"...and all those things were done in a profound silence." [Alma 57:17]
Profound silence. Those are some of the most beautiful words I think I've ever heard.
This verse is actually referring to a group of people arming their prisoners for war. The Nephites (the Book of Mormon good guys) snuck into the Lamanites' camp (the bad guys) and gave weapons of war to the Nephite men, women, and children who had been taken captive. The Nephites were fighting to defend their families, their liberty, and their religion against the spiteful attacks of the Lamanites. They took every precaution to defend their cities, even when those acts of defense put them in danger. In this particular passage, they came into the camp in the middle of the night--while the Lamanites were asleep--to help their people defend themselves.
And these defenses had to be made in a profound silence.
I think that's really significant; if they'd made any noise, they would have awoken their enemies, which would have invited their enemies to come and attack them. The silence helped them avoid danger. It saved their lives, and the lives of those whom they went to assist.
Thinking about my own life, a lot of important moments have involved silence.
The time I knew my best friend was really my best friend was this one time when we were driving around town, neither one of us speaking, and I was actually comfortable. I didn't feel awkwardly compelled to speak. I didn't feel the need to fill the silence with noise like I usually do around other people. The silence wasn't awkward or sad; it was an unspoken confirmation of our friendship. It had profound meaning to me.
A particular image of peace and joy comes to mind. I was sitting in my backyard on a summer day, enjoying the sunshine and solitude. A warm breeze rustled through the trees, making the only audible sound in that moment. I felt no worry, no trouble, no anxiety or sadness, even though I was headed off to another state for college in just a few days. I was just calm. In that moment of profound silence, the quiet trees seemed to whisper to me, "You can do this."
I typically like to listen to music while I study and work, but I've found that I need silence when I study the scriptures. With no distractions--no invitations extended to the influences of the world to occupy my mind--I can learn of deep truths and eternal matters. I can feel the Spirit teaching me the things I need to learn. It is only in silence that these things can be heard. The things I can learn in silence defend me against many of the negative influences of this world.
A companion and I taught a lesson to a young woman several months ago, and we showed her a piece of doctrine that she had never considered before. She sat in profound silence for a moment, pondering what we had said, feeling the Spirit teach her. And she said, "It's true. It must be. You're right." That was one of the most satisfying moments I've had on my mission--helping one of God's daughters to understand her purpose. It took that moment of profound silence for her to understand, and she is so much better off for it.
I'm a firm believer that silence--profound silence--is absolutely necessary for our mental, emotional, and spiritual well being. We need a moment of stillness now and then to breathe, to ponder, to remember the important things. In a world of noise and confusion, sometimes you just need to be calm.
Take a moment of silence today and tell me about it.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
On Mistakes and Name Tags
Let me tell you a little story about the time(s) I lost my name tag. Preface: you should understand that as a Mormon missionary, my name tag is an essential part of who I am. It has my current name--Sister Nealy--and the name of the Church and the Man I represent. It sets me apart from the world and allows others to identify me as a follower of Christ. Basically, it's just really, really important to me.
That being said... it's story time.
About 5 months ago, I was serving in Corvallis, OR. One rainy day, my companion and I were rushing around town, heading from one teaching appointment to the next. Somewhere along the way, I looked down at my jacket and realized that my name tag was no longer clipped to my collar. I had no idea what had happened to it, and I started freaking out. I needed that tag! I could not let anyone else find it; it had to stay in the right hands.
In a panic, I drove us back to the area where we'd just been. I was saying a prayer in my heart that I'd be able to find it, that Heavenly Father would lead me back to the spot where my tag had fallen off. After frantically looking around all the streets and sidewalks we'd been on that day, I got discouraged and gave up.
The next day, we had another appointment in that same area. We were getting back into our car after our lesson, and I hear my companion say, "Sister Nealy, I found your name tag! But... uh..." She picked it up, and it was in pieces. Turns out I'd accidentally run it over with the car. My most prized possession, and I ran over it with a car. I was so sad; I hadn't intentionally done anything wrong, but my name tag still got destroyed. So I called the mission office the next morning and paid $4 to order a new one.
A few weeks ago, my two companions & I were at the beach in Bandon. It was a gorgeous day--unseasonably warm for January--so we decided to spend a little bit of our Preparation Day time taking pictures at the beach. I'd seen some really cool pictures of missionaries' name tags in the sand by the ocean, and I wanted to duplicate them.
