Additional Resources
Resources
Infographics
- Disability Resources Available
- Connecting with those who are Blind at Church
- Connecting with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing at Church
- Connecting with those with Disabilities at Church
- Access the Scriptures More Fully
- Making Scripture Study Accessible
- Family Search Services for Deaf
Articles
Aging
- Let’s Make Someone Happy Today”
- Enjoying the Later Years”
- On the Covenant Path with a Cane
- To the Elderly in the Church
- Of Walkers, Wheelchairs, and Wisdom
- The Greatest of These
- The Golden Years
- Friends of All Ages
- Earl
- Serving: The Desire That Never Grows Old
- Taking Care of Mom and Dad
- “So Much to Live For”
- Growing Older
- Relief Society Recognized for Service to Senior Sisters
- Jarvis Seegmiller: Adding Life to Old Age
- Investing in the Golden Years
- The Key to Spiritual Protection
- Grandpa Pal, Grandma Beth: How They Handle Aging
- Our Responsibility to Care for Our Own
- My “Forgetter” Is Getting Better
- Senior Missionaries: Needed, Blessed, and Loved
- Providing Care for Elderly Loved Ones
Blind
- Catch the Vision, Share the Vision!
- Unclouding My Vision
- Blind but Not Lost
- We Must Go to the Temple Now!
- A Christmas Hug
- Libuletswe Gofrey Mokgatle—Gauteng, South Africa
- We Were Both Blessed
“Building the Kingdom in Australia”
“Choosing to Live: Overcoming Suicidal Thoughts”
- Knowing “Enough” about Suicide
- Reaching Out for Help after My Friend’s Suicide
- I Chose to Stay. Here’s How You Can Help Someone Stay Too
- Understanding Suicide: Warning Signs and Prevention
- Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders
- You Can Choose to Stay
- Why I Choose to Help
- Suicide Prevention
- General Conference and Being Made Whole
- Learning to Skin a Skunk
- The Gospel: An Eternal Life Hack
- Teach Me to Fly: Achieving Emotional Self-Reliance in the Lord’s Way
- Finding a Mental Health Professional Who’s Right for You
- 14 Ways to Get Your Emotional Health Back on Track
- Why I’m Not Afraid of Mental Health Counseling Anymore
- He Shall Prepare a Way
- Overcoming the Plague of Addiction
- Finding Peace in the Storm of Addiction
Chronic Illness
- Helping Others Receive the Lord’s Healing
- Serving a Full-Time Mission Was My Plan, but Heavenly Father Helped Me When Plans Changed
- Aussie Boy Sends Heartfelt Thanks to the Prophet
- He Wants Me to Be Happy
- 5 Lessons Learned from Watching My Sister Battle Cancer
- Serving a Stranger
- Questions and Answers
- The Power of Whennull
- Faith in God’s Plan for Me
- Louie B. Felt: Dedicating Her Life to Children
- The Promise of Our Future Together
- Lizochka’s Heart
- Before Our Journey’s Through
- I’m Grateful for Your Feet
- Challenges, Miracles, and Testimonies
- The Lord Spoke Peace to Me
- Don’t Run Away
- A Gift of Life and Love
- Returning Home Early from My Mission
- Supported in Our Trials
- We Chose to Serve
- Uniquely Blessed by Indexing
- My Father’s Loving Example
- Cancer, Courage, and Conversion
- Heavy Trials, Tender Mercies
- The True Miracle of Healing
- My Regrets, Her Forgiveness
- Watched Over by Our Heavenly Father
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Developmental Disability
- Portraits of Faith: Esther Cox
- Portraits of Faith: Ulisses and Emilia Maio
- Special Gifts from Having Sam
- Blessed to Be Sammy’s Mother
- A Second Chance
- A Father’s Love
- The Spirit of Visiting Teaching
- Serving While Living with Disabilities
- Blessed by My Faithful Sister
- Regaining My Covenants
- Watching Our Baby Leave This Life
- Delva Netane—California, USA
- Victor Barbinyagra—Kharkiv, Ukraine
- Getting Help to Help Others
Disability
- The Church’s Online Resources Aim to Help Individuals with Disabilities
- Let’s Pray Near the Temple
- Portraits of Faith: Esther Cox
- Rediscovering God after a Serious Brain Injury
- They Remembered Me
- The Spirit of the Sacrament
- Changing Our Hearts through Charity
- Small and Simple Acts of Service
- My Lesson in Love
- It’s a Short Flight
- Fragile Instruments Played with Power
- Bearing One Another’s Burdens
- Caring for the Needy in Our Families
- Facing Health Setbacks with a Gospel Perspective
- Bearing One Another’s Burdens
- 4 Ways to Serve Families with Disabilities
- Creating a Culture of Inclusion
Eating Disorders
- Feeling ”Good Enough”: 3 Ways to Overcome Negative Self-Image
- I Am Worth Fighting For: Overcoming My Eating Disorder
- Learning to Love Myself after an Eating Disorder
- Understanding and Supporting Those with Eating Disorders
Inclusion
Learning Disabilities
Mental Health
- Helping Others Forgive: A Therapist’s Perspective
- The Joy and Pain of Motherhood
- If Your Mission Ended Early, Don’t Give Up
- Early-Returned Missionaries: You Aren’t Alone
- I Returned Early from My Mission—Did I Ruin God’s Plan for Me?
- Supporting Missionaries Who Come Home Early
- Finding Joy through Christ despite Returning Home Early from My Mission
- Overcoming Discouragement
- A Promise to a Child
- How to Build Confidence and Self-Esteem
- Helping Children Understand Their Emotions
- My Battle with Religious OCD
- Understanding Scrupulosity (Religious OCD)
- The Hunt for Happiness
- My Willing Heart, My Bishop, and My Schizophrenia
- What Church Leaders Are Saying about Mental Health
- How Do I Talk to My Kids about Mental Health?
