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 sad, angry, or even feeling nothing at all. In those times, we need something to hold on to: an anchor in the midst of chaos.
Photo by Lerone Pieters.
In Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s talk “Like a Broken Vessel” he says to “trust in God. Hold on in His love. Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of mortality will flee. Though we may feel we are ‘like a broken vessel,’…we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter.”
If we trust in God and hold on to whatever hope we can find, we will eventually see the dawn break through our darkness. In the meantime, our job is to choose to stay. This isn’t always an easy task. There will be times when it is hard to keep going. In those times, here are three things that we can hold on to:
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- We never have to be alone. Friends, loved ones, and others are ready and willing to help us. (See Choose to Stay, Mental Health Services, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, CAPs, Encircle.)
- Remember that God loves you. As Thomas S. Monson said in his talk “We Never Walk Alone,” “God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there.”
- There will be better days to come. (See “An High Priest of Good Things to Come” by Jeffery R. Holland.)
If we trust in God and hold on to whatever hope we can find, we will gain strength we never knew was possible, and in the end, all of our struggles will be for our good. (See D&C 122:6–8.)
Read or watch Elder Holland’s talk, “Like a Broken Vessel.”
Remember that there are always better times ahead by reading another talk by Elder Holland called “An High Priest of Good Things to Come.”
Source: General Conference of the Church
—Robbyn Merrell, Mormon Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY MARCO BIANCHETTI
Find more insights
If you have had suicidal thoughts, need help, or knows someone who is struggling, please visit these sites for encouragement and help
Suicide Prevention: Choose to Stay Video
Sitting on the Bench: Thoughts on Suicide Prevention