Facing Loneliness and Suicide with Faith (3)

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

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In this life, there are many times when we are feel lonely and it may be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Even more, mental illnesses are difficult to resolve since it’s as serious as a physical illness. It’s not just a simple emotional state. The heavy burdens weighing on one’s shoulders could make one feel like the struggles are endless. The depth of pain could make you feel like God doesn’t care. Above all, loss of hope may be generating the loss of faith. If you feel like you have lost faith in God or yourself, please take a minute to read this paper.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are blessed with opportunities to make covenants with our Heavenly Father. A covenant is a personal holy promise that we make with God. It is eternal and will carry out through the next life. We promise Him we will do something here on Earth, and He promises us that we will receive blessings in return. God is our loving Father who wants what’s best for us. He will never fail, forget, or let us down. If we do our part, He will always do His. In the Bible, we read that “for all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us.” (2 Corinthians 1:20) When we give Him the respect and love He deserves, we will be blessed beyond measure through the covenants we make.

Many of us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, starting at a young age, have been singing the song “I Know My Savior Loves Me.” Yet, it is common to become convinced that the savior has left us abandoned. Even further, one can become convinced that God and Jesus Christ don’t exist. But, if we try to connect the dots of these two ideas of being forgotten and the absence of God, we can tell that they can’t be connected directly. If we learn the gospel, we learn that God has and is always there through the rough times. It is difficult to comprehend God’s works when we cannot see, hear, or feel them physically. Spiritually though, we can come to know the truth. God sets forth trails to test us. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “Life is not easy, nor was it meant to be. It is a time of testing and trial.” (Shipshape and Bristol Fashion, Cook) In the case of feeling lonely, it may be that this is your chance to relearn what relationships are supposed to be. Maybe God wants you to strengthen the relationship between you two. Maybe God wants you to experience loneliness to be able to help others in the future who feel lonely. Maybe God wants you to experience loneliness to taste the opposite side: joy in connecting with others. Suicidal thoughts may become the chance to reorganize what life is for you. It is important to understand that trials don’t come only with pain. It brings renewal and happiness at its tail.

When in doubt about whether or not God is there for you, give it a try. God teaches us through the scriptures, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Although answers may be delayed or small, Heavenly father will provide you with peace and healing. Even if your faith is small, the desire to grow your faith will draw you closer to God. A major tool that the Lord has given us to help us through trials is the teachings of faith. As human beings, it is our natural tendency to be distrusting of things we can’t see. Paul the Apostle teaches us,

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:1,3)

Throughout this life, faith is necessary because we are physically separated from God. When bad things happen, we must trust that God has a bigger plan, one that we don’t yet fully understand. As the scripture says, Heavenly Father made this very earth of things that we couldn’t see, but now here we live on and see the very product of what we before couldn’t see. Yes, a small seed of faith could grow in to a strong fruitful tree.

Contrary to the positivity we can find in growing through mental struggles, sometimes “people mistakenly think feelings of depression are the result of unrighteousness or unworthiness” (Murdock, par. 11). In the church magazine on “Dealing with Depression” by Eric B. Murdock, he writes that sin could lead to misery, but the misery does not directly mean you were unrighteous. One could be completely righteous and still experience mental burdens. As hard as it may seem, the trials we are given (including loneliness and suicide) are actually for our benefit. We can trust in the Lord’s promise, that He will provide and make us greater than we were before. After being unfairly put in jail, God told the prophet Joseph Smith “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.” (D&C 122:7) Heavenly Father always keeps His promises when we choose to accept them.

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If you find yourself in a difficult spot, try thinking of your trials from an eternal perspective. It is important to know that earthly challenges only last for small periods of time through the eyes of God. Developing an eternal mindset with whatever events happen in life is the fundamental key to be happy in this mortal life. Even if believing in eternity is difficult, a struggle is not going to continue on for a whole life span. So, when you are convinced that there is no light, see yourself from another person. It is always true that you don’t have to give up. As elder Jeffrey R. Holland said,

“Whatever your struggle, my brothers and sisters—mental or emotional or physical or otherwise—do not vote against the preciousness of life by ending it! Trust in God. Hold on in His love.” (Like a Broken Vessel, Holland)

No matter what happens during this life, we can trust in His word. As people experience the effects of loneliness and suicide here on Earth, they must use their faith in God’s promises to overcome the sadness and pain they currently feel. I love the words of Alma when he says, “… and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you.” (Alma 32:27) Heavenly Father is aware of each of His children and their trials. He’ll help us along the path back to Him. Through the covenants we make with Him and our own personal faith, all things will happen in their due time throughout this life and the next to come.