Finding Comfort in Times of Sorrow

Group of friends standing together

Sometimes, you’ll feel like you are going through the journey of life alone; God promises you aren’t.  When I was a freshman in college, a young girl in my home ward took her own life. I hadn’t been very close with her growing up, but we had gone to church… Continue reading

Suicide Doesn’t Define Eternity

Hand reaching out over ocean

When someone we love takes their own life, how do we respond? I always tried to be sensitive to the complex emotions and pain of people who were affected by suicide, but I never truly felt those emotions myself until recently, when a close friend decided to end his life.… Continue reading

When Feeling Happy Just Isn’t Possible: Reasons to Hold On

Depression affects everyone at one point or another. When those times hit, we need a reason to hold on, a reason to keep going, a reason to stay. Sometimes life isn’t all we hoped it would be. We face disappointment, fear, and devastation. Sometimes we can’t explain why we’re feeling… Continue reading

Finding Redemption through Prayer

Just when life felt unbearable, a man found courage through prayer to keep living and to start changing. At one point or another, each of us has made mistakes that result in the absence of the Spirit, leading to a feeling of darkness. If we don’t address these mistakes quickly… Continue reading

Seeing, Stopping, and Surviving Suicide

two women on couch in mourning

You or someone you know may be thinking of suicide. Learn how to tell, how to help, and how to heal after a suicide attempt.  According to Dr. Kenichi Shimokawa of LDS Family Services, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people between 15 and 29 years of age… Continue reading

Finding Healing from the Pain of Suicide

Woman staring at the ocean

I learned that being left behind by suicide is difficult and painful—but there is hope. Grief is like the tide: vast, unfathomable, and alternately crashing on the beach or pulling away into the sea. Often without warning, those grieving are fine one moment and broken the next. The morning I… Continue reading

Stronger with the Savior: Battling Suicidal Thoughts

Even when it feels like life is at its darkest point, we can lean on Jesus Christ to receive the strength we need to overcome our greatest battles.  When facing a seemingly insurmountable trial in our lives, it’s easy to feel hopeless and alone. One mother from Iceland shares her experience battling… Continue reading

Combating Suicide

Man sitting alone on bench in darkness

The LDS Church has recently launched a new webpage, “Preventing Suicide,” to combat suicide and its traumatic effects.  Suicide is difficult for many of us to talk about—perhaps because we don’t want to be vulnerable, make others uncomfortable, or say the wrong thing to someone who we know is struggling.… Continue reading

Talking about Suicide

The most important thing we must remember when discussing suicide is that Heavenly Father is a merciful and just God who knows the intents of our hearts.  Suicide is understandably a difficult topic to address emotionally, verbally, and socially. In his article “Suicide: Some Things We Know, and Some We Do… Continue reading