So I took off my name tag (there was my first mistake), put it in the sand at what I thought was a safe distance from the ocean, and crouched down to snap the photo when the foam came up from the waves. It looked like such a great shot. But then the wave came up a lot higher than I expected, and... well...
Long story short, the ocean ate my name tag.
After much panicking and prayer, I again gave up trying to find it. I guess I deserved that one for basically throwing my name tag into the ocean; that was just a really bad idea on my part. I had to humble myself and call the mission office, pay another $4, and order another new one.
Approximately 0.5 seconds after this photo was taken, my name tag disappeared forever.
Since then, I've been a lot more careful about keeping my name tag safe. I've been very determined not to take it off for any reason, to jostle it around unnecessarily, or to do anything that might make it fall off.
But just the other day, as my companion and I came home for lunch here in Coquille, I looked down and noticed my name tag gone again! I was really upset. I mean, I hadn't even done anything stupid this time! I felt terrible. What kind of missionary loses three name tags? The worst kind, obviously. Ugh. I did not want to swallow my pride and order another one when I hadn't even done anything to lose it this time.
Then I thought--maybe there's a lesson to be learned from all of this. Since everything can be related to the gospel...
Calling the mission office has been kind of like accessing the Atonement. The Atonement of Jesus Christ allows us to correct things we've done wrong, and it gives comfort and peace in hard times. There is a price to pay--we feel guilt and we must suffer the natural consequences of our actions--but "all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ" (Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service, 52).
I had the option to swallow my pride, call the mission office again, and pay $4 to order a new name tag (which, come to think about it, is a small price to pay to keep my identity). It didn't matter how I lost the tag, whether or not it was my fault, or how many times I'd already called in. The wonderful people in the mission office didn't even ask me those questions. They just showed me love & kindness as I went to them for help.
Our Savior is the same way. He knows when we make bad choices and when bad things just happen to us. He knows how to help us, and He wants to. When we come unto Christ with a sincere heart in our time of need, He will give us the help we seek. He promises us, "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Joshua 1:5), regardless of the circumstances.
I'm grateful for a wonderful mission office that allows me to correct my mistakes & misfortunes, and I'm eternally grateful for a Savior who loves me and wants to help me no matter what stupid decisions I may make.
If any of you have any questions about the Atonement or how you can apply it to your life, please, comment or send me a message. I'd be more than happy to help you take advantage of this glorious gift.
That being said... it's story time.
About 5 months ago, I was serving in Corvallis, OR. One rainy day, my companion and I were rushing around town, heading from one teaching appointment to the next. Somewhere along the way, I looked down at my jacket and realized that my name tag was no longer clipped to my collar. I had no idea what had happened to it, and I started freaking out. I needed that tag! I could not let anyone else find it; it had to stay in the right hands.
In a panic, I drove us back to the area where we'd just been. I was saying a prayer in my heart that I'd be able to find it, that Heavenly Father would lead me back to the spot where my tag had fallen off. After frantically looking around all the streets and sidewalks we'd been on that day, I got discouraged and gave up.
The next day, we had another appointment in that same area. We were getting back into our car after our lesson, and I hear my companion say, "Sister Nealy, I found your name tag! But... uh..." She picked it up, and it was in pieces. Turns out I'd accidentally run it over with the car. My most prized possession, and I ran over it with a car. I was so sad; I hadn't intentionally done anything wrong, but my name tag still got destroyed. So I called the mission office the next morning and paid $4 to order a new one.
My badge of honor.
A few weeks ago, my two companions & I were at the beach in Bandon. It was a gorgeous day--unseasonably warm for January--so we decided to spend a little bit of our Preparation Day time taking pictures at the beach. I'd seen some really cool pictures of missionaries' name tags in the sand by the ocean, and I wanted to duplicate them.
So I took off my name tag (there was my first mistake), put it in the sand at what I thought was a safe distance from the ocean, and crouched down to snap the photo when the foam came up from the waves. It looked like such a great shot. But then the wave came up a lot higher than I expected, and... well...
Long story short, the ocean ate my name tag.
After much panicking and prayer, I again gave up trying to find it. I guess I deserved that one for basically throwing my name tag into the ocean; that was just a really bad idea on my part. I had to humble myself and call the mission office, pay another $4, and order another new one.
Since then, I've been a lot more careful about keeping my name tag safe. I've been very determined not to take it off for any reason, to jostle it around unnecessarily, or to do anything that might make it fall off.