- Is Therapy Right for Me?
- How to Belong at Church When You Have Social Anxiety
- Portraits of Faith: Berglind Guðnason
- They Set Aside Their Trials
- How Do I Support a Child Who Is Feeling Depressed?
- The Savior Knows Your Pain
- A 3-Step Guide to Maintaining Your Mental Health
- Connection Helped Me Combat Depression
- Including Your Spouse in Your Mental Health
- For Missionaries Struggling with Mental Health
- I Finally Admitted That I Had Depression. Christ Helped Me out of the Darkness
- How To Set Boundaries for Well-Being
- What Mental Illness Taught Me about Who I Am
- Finding Peace in Christ in the Midst of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Will the Lord Heal Our Son?
- Upon the Top of the Waters
- I Heard the Children
- Sustained by God’s Love
- I Thank Thee for This Body
- A Bouquet of Blessings
- Depression
Physical Disabilities
- Portraits of Faith: Rodrigo Quintanilla
- What Church Leaders Are Saying about the Gift of Our Bodies
- Finding Purpose and Peace in the Refiner’s Fire
- Portraits of Faith: Wilson Di Paula
- Would He Understand?
- A Magnificent New Chapter
- Rekindling Hope for My Future
- Paralyzed but Not Pessimistic
- How I Found Faith When I Felt like I Had Lost Everything
- Sometimes Trials Don’t End—and Other Lessons I’ve Learned since Becoming a Quadriplegic
- Portraits of Faith: Ulisses and Emilia Maio
- Jesus Christ Can Reach You, No Matter Your Circumstances
- Hiking to the Y in My Wheelchair
- What My Daughter’s Disability Taught Me about Grace
- Would You Like Some Flowers?
- Christ Has Felt My Pain
- Dealing with Coming Home Early
- Deciding for Myself
- The Spirit Worked Slowly on Me
- How Eric Learned to Trust God
- Family Bonds: A Strength and a Blessing
Speech
- My Stutter Didn’t Stop the Spirit
- Rediscovering God after a Serious Brain Injury
- The Spirit of the Sacrament
“The Real Miracle”
- Cristina’s Many Miracles
- Physical Comfort from the Scriptures
- A Love Greater than Terminal Illness
- Finding Help after Nancy’s Death
- Portraits of Faith: Ilir Dodaj
- The Lord’s Help through Two Brain Surgeries
- Counsel I Did Not Want to Hear
- Saving My Mother
- Michael Isaac—Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Blanca Solis—Asunción, Paraguay
Traumatic Brain Injury
Objective: Help family members understand:
- Things that are good to do when you meet someone with a disability.
- All of God’s children can help one another.
Hymns and Songs:
- “I Am a Child of God” (Children’s Songbook, 2–3)
- “Every Star Is Different” (Children’s Songbook, 142–43)
- “I’ll Walk with You” (Children’s Songbook, 140–41)
- “Jesus Said Love Everyone” (Children’s Songbook, 61)
- “Love One Another” (Hymns, no. 308)
- “I’m Trying to Be like Jesus” (Children’s Songbook, 78)
Lesson for young children: As a family, read “Katie and Quincy” from the October 2018 Friend. Discuss the “Friends with Disabilities” section at the bottom of the story, including some of the things that are good to do and things that you should not do when you meet someone with a disability.
Activity for young children: Role-play meeting someone with a special need. Practice doing some of the things that you should do when you meet them. See if family members can guess what you are doing from the list of suggestions in the article.
Lesson for youth: As a family, read “Really Seeing the Gospel” from the October 2018 New Era. Then discuss the following:
- What were some things that impressed you about Conner?
- What were some things that Conner’s family and peers did that impressed you?
- Can you share any experiences in your life where you have been influenced by an individual with a disability?
- Do you have a disability? What are things others have done that have not been helpful? What are some things others have done that were helpful? How did these situations make you feel?
- How can you help all of God’s children feel loved and welcome?
Challenge: Identify at least one thing you could do this week to help all of God’s children feel loved and welcome in situations you will be in.
Helpful Resources:
“How Do I Talk to My Kids about Disabilities?,” Ensign, June 2020, 58–59
Here are some tips on helping everyone feel included, no matter the distance.
- Personally invite them to participate.
- Explore accessible formats with them. For example, many online meeting formats offer a feature to turn on closed captions while meeting. See what else could be done to meet individual needs in your area.
- Be sure to give them opportunities to respond in class discussions.
- For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, make sure they can see the teacher and class members.
- Follow up to make sure they had a good experience and if any changes need to be made.
For more ideas about making church a good experience for members with disabilities please see: disability.churchofjesuschrist.org
Many missionary opportunities are available for members with disabilities who have a desire to serve a mission. If you feel the Spirit prompting you to serve a mission, communicate your desire to your parents or caregiver and your bishop or branch president. To learn more about missionary opportunities for members with disabilities, please visit ChurchofJesusChrist.org/service-missionary or seniormissionary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Resources listed below are not created, maintained, or controlled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These materials are intended to serve as additional helpful resources as you study this topic. The Church does not endorse any content that is not in keeping with its doctrines and teachings.
- Podcast People with disabilities in religious communities
- ADD/ADHD
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Anxiety
- Autism
- Blindness
- Council for Exceptional Children
- Deafness
- Down Syndrome
- Dyslexia
- Epilepsy
- Food Allergies
- Hard of Hearing
- Intellectual Disabilities
- Learning Disabilities
- Medical Conditions
- Mental Health
- Nonverbal
- Physical Limitations (Orthopedic Impairments)
- Stroke
- Symbol It App
- That All May Worship
- Tourette Syndrome
- Traumatic Brain Injury