Words of Comfort: Healed By His Power

 From Elder Kent F. Richard's talk The Atonement Covers All Pain from the April 2011 General Conference

As Elder Dallin H. Oaks has taught: “Healing blessings come in many ways, each suited to our individual needs, as known to Him who loves us best. Sometimes a ‘healing’ cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are ‘healed’ by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us.” ¹⁷ All that will come may be “clasped in the arms of Jesus.” ¹⁸ All souls can be healed by His power. All pain can be soothed. In Him, we can “find rest unto [our] souls.” ¹⁹ Our mortal circumstances may not immediately change, but our pain, worry, suffering, and fear can be swallowed up in His peace and healing balm.

I really liked this quote when I heard it. We always think (or at least we want it so badly that we convince ourselves) that being healed means that our pain will be taken from us. Of course, we also think that if we are faithful, God will answer our prayers the way we want him to. But that's not how it works. I know that over the past year and a half I have received much healing in the form of strength, understanding, and patience. Obviously, I am still physically separated from my son, and will be for some time. But my pain, worry, suffering, and fear have indeed been swallowed up in His peace.

Words of Comfort: Patience, Faith, Fortitude, and Humility

From Elder Kent F. Richard's talk The Atonement Covers All Pain during April 2011 General Conference:

Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. … It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire.”

Orson F. Whitney, in Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle (1972), 98.

I know this doesn't talk specifically about the pain of losing a child, but it does remind us that even that pain can help us grow and develop eternal qualities.

Words of Comfort: Preaching, Preaching All the Time

Father Smith [Joseph Smith Sr.] and Carlos [Smith] and Brother [Edward] Partridge, yes, and every other good Saint, are just as busy in the spirit world as you and I are here. They can see us, but we cannot see them unless our eyes were opened. What are they doing there? They are preaching, preaching all the time, and preparing the way for us to hasten our work in building temples here and elsewhere.

"Chapter 38: The Spirit World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, (1997)

Words of Comfort: Exquisite and Sensible Happiness

We have more friends behind the veil than on this side, and they will hail us more joyfully than you were ever welcomed by your parents and friends in this world; and you will rejoice more when you meet them than you ever rejoiced to see a friend in this life; and then we shall go on from step to step, from rejoicing to rejoicing, and from one intelligence and power to another, our happiness becoming more and more exquisite and sensible as we proceed in the words and powers of life.

"Chapter 38: The Spirit World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, (1997)

Words of Comfort: Masters Over the Power of Satan

 If we are faithful to our religion, when we go into the spirit world, the fallen spirits—Lucifer and the third part of the heavenly hosts that came with him, and the spirits of wicked men who have dwelt upon this earth, the whole of them combined will have no influence over our spirits. Is not that an advantage? Yes. All the rest of the children of men are more or less subject to them, and they are subject to them as they were while here in the flesh.Here [the faithful] shall be perplexed and hunted by him; but when we go into the spirit world there we are masters over the power of satan, and he cannot afflict us any more, and this is enough for me to know.

"Chapter 38: The Spirit World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, (1997)

Words of Comfort: Learning, Increasing, Growing

if we are striving with all the powers and faculties God has given us to improve upon our talents, to prepare ourselves to dwell in eternal life, and the grave receives our bodies while we are thus engaged, with what disposition will our spirits enter their next state? They will be still striving to do the things of God, only in a much greater degree—learning, increasing, growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth.

"Chapter 38: The Spirit World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, (1997)

Words of Comfort: A Measure of His Power

When we pass into the spirit world we shall possess a measure of his power. Here, we are continually troubled with ills and ailments of various kinds. In the spirit world we are free from all this and enjoy life, glory, and intelligence; and we have the Father to speak to us, Jesus to speak to us, and angels to speak to us, and we shall enjoy the society of the just and the pure who are in the spirit world until the resurrection.

"Chapter 38: The Spirit World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, (1997)

I love everything about this quote. My sweet Riley doesn't have to suffer through grief or pain or illness. He can bask in glory and intelligence. The Father, Jesus, and angels speak to him, and he is in the company of the other righteous spirits. I know my boy is in a wonderful place and that I don't need to worry about him.

