playing with a hose,
laughing happily, and it can take me to just such a summer’s
day from my own childhood.”
You could
include some of your favorite scriptures in your Happy Book—the
ones that lift your spirits and comfort your soul. Maybe you’d
want to include the words to some of the hymns or other favorite
songs. Maybe you’ll put in some notes you’ve taken
of impressions that have come when you’ve been pondering
or praying.”
“Try
making yourself a little (or big or medium) Happy Book, and
see if ti makes a difference. (M.E.E., Happiness – Finders,
Keepers, p. 39 – 40)
Develop & Maintain Close Friendships — President
Benson had this to say about friends, “The fellowship
of true friends who can hear you out, share your joys, help
carry your burdens, and correctly counsel you is priceless.
For one who has been in the prison of depression, the words
of the Prophet Joseph Smith have special meaning: “How
sweet the voice of a friend is; one token of friendship from
any source whatever awakens and calls into action every sympathetic
feeling”. And the very last thing that we can to is to:
Endure
— Please hear the words of the Prophet Ezra Taft Benson,
“When George Albert Smith was very ill, he was visited
by his cousin, the Prophet Joseph Smith. The afflicted man reported:
“He [the prophet] told me I should never get discouraged,
whatever difficulties might surround me. If I were sunk into
the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled
on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged, but hang on, exercise
faith, and keep up good courage, and I should come out on the
top of the heap.” (George A. Smith Family, comp. Zora
Smith Jarvis, Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1962,
p. 54) There are times when you simply have to righteously hang
on and outlast the devil until his depressive spirit leaves
you. As the Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith: “Thine
adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.”(D&C
121: 7-8)
“To
press on in noble endeavors, even while surrounded by a cloud
of depression, will eventually bring you out on top into the
sunshine. Even our Master Jesus the Christ, while facing that
supreme test of being temporarily left alone by our Father during
the Crucifixion, continued performing his labors for the children
of men, and then shortly thereafter he was glorified and received
a fullness of joy. While you are going through your trial, you
can recall your past victories and count the blessings that
follow if you are faithful. And you can have that certain knowledge
that in due time God will wipe away all tears and that “eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
hear of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that
love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9) (Ezra Taft Benson, First Presidency
Message, Do Not Depair)
Oh sweet
sisters, do not give up or give in to depression – the Lord
is mindful of your anguish. His promises are sure and He has told
each one of us specifically, “And ye cannot bear all things
now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.
The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and
the riches of eternity are yours.”(Doctrine & Covenants
78:18) I know that as you make efforts to do the physical, mental
and spiritual things necessary to fight depression that the Lord
really will “lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer
to thy prayers” (Doctrine & Covenants 112:10). |
