Trust in God
S&I Annual Broadcast January 2024
Friday, January 26, 2024
It is a blessing to address you—you who do so much to lead younger generations to Christ. Yours is the work of teaching and conversion. Your companion is the Holy Spirit. Your reward is indescribable. In the Savior’s words, “How great shall be your joy … in the kingdom of my Father!”1
I appreciate what we have heard from the commissioner of education, Elder Clark G. Gilbert, and the administrator of Seminaries and Institutes, Brother Chad H Webb. I admire and enjoy serving with both men. I endorse the wise direction and counsel we have just received from each. They know whereof they speak. I’m excited about the growth in both seminary and institute that Brother Webb reported. Congratulations and thanks to all who’ve had any role in that.
I hope you’ll remember Elder Gilbert’s words about studying and amplifying the prophetic emphases of President Russell M. Nelson, together with others of the apostles and prophets. The examples he cited about how this is being done, and done effectively, are especially helpful. You may be able to duplicate various of them and find inspiration for other applications in your circumstances. This is an important initiative in Church education and will bear vital fruit.
I’m particularly excited—intrigued, even—by what Brother Webb has announced regarding thematic lessons in seminary. He stressed that we will continue to use our sequential scriptures approach as the foundation for the seminary curriculum but that we will add a variety of lessons in most weeks that treat such themes as missions, the temple, educational preparation, scripture study skills, emotional resilience, life skills, teachings of the latter-day prophets, etcetera. To me, this seems like adding some extra fruit and a fresh pinch of seasoning to the pie. It’s going to be delicious. With you, I am anxious to learn from this approach, and I rejoice in being able to provide something extra to those who make the effort and sacrifices to be in seminary. Anyway, enjoy the pie!
I would like to speak to a concern that seems to plague us as never before in our younger generations. I am referring to very real feelings of anxiety and depression and the bitter fruit that these feelings can engender—including, at the extreme, substance abuse, self-harm, and even suicide. A few statistics:
Globally, between 2004 and 2021, reports of clinical depression among teenagers rose from 13.1% to 29.2% for females and from 5% to 11.5% for males.2 Among adolescents ages 12 to 17 years, 21% had experienced a major depressive episode at least once in their life, and 15% in the past year.3 These figures do not take into account the lesser but significant challenge of nonclinical depression and anxiety that affect many more youth.4 According to WebMD, nearly 60% of those who suffer from anxiety also suffer from depression, and vice versa.5
Church longitudinal studies of member youth showed that globally in 2018, 29% struggled with clinical levels of anxiety. Of course, this varies by country and may not be representative of all youth in each country, but the figure for clinical anxiety was, for example, in the United States, 28%; Chile, 32%; France and Belgium, 16%; South Africa, 46%; Taiwan, 18%; and New Zealand, 32%.6
Of course, many factors may contribute to or be associated with the development of depression and anxiety. In some cases, there could be genetic factors at work. There are also a number of external factors that can play a role, such as adversity (including trauma and neglect), exposure to stress, parenting styles, sexual orientation, peer and social group influence, school factors, and temperament, among others.
One relatively new factor associated with the increased prevalence of anxiety and depression is social media use. This has drawn the attention of and warnings from the office of the US Surgeon General. In the United States, it’s estimated that 95% of teenagers have social media links, with nearly two-thirds using social media every day. Studies have found that these teenagers spend an average of 3.5 hours per day on social media and report that it negatively affects their self-perceptions. There are certain patterns of online engagement that predict negative outcomes: cyberbullying, sexting, and doomscrolling, for example. (”Doomscrolling,” by the way—for those of you who, like me, have never heard of it—refers to spending long periods of time on one’s phone or computer focusing on negative news stories. Apparently, for some, that habit is compulsive and somehow darkly comforting.) Passive uses of social media—that is, spending time reviewing social media content aimlessly—increases feelings of inferiority and negative comparison, while active or purposeful social media use (such as posting, commenting, and connecting) does not have the same negative associations.
Research has also shown that there are certain protective factors that can help deter anxiety and depression. These include physical activity, affection, persistence, and self-control.
I personally believe that much of discouragement and anxiety comes from failing to understand or remember God’s plan and trust in His power when troubles arise. Without the conviction of God’s reality, His love, and His plan of happiness for His children, young minds can see their future as bleak and fragile. We are not looking for seminary and institute instructors to become counselors or mental health specialists. Rather, we provide a counterweight to factors in society that contribute to the increasing levels of anxiety and depression. We are the purveyors of hope. We are the voice of hope, the hope rooted in faith and trust in God.
An understanding of our Heavenly Father’s plan of redemption—especially the key element of that plan, the Atonement of Jesus Christ—provides ultimate reassurance. It builds and preserves spiritual and emotional resilience—knowing the why of our existence and our purpose in mortal life. We teach, by precept and example, to whom they may look for deliverance and support. Let the Savior’s words live in their hearts: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”7 Our covenants bind us to Him, and with Him we also overcome the world.
