“An Opportunity for Growth”

By Michael R. Morris

Church Magazines

For Dianne Cooper, the sudden death of her husband was the hardest thing she ever had to face.

a young woman resting her head on the shoulder of an older woman

When Dianne Cooper heard about the Church’s emotional resilience course, she decided it was something she “might want to look into in the future.” Little did she know how important the course would soon become to her.

“In April 2020 my eternal companion passed away very suddenly,” says Dianne, a member of the Discovery Park Ward in Las Vegas, Nevada. “I am a firm believer in the gospel and eternal families. Even with that knowledge, I was grieving profoundly. My husband’s death was the hardest thing I had ever encountered. Grief is one of the prices we pay for deep love.”

Dianne felt that the emotional resilience course would bless her, and she encouraged other members of her ward to attend with her.

“Our class was a combination of single sisters, widows, a couple married for many years, and younger sisters married with small children,” she says. “Our class developed a special bond. We all felt safe to share our feelings, and there was no judgment regarding our circumstances or comments. I really looked forward to attending class each week.”

As Dianne attended the 10-week course, she gained spiritual and practical skills that helped her work through her grief. She found support and developed strength and patience. And she was reminded that Heavenly Father and the Savior know her needs and that, in time, she could be healed.¹

“It is all right to ask for help,” she says. “Sometimes that help consists of stepping out of our comfort zone and taking action. It can also include people listening, being empathetic, loving, and praying for one another.”

The emotional resilience course is not meant as “group therapy or professional treatment for mental health issues.”² But anyone, regardless of circumstances, can benefit from learning how to become more emotionally resilient, says Dianne.

What Is Emotional Resilience?

“To become like the Savior, everyone will need to face challenges and hardships during this life,” says the workbook Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience. “Dealing with life’s challenges successfully requires faith in Jesus Christ and emotional resilience.”³

The workbook describes emotional resilience as:

“The ability to adapt to emotional challenges with courage and faith centered in Jesus Christ.
“Helping yourself and others the best you can.
“Reaching out for additional help when needed.”⁴

To help attendees develop emotional resilience, the workbook includes chapters and exercises on:

Developing healthy thinking patterns.
Caring for our bodies.
Managing stress and anxiety.
Understanding sadness and depression.
Overcoming anger.
Managing addictive behaviors.
Building healthy relationships.
Providing strength to others.
Moving forward with faith.

“Closer to My Savior”

The workbook helped Dianne set and reach goals. In the process, she says, “I drew closer to my Savior, and that increased my faith. My prayers became more fervent. I tried to be an example for others going through difficult challenges in their lives. Weekly, I shared key learnings from the course with family and friends near and far. This often evolved into deep gospel discussions.”

Dianne recommends the emotional resilience course for anyone who wants to learn positive thinking patterns and develop and maintain healthy relationships.

“As I studied, pondered, and prayed during the course, I felt the Holy Spirit more than at any other time in my life,” she says. “Each day I strive to have joy and live in a constant state of gratitude. What a blessing to have had this opportunity for growth.”