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7 Ways the Gospel of Jesus Christ Can Improve Mental Health
The blessings of the gospel can help us find peace amid mental health issues.
Throughout my life, I have always felt my emotions on a deep level and struggled with my mental health.
Despite these challenges, I have found ways to cope with anxiety and depression. Tools like taking medication and working with a mental health professional have helped so much! But truly, what helps me the most is being able to connect to a source of peace that purges the darkness from my life: Jesus Christ and His gospel.
And I’m not alone! Studies have shown that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better mental health outcomes.
Living the gospel can help you find light too! Here are just seven things the gospel can provide as you navigate mental health struggles:
1. Purpose and Direction
Because of the gospel, we know that we are children of heavenly parents and that there is a purpose to life. We also have an end goal to work toward: becoming like our Savior and striving to return home to our Heavenly Father.
President Russell M. Nelson recently taught: “Because of Jesus Christ’s infinite Atonement, our Heavenly Father’s plan is a perfect plan! An understanding of God’s fabulous plan takes the mystery out of life and the uncertainty out of our future.”
These divine truths can help us stay connected to what matters most when mental health struggles make life feel uncertain.
2. A Place to Belong
As disciples of Christ, we are all united in following the Savior. Through living the gospel, we can build a social network of friends and support.
In fact, Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, “I can assure you that the light of a new day shines brighter in our lives when we see and treat our fellow beings with respect and dignity and as true brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Being a member of the Church can instill a sense of belonging in us. And the connections we make can reduce the feelings of loneliness that accompany mental health issues.
3. Divine Coping Mechanisms
When we struggle with mental health, coping skills can help us process our emotions in a healthy way. And spiritual habits like sincere prayer, scripture study, and temple worship can also be effective for coping with anxiety or depression. Doing these things invites the Holy Ghost, who is known as the Comforter (see John 14:26), into our lives.
4. Guidelines for Physical Health
When working with a doctor to cope with anxiety or depression, the first line of defense for these disorders is often to live a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise. Looking at the Word of Wisdom (see Doctrine and Covenants 89), you might see how the blessings of this commandment can benefit our mental health.
Our mind, body, and spirit are all connected, and following the Word of Wisdom helps us take care of all parts of ourselves, which may also give our mental health a needed boost.
5. Hope through Covenants
Mental health challenges can make life feel bleak and too much to bear at times.
But the gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of hope. The covenants we make with Heavenly Father offer us more stability, security, and reasons to hope than anything else in the world!
Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “Keeping covenants … provides us with strength to withstand mortality’s trials and heartaches. The doctrine associated with these covenants eases our way and provides hope, comfort, and peace.”
6. Relief by Serving Others
While service through callings or ministering might seem taxing when you are struggling with your own burdens, when we reach out to lift others, it’s easier to look outside of ourselves and be reminded of the love Heavenly Father has for us.
President Camille N. Johnson, Relief Society General President, testified, “We can partner with the Savior to help provide temporal and spiritual relief for those in need—and in the process find our own relief in Jesus Christ.”
7. Peace and Rest
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ do not expect us to be perfect “at this point in our eternal progression.” To prevent perfectionism from negatively affecting our mental health, it can be helpful to remember that, in this life, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ simply want us to turn our hearts to Them, to rely on the Savior’s help when we make mistakes, and to stay on the covenant path.
President Nelson testified: “As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, our hearts and our very natures begin to change. The Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest.”
I think that is something we all crave—peace and rest from the burdens of life. And that’s what the gospel of Jesus Christ continually offers us.
For me, the gospel continues to dispel the webs of darkness in the world and reconnect me with the Savior’s threads of light.