We can help students and others establish their personal foundation on the “rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God,” so that “when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon [them], it shall have no power over [them] to drag [them] down to the gulf of misery and endless wo.”8 President Russell M. Nelson expressed it this way: “The Lord has declared that despite today’s unprecedented challenges, those who build their foundations upon Jesus Christ, and have learned how to draw upon His power, need not succumb to the unique anxieties of this era.”9
We have an incomparable opportunity with this year’s course of study, the Book of Mormon. No other scripture so clearly lays out the plan of redemption. No other volume teaches more persuasively the reality and meaning of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. No other part of the scriptural canon possesses the converting power of the Book of Mormon in its witness that Jesus is the Christ and that He has overcome death, both physical and spiritual. The Book of Mormon is a plain exposition of gospel truth and the joy that is found in following gospel commandments. Its narrative is filled with examples of overcoming. The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and “the virtue of the word of God”10 is that it produces faith in the Savior—faith that pushes out the doubt, depression, and anxiety that might otherwise overwhelm us and leaving in their place strength and reassurance.
Consider a few examples:
There’s the familiar promise stated by King Benjamin: “And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.”11
Remember the reassuring declaration of Nephi as he faced persecution and depression at the time of his father’s death:
“Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth … because of mine iniquities.
“I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.
“And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. …
“O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions? …
“O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever.”12
Alma related the joy of being born again and then relying on God:
“And now, for three days and for three nights was I racked, even with the pains of a damned soul.
“And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.
“Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.
“And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
“And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! …
“Yea, and from that time even until now, I’ve labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. …
“And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.”13
Who could have had any more reason for anxiety and deep depression than Mormon, who lamented, “A continual scene of wickedness and abominations has been before mine eyes ever since I have been sufficient to behold the ways of man.”14 Yet despite a lifetime of war and trauma, he could say to Moroni, “My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers [His Resurrection], and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.”15
Alma described the Savior’s own example of dealing with incomprehensible suffering and how we, rather than despair, may turn to Him for relief and healing.
“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
“… The Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
“Now I say unto you that you must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.”16
In the Book of Mormon, we learn the true meaning and process of being born again and “[becoming] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord.”17 If we can lead our youth and young adults to spiritual rebirth, depression will evaporate and any anxiety in their lives (such as may come in delivering a talk to be broadcast worldwide) will be quite manageable. Even death itself cannot threaten their peace once they have been born of the Spirit and have learned to trust in God.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell once spoke of the “human predicament,” the fact that everything ends in death. Our accomplishments, our acquisitions, our associations all have an end, and if there is nothing more, then as “the Preacher” says in Ecclesiastes, “all is vanity and vexation of spirit.”18 Death is a fact, and we are forced to acknowledge that without a power that overcomes death, our lives would have little enduring purpose. Fortunately, we know that death has been overcome, life has purpose and meaning, and all is not vanity. By His Atonement, Jesus Christ has overcome the human predicament of death, and now, as Elder Maxwell observed, “there are only personal predicaments [our individual sins, mistakes, and failings], and from these too we may be rescued by following the teachings of him who rescued us from general extinction.”19
In all of this, we are promoting the longer view captured in President Nelson’s recent phrase “Think celestial!” We must help the rising generation reject the “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die” attitude increasingly evident in many cultures. This defeatist approach to life ignores the great plan of redemption and happiness and focuses only on immediate pleasures. It leads to unsustainable patterns and ways of living. It is a direct road to debilitating anxiety and devastating depression. President Nelson addressed this issue in his general conference address last October. He counseled:
“Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you’ll be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So, think celestial.”20
In a book he recently published titled Heart of the Matter, President Nelson elaborated on this thought, citing a frightening personal experience. He said:
“Several times in my life, I have come face-to-face with death. One of those occurred in Maputo, Mozambique, in late May 2009. While dining at the mission home there with Elder William W. Parmley, the Africa Southeast Area President, and his wife, Shanna, and with Mozambique Maputo Mission president, Blair J. Packard, and his wife Cindy, three men armed with automatic weapons burst into the room.
“In the melee that followed, one robber put a gun to my head, announced they were there to kill me and abduct my wife, and then pulled the trigger. The gun made a clicking sound but did not fire. The misfire infuriated the robber, who then kicked me in the face and knocked me to the floor. I was certain that this was the end for me. I remember thinking, ‘I am about to pass out of this life and go into the next. This is going to be a very interesting experience.’
“At the same time, another robber shoved a pistol into Wendy’s back and began rocking her chair in an attempt to pull her from it, saying, ‘You are coming with us! You are coming with us!’
“Through a series of miraculous events—and thanks in no small part to the heroic actions of Sister Cindy Packard—our lives were spared. However, as I had on several previous frightening occasions, I realized how fragile life is and how relatively few things there are in this world that have eternal significance. As those robbers threatened our lives, I was not thinking about awards or educational degrees or commendations. I was thinking about my family and the covenants I had made with the Lord.
“I fear that too many of us are living our lives as though this life is all there is, that life will not continue after death, and that what we do here has no bearing on the future. That is simply not true.
“It is imperative that we not get distracted and pulled off the covenant path by the world’s ‘shiny objects,’ meaning the honors and attention of men. Those events are of no importance whatsoever in the next world. What will matter is if we have made covenants with God and kept them.”21
My prayer is that we will be able to help all those with whom we have any influence make covenants with God and keep them. Help them cultivate faith and trust in God and find hope. Help them repent and abide in the Savior’s redeeming grace and find peace. Help them be born again as “children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters”22 and find joy. And may you receive the pleasing word of God, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”23
I give you my firm and sure witness of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The fact of His Resurrection proves the truth of what we teach in the gospel of Jesus Christ and confirms that He has all power in heaven and in earth—that He can and will fulfill His promises. He lives! You are His undershepherds, and I bless you with His love and with greater capacity to teach and care for His lambs. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.