The Broken-Hearted

[Jeanne]

Lost my parents 3 months apart also.

I am so sorry,,,it is so difficult to adjust,,and I am sure your thoughts were of them together again.  Many hugs Tacenda.

[Jeanne]

That is beautiful.

There's another non-LDS hymn I love ( actually many, but this is one) and it is in the French Church hymnbooks but not the English ones.

But to me, it is very comforting. Here's the English lyrics for "In the Garden:"

I come to the garden alone

While the dew is still on the roses

And the voice I hear falling on my ear

The Son of God discloses.

Refrain

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice,

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

Refrain

I’d stay in the garden with Him

Though the night around me be falling,

But He bids me go; through the voice of woe

His voice to me is calling.

Refrain

Words: Charles Austin Miles (1912)

The story of the hymn's creation is neat, too: http://www.hymnlyrics.org/mostpopularhymns/inthegarden.php

I love this..I do!

[Jeanne]

Thank you, I love your testimony!

A close family member attempted suicide when I was 18. My brothers and I gathered to pray before our day-long journey to the hospital. During the prayer, I had the very distinct impression that my loved one would "be okay, because of Jesus Christ." I still believe that. Because of Him, there's always hope.

So glad that your prayers were answered!

[Jeanne]

I sure hope so Meadowchic, thank you! Losing parents and then my religion soon after, is hard to swallow.

I so hear you. 

[Kenngo1969]

Anything by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland?

 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/broken-things-to-mend?lang=eng

 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1999/10/an-high-priest-of-good-things-to-come?lang=eng

 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng

[Tacenda]

Thanks for the hugs Jeanne and Meadowchic! This thread is a big hug to all with the comforting poems, talks or songs..and scriptures.

Edited November 2, 2015 by Tacenda

[Meadowchik]

Anything by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland?

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/broken-things-to-mend?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1999/10/an-high-priest-of-good-things-to-come?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng

All three are excellent. The first is for the poor in spirit. The second is for those needing to know that better things are coming. The third is for those dealing with physical and mental illness.

Elder Holland speaks of his own battle with depression in the last one. I get the feeling that his words were the fruits of his own searching out of personal necessity, and they are comprehending and beautiful.

Thank you!

[Meadowchik]

Thanks for the hugs Jeanne and Meadowchic! This thread is a big hug to all with the comforting poems, talks or songs..and scriptures.

Thank you for participating and sharing. This is helping me, too!

[Garden Girl]

Sometimes, particularly when troubled in my deepest heart, I feel the need to immerse myself in those scriptures that promise the peace and comfort that can be mine every day through the Savior ... I will go to the topical guide in the Bible and under the headings... Peace, Comfort, Peace of God, etc., read and ponder the suggested scriptures until my spirit is lifted and feels the love and peace promised through Jesus Christ... one of my favorites that I have quoted through the years here... 

John 14: 26-27.... (Christ is ending his time with his apostles after his resurrection, where he taught them for the last time before his ascension, and he is asked how he will manifest himself to them, to which he replied)

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let your heart not be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

 

GG

 

 

[Meadowchik]

Sometimes, particularly when troubled in my deepest heart, I feel the need to immerse myself in those scriptures that promise the peace and comfort that can be mine every day through the Savior ... I will go to the topical guide in the Bible and under the headings... Peace, Comfort, Peace of God, etc., read and ponder the suggested scriptures until my spirit is lifted and feels the love and peace promised through Jesus Christ... one of my favorites that I have quoted through the years here... 

John 14: 26-27.... (Christ is ending his time with his apostles after his resurrection, where he taught them for the last time before his ascension, and he is asked how he will manifest himself to them, to which he replied)

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let your heart not be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

 

GG

 

Nothing can beat the words of the Savior!

 

For this reason, my Dad's favorite scripture passages are the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament and the Sermon at the Temple in The Book of Mormon. 

 

This peace that Christ gives is so real.

 

The event I spoke about in the OP hit me very hard.  It did not happen to me or to my family, but to some friends. There was a heavy sadness over me after it happened.  Strangely, one day I thought about the perpetrator of the crime, and I hoped that he would be made known to the police and caught.  Yet I also felt forgiveness in my own heart toward him.  Something about that clicked in me, like a divine power taking hold of me and giving me peace.  I'm still aching for the victim and the victim's family, but at the same time I feel something pure and exalting, I feel as if the angels are there with them.  I believe that it is because I chose forgiveness that I am able to feel more of God's presence and comfort in all this.  Of course, I must make a disclaimer and say that my sorrow can be nothing compared to her family's and close loved ones, this is just my experience.

[Meadowchik]

The Refiner's Fire

 

I made a post about this video a while back, but it would be well here in this thread:

 

https://youtu.be/-DIIgm6xABQ

 

It really hits me when Kim says that Christ would not let her fail. I've wondered what that means. I think it means that, while she endures in righteousness and holding onto Christ, He will turn her efforts into good and He will mend any faults and gaps along the way in the fulfillment of her mission on earth.

 

I think this is true for all of us.

[Meadowchik]

This is another thing that I've posted elsewhere but feel relates to this thread, especially for those of us who ache and worry over the final state of those we love who've passed on.

 

On Eternal Judgment:

 

When I was a younger, a friend's loved one died suddenly.  He'd been raised in the Church but had become inactive and was living with his girlfriend at the time.  Some well-meaning members said some extremely insensitive things to his family, like how they were so sorry that their son would not be saved. That same year, one of my loved ones lay in the hospital on the brink after a suicide attempt, also raised in the Church. While this person was teetering between life and death, we said a prayer before taking the road trip to visit at the hospital.  In that prayer, I felt the witness that, whatever happened to this person in the next 24 hours, they would be okay because of Jesus Christ.