Words of Comfort: Brightness and Glory of the Next Apartment

I can say with regard to parting with our friends, and going ourselves, that I have been near enough to understand eternity so that I have had to exercise a great deal more faith to desire to live than I ever exercised in my whole life to live. The brightness and glory of the next apartment is inexpressible. It is not encumbered so that when we advance in years we have to be stubbing along and be careful lest we fall down. We see our youth, even, frequently stubbing their toes and falling down. But yonder, how different! They move with ease and like lightning. If we want to visit Jerusalem, or this, that, or the other place—and I presume we will be permitted if we desire—there we are, looking at its streets. If we want to behold Jerusalem as it was in the days of the Savior; or if we want to see the Garden of Eden as it was when created, there we are, and we see it as it existed spiritually, for it was created first spiritually and then temporally, and spiritually it still remains. And when there we may behold the earth as at the dawn of creation, or we may visit any city we please that exists upon its surface. If we wish to understand how they are living here on these western islands, or in China, we are there; in fact, we are like the light of the morning. … God has revealed some little things, with regard to his movements and power, and the operation and motion of the lightning furnish a fine illustration of the ability of the Almighty.

"Chapter 38: The Spirit World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, (1997)

Words of Comfort: They Sleep Not

When you are in the spirit world, everything there will appear as natural as things now do. Spirits will be familiar with spirits in the spirit world—will converse, behold, and exercise every variety of communication with one another as familiarly and naturally as while here in tabernacles. There, as here, all things will be natural, and you will understand them as you now understand natural things. You will there see that those spirits we are speaking of are active; they sleep not. And you will learn that they are striving with all their might—laboring and toiling diligently as any individual would to accomplish an act in this world

"Chapter 38: The Spirit World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, (1997)

Words of Comfort: Mingling with Each Other

The spirits that dwell in these tabernacles on this earth, when they leave them go directly into this world of spirits. What! A congregated mass of inhabitants there in spirit, mingling with each other, as they do here? Yes, brethren, they are there together, and if they associate together, and collect together, in clans and in societies as they do here, it is their privilege. No doubt they yet, more or less, see, hear, converse and have to do with each other, both good and bad. If the Elders of Israel in these latter times go and preach to the spirits in prison, they associate with them, precisely as our Elders associate with the wicked in the flesh, when they go to preach to them

"Chapter 38: The Spirit World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, (1997)

Words of Comfort: Healing

In General Conference this past weekend, Elder Kent F. Richards talked about healing, and how we all need it from the Savior. Yes, sometimes we are healed by having our burdens taken from us. But often (as in my own life) healing comes through the gifts of strength, understanding, and patience in our suffering. Heavenly Father did not bring our Riley back, even though we wanted it more than anything. While the paramedics and doctors were working on him, we believed so strongly that he would be revived. But this was not Heavenly Father's will. Our lives were broken and our hearts were shattered. Never in my life have I been more in need of healing. It has already been a long road, and I know I am still on the path to complete healing, but the Savior has indeed been there, and I have received so much strength, from the very beginning. My testimony has been strengthened, and over time, I have been blessed with small pieces of understanding that have further strengthened my testimony and my trust in God. I have also been blessed with patience -- patience for the blessings which have been promised me. We will be with Riley again, and we will have the opportunity to raise him during the Millennium. But we need to be patient and live faithfully.

Words of Comfort: See, Hear and Understand Spiritual Things

When the spirits leave their bodies, … they are prepared then to see, hear and understand spiritual things. … Can you see spirits in this room? No. Suppose the Lord should touch your eyes that you might see, could you then see the spirits? Yes, as plainly as you now see bodies, as did the servant of [Elisha] [see 2 Kings 6:16–17]. If the Lord would permit it, and it was his will that it should be done, you could see the spirits that have departed from this world, as plainly as you now see bodies with your natural eyes


"Chapter 38: The Spirit World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young, (1997)