Help and Hope from General Conference

By Bettina Monni, Rome, Italy

I never expected to hear an entire general conference talk about exactly what I was experiencing.

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family eating together in the kitchen

Photograph of author and her family by Cody Bell

After the birth of my first child, I suffered from postpartum depression. It was a wonderful time in my life because I had a son, but I could not fully experience the joy of having a baby because I was so depressed.

During this trying time, I prayed a lot to Heavenly Father. I asked Him to help me get through this difficult trial. With general conference approaching that fall, I also prayed that I might find comfort from the talks by leaders of the Church.

As I listened to the talks during the first session of general conference, I began to feel comforted. Then, during the second session, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke about depression. He said depression can make us feel “like a broken vessel”¹ (Psalm 31:12). I never expected to hear an entire talk about exactly what I was experiencing.

This was a special moment for me. The talk helped me understand that Heavenly Father loves me and that He is aware of me. He understood what I was going through. He wanted to help me and give me hope. He did that through the words of Elder Holland.