 

Years followed and I still felt the injustice of these two occurrences: that I still had my loved one around and my friend had lost hers.  Mine still had “a chance” while hers no longer had a chance in this life.  I prayed, and allowed myself to recognize the truth that had always been known: the Lord is merciful far beyond our capacity to understand, and we are accountable to what we know and what we are able to do. There are those who face physical challenges of all varieties which might make them unable to follow the prescribed path, the path that is well-planned for those of us who are able to follow it.

 

I knew that, just as my loved one would be okay because of Jesus Christ, so would the loved one of my friend.

 

Since then I’ve fully recognized that, from a doctrinal standpoint, the doctrine of the Gospel is extraordinarily inclusive. Everyone gets a chance, if not in this life, then in the next.  If we didn’t know then, we’ll be taught, we’ll have a chance.  I’ve understood that being raised in the Church, even serving a mission, is not equivalent to having the knowledge of all things to which we are accountable.

 

Every human that walks, has ever walked, and will walk the Earth (meaning everyone) will have the full chance.

 

We’re not Calvinistic, it’s not as if there’s only room for a select few in Heaven.  Our “plan” is for continued growth, when we’re ready to work on that step.  There is room for everyone in Heaven, and everyone will have the opportunity to progress once they are able to know and proceed with each given step.

 

So when I look around at people, knowing that they’re not LDS does not have much bearing on where they stand with God.  Do I know what whispers of the Spirit they’ve heeded or not heeded?  Do I know what demons they’ve fought and conquered and are still fighting?  No.  I know that there are souls much more valiant than I walking the earth, who do not know the Gospel. God knows, though, and they’ll have a chance.

 

We cannot control how we came into the world, but we can act and we can make choices.  We have to be humble before the Lord and be willing to seek Him, and whatever we think about another persons (or our own!) position on the path we’ve been shown, we are to be excellent to each other. By doing so, you and I might improve conditions for others, we might also give others a chance to help us, edification prevailing.

[Kyle Kenley Kopitke]

I was abused many times when I was young by an adult.  Anger is something that only seeking to forgive can heal. That may be a life long process bleeding over into eternity.

 

When Jesus asked His Father (our Father) to forgive those who had hurt them, He was asking us to forgive others. Easier said than done. 

 

I have found that throwing out negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones, helps a great deal in the healing process.  Service to others is another form of helping forgiveness and dealing with pain.

 

I have also found that being engaged in politics and seeking good laws puts away those who harm us, as if they did it to you, they will do it to others. 

[Meadowchik]

I was abused many times when I was young by an adult.  Anger is something that only seeking to forgive can heal. That may be a life long process bleeding over into eternity.

 

When Jesus asked His Father (our Father) to forgive those who had hurt them, He was asking us to forgive others. Easier said than done. 

 

I have found that throwing out negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones, helps a great deal in the healing process.  Service to others is another form of helping forgiveness and dealing with pain.

 

I have also found that being engaged in politics and seeking good laws puts away those who harm us, as if they did it to you, they will do it to others. 

 

Hi Kyle,

 

I think you make an excellent point about some healing completing in the next life.  It took the capacity of God, Jesus Christ to be able to suffer all our sufferings, and I don't think that was just because they were many, but also because many run so deep.

 

I'm so sorry to hear of the abuse you suffered.  I love that you talk about proactive things that help, and I love that they include service and being engaged in the political and legal process.  I definitely think you are on to something there.

 

Suffering can be a lonely road.  Sometimes, even most of the time, maybe no other person near will seem to understand.

 

I was thinking of this passage this morning:

 

3 Nephi 12: 3-9

 

 3 Yea, blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 4 And again, blessed are all they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

 5 And blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

 6 And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.

 7 And blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

 8 And blessed are all the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

 9 And blessed are all the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

 

I've also been thinking about the fellowship of the Saints, and of the rich spirit which can be present when they come together, seeking Christ:

 

Moroni 6:5

 

5 And the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls.

 

Both of these have been a comfort and are a comfort to me today.  I pray that you may be comforted by Him!

[Meadowchik]

An Aching Heart

 

For many of us who've been watching the recent news of the Church, it has been a turbulent week. My first reaction was to talk about it, as talking-things-out is my personal coping mechanism.  Yet, I've discovered that the ache is still there. Without getting into the issue itself (and I ask that any other comments do the same) it is a heartache to feel division and strife in the Church.

 

So, how does Christ address those broken and hurting because of division, strife, contention, or confusion?

 

I think the scriptures in the post above address that to a great extent.  Does anyone have a person example of peacemaking?

[Avatar4321]

I've always found comfort in D&C 121 and 122.

I don't understand why we go through the trials we do but I know that God loves us.

[Meadowchik]

I've always found comfort in D&C 121 and 122.

I don't understand why we go through the trials we do but I know that God loves us.

 

I'll just put some very small excerpts here, but click on the chapter numbers for the links to their entirety:

 

D&C 121:

 

1 O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

 2 How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?

 3 Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them?

 4 O Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven, earth, and seas, and of all things that in them are, and who controllest and subjectest the devil, and the dark and benighted dominion of Sheol—stretch forth thy hand; let thine eye pierce; let thy pavilion be taken up; let thy hiding place no longer be covered; let thine ear be inclined; let thine heart be softened, and thy bowels moved with compassion toward us.

 5 Let thine anger be kindled against our enemies; and, in the fury of thine heart, with thy sword avenge us of our wrongs.

 6 Remember thy suffering saints, O our God; and thy servants will rejoice in thy name forever.

 

 7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

 

D&C 122

 

 7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

 

Thanks, Avatar!