Wow. I didn’t realize how long it had been since I wrote on here! Life has been busy…a good type of busy, but busy nonetheless. I really love writing and sharing my thoughts, so I do plan to post on here, but not as frequently since I have school, work, and other things to do 🙂 Anyway…onto my thoughts for the day:
In one of my classes, we had the opportunity to watch the talk given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland titled “Lessons from Liberty Jail”. I absolutely love this talk. If you haven’t read or heard it before, I highly recommend you drop everything you are doing and go listen to this talk right now. Elder Holland’s talks are always powerful, but I think that they are even better when you hear them from Elder Holland himself, so if I were you, I would watch the video… 🙂 I’ll even make it easy for you…just press play!
For class, we were asked to write our thoughts from the talk, I thought it would be nice to share them here as well….
The three Lessons from Liberty Jail:
Lesson 1: Everyone is going to face difficulties and trials in their life.
We came to this earth not to live perfect lives, but to learn and grow; that is what trials and difficulties do for us. I love when Elder Holland says “everyone, including, and perhaps especially, the righteous, will be called upon to face trying times.” Trials are not always punishment for sin, but they are gifts from God to help us become more like Him.
Lesson 2: Even worthy people are going to have struggles
Like I mentioned before, even righteous people are going to go through trying times. Elder Holland mentioned the song “Nearer my God to Thee”. He explains that while in our prisons or jails, (aka when we are in distress or experiencing a trial) is when we are usually most near to God. We are usually more humble and seeking truth when we are at our lowest or in darkness, therefore we are inviting God into our life.
Lesson 3: Be and stay patient, calm, and forgiving
I absolutely loved when elder Holland told us that we do not have the responsibility or power to seek revenge on those who did us wrong. It is however, our responsibility to do as Christ would, and forgive those who have done us wrong. We also need to stay calm and patient as we wait for the storm to pass and the sun to shine. We have to remember that storms are never continual, and the sun will soon shine again.
How do these apply to me personally?
Every time I hear or read this talk, it resonates with my soul and heart. This time especially, I needed to hear this talk. About a year ago there was someone who did something to me that sent me into a really dark place. I was extremely depressed, sick, and caught in the anger and despair of what had happened. I let it consume me and become my identity. I didn’t understand why Heavenly Father would let this happen to me, when I had righteously been striving and putting my entire effort in following His path for me.
Looking back, I realize that this experience really helped me grow closer to Heavenly Father and helped me to realize that I am never alone, I have strength to overcome anything life throws at me, and that I am HIS daughter. I realize that it’s not my job to hold onto that anger, I need to forgive people for the things they did to me so that I personally can have peace in my life. Even though the path might not always be smooth or easy, the destination is worth every single obstacle that gets in the way, and that we have God on our side helping us get through those obstacles.
Thanks for reading! If you have read/seen the talk, let me know your insights and thoughts!
‘Till next time,
Kiara 😀