As a result of the extreme heat this week there have been several fires that have started spontaneously in the hills surrounding Vila Real. These photos were taken from the balcony of the elders apartment.
SCRIPTURE POWER
How do we “comfort those that stand in need of comfort”? (Mosiah 18:9) Those that are weighed down with grief and sorrow?
The apostle Paul, suggests: “we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4) “visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love” (Moro. 8:26) The scriptures can provide comfort as the Holy Ghost will fill us with hope and perfect love.
We are often “weighed down with sorrow” regarding our family.
As Lehi exhorts Laman and Lemuel to “arise from the dust, my sons, and be men” (2 Ne. 1:21) He says: “And I desire that ye should remember to observe the statutes and the judgments of the Lord; behold, this hath been the anxiety of my soul from the beginning. My heart hath been weighed down with sorrow from time to time,” (2 Ne. 1:16-17)
At times we can become so concerned and weighed down with sorrow that we attempt to replace Jesus’s role as the “Savior of the world” (1 Ne. 10:4)
Elder Richard G. Scott said: "If you are free of serious sin yourself, don’t suffer needlessly the consequences of another’s sins. As a wife, husband, parent, or loved one, you can feel compassion for one who is in the gall of bitterness from sin. Yet you should not take upon yourself a feeling of responsibility for those acts. When you have done what is reasonable to help one you love, lay the burden at the feet of the Savior. He has invited you to do that so that you can be free from pointless worry and depression. (Matt. 11:28) As you so act, not only will you find peace but will demonstrate your faith in the power of the Savior to lift the burden of sin from a loved one through his repentance and obedience." ('To Be Free of Heavy Burdens', Ensign, November, 2002)
“relying alone upon the merits of Christ” (Moroni 6:4) “relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.” (2 Ne. 31:19)
Alma as the former head of state after being “reviled.. and spit upon” by those in Ammonihah. (Alma 8:13) “being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, it came to pass while Alma was thus weighed down with sorrow, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, saying: Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.” (Alma 8:14-15)
When we are “weighed down with sorrow” “and anguish of soul” can we (without the appearance of an angel) lift up our heads and rejoice?
A neighbor of ours Newell Dayley, wrote the music to hymn #220 “Lord, I Would Follow Thee”. The second verse includes this thought: “In the quiet heart is hidden
Sorrow that the eye can’t see.”
We maybe “willing to mourn with those that mourn” (Mosiah 18:9) yet unaware of their grief and sorrows. However, Jesus knows everyone’s grief and sorrows.
Abinadi quotes Isaiah: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (Mosiah 14:3-4; Isaiah 53: 3-4)
President Henry B. Eyring said: “When I was a young man, I served in the Church as a counselor to a wise district president. He was constantly trying to teach me. I remember the advice he once gave to me: “When you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time.” I thought then that he was pessimistic. Now, more than 50 years later, I can see how well he understood the world and life. We all have trials to face—at times, very difficult trials. We know that the Lord allows us to go through trials in order for us to be polished and perfected so we can be with Him forever.” (“The Reward of Enduring Well”, Ensign, July 2017)
President Henry B. Eyring also said: Many years ago, I was first counselor to a district president in the eastern United States. More than once, as we were driving to our little branches, he said to me, “Hal, when you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you will be right more than half the time.” Not only was he right, but I have learned over the years that he was too low in his estimate. Today I wish to encourage you in the troubles you face.” (“Try, Try, Try”, Ensign, Nov., 2018).
The apostle Paul said: “..the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ” (2 Cor.1:3-5)
John the Revelator said: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)
The solution to help those “weighed down with sorrow” is also the solution that can end all the sorrow on earth. Sorrow ends when one repents and comes unto Christ. “Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.” (Alma 29:2)
Jesus Christ, who has already experienced all our griefs and sorrows should be the source of comfort, healing and relief.
Mormon describes the “horrible scene” of his people murdering Lamanite daughters “for a token of bravery” “strong in their perversion” “they delight in everything save that which is good” (Moro. 9:9-20) He then provides Moroni, and us with the solution to grief and sorrow by focusing our thoughts on Jesus Christ and His sufferings, His death and His resurrection, His mercy and His long-suffering, the hope of His glory and of eternal life.
“My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.” (Moro. 9:25)
Jesus Christ, will lift us up when we firmly focus our thoughts upon Him.
Jacob denounces unchastity: “Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbing of their hearts ascend up to God” (Jac. 2:35)
He then provides the solution to anyone who needs to be consoled. Perhaps someone who has been a victim of wrong actions, as well as those weighed down with sorrow for any other reason.
But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions,… O all ye that are pure in heart, lift up your heads and receive the pleasing word of God, and feast upon his love; for ye may, if your minds are firm, forever. (Jac. 3:1-2)
We can “feast upon his love” as we study the scriptures. “He will console you in your afflictions.”
Interestingly, the words of the angel to Alma and the solution given by Jacob are to: “lift up your heads”. As we lift up our heads Jesus Christ will lift us up.
How can we “Look unto God with firmness of mind”… “if your minds are firm” which is needed to transfer our grief and sorrow to the Savior?
“Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation” (Hel. 3:35)
By humbly focusing on Jesus Christ and His life and sufferings, combined with prayer and fasting we can become “firmer and firmer” “in the faith of Christ” “unto the filling [of our] souls with joy and consolation.”
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