But just the other day, as my companion and I came home for lunch here in Coquille, I looked down and noticed my name tag gone again! I was really upset. I mean, I hadn't even done anything stupid this time! I felt terrible. What kind of missionary loses three name tags? The worst kind, obviously. Ugh. I did not want to swallow my pride and order another one when I hadn't even done anything to lose it this time.
Then I thought--maybe there's a lesson to be learned from all of this. Since everything can be related to the gospel...
Calling the mission office has been kind of like accessing the Atonement. The Atonement of Jesus Christ allows us to correct things we've done wrong, and it gives comfort and peace in hard times. There is a price to pay--we feel guilt and we must suffer the natural consequences of our actions--but "all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ" (Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service, 52).
I had the option to swallow my pride, call the mission office again, and pay $4 to order a new name tag (which, come to think about it, is a small price to pay to keep my identity). It didn't matter how I lost the tag, whether or not it was my fault, or how many times I'd already called in. The wonderful people in the mission office didn't even ask me those questions. They just showed me love & kindness as I went to them for help.
Our Savior is the same way. He knows when we make bad choices and when bad things just happen to us. He knows how to help us, and He wants to. When we come unto Christ with a sincere heart in our time of need, He will give us the help we seek. He promises us, "I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee" (Joshua 1:5), regardless of the circumstances.
I'm grateful for a wonderful mission office that allows me to correct my mistakes & misfortunes, and I'm eternally grateful for a Savior who loves me and wants to help me no matter what stupid decisions I may make.
If any of you have any questions about the Atonement or how you can apply it to your life, please, comment or send me a message. I'd be more than happy to help you take advantage of this glorious gift.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Fixing Broken Things
Many of you know that I'm fascinated by mental disorders. When I'm not a missionary, I'm avidly learning about psychology and all the various things that can go wrong with a person's personality or mood. My plan for when my mission is over is to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology so I can participate in research and diagnostics for people with disorders like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and antisocial personality disorder.
As strange as it sounds, there's one disorder that is especially close to my heart--Major Depressive Disorder. I have several close friends and loved ones who deal with this condition. Thinking of these loved ones--and everyone else who has depression--makes me want so badly to help in any way I can.
Being a missionary, I'm taking time off from my passion of psychology to focus on my other passion--the gospel of Jesus Christ. I signed up to spend 18 months out here to help others improve their spiritual well-being as opposed to their mental well-being. What I didn't realize (though I probably should have) is how closely related those two things are.
This talk is probably one of my favorite things that I've ever heard. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, one of the Twelve Apostles on the earth today, gave this address to the Church in October of 2013. It deeply touched my heart; I want to encourage all of you to read/watch it.
This talk touches a lot on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through the Atonement, all things will be made whole. Elder Holland said near the end of this address: "Though we may feel we are “like a broken vessel,” as the Psalmist says, we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind."
Mental disorders are something that doctors of psychology are still trying to understand. We don't know how to cure them or what causes them. We may never fully understand these issues in this life, although we will continue to do what we can. I find great comfort in the thought that those who suffer from mental illness can be succored to some degree in this life by an understanding Savior; I find great joy in knowing that all will be made whole in the eternities.
I am grateful for a combined understanding of things both temporal and eternal. I will devote my professional life to finding immediate treatments for disorders, and I will continue to devote my spiritual life to helping others find the healing balm of peace through the Atonement.
As strange as it sounds, there's one disorder that is especially close to my heart--Major Depressive Disorder. I have several close friends and loved ones who deal with this condition. Thinking of these loved ones--and everyone else who has depression--makes me want so badly to help in any way I can.
Being a missionary, I'm taking time off from my passion of psychology to focus on my other passion--the gospel of Jesus Christ. I signed up to spend 18 months out here to help others improve their spiritual well-being as opposed to their mental well-being. What I didn't realize (though I probably should have) is how closely related those two things are.
This talk is probably one of my favorite things that I've ever heard. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, one of the Twelve Apostles on the earth today, gave this address to the Church in October of 2013. It deeply touched my heart; I want to encourage all of you to read/watch it.
This talk touches a lot on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Through the Atonement, all things will be made whole. Elder Holland said near the end of this address: "Though we may feel we are “like a broken vessel,” as the Psalmist says, we must remember, that vessel is in the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind."
Mental disorders are something that doctors of psychology are still trying to understand. We don't know how to cure them or what causes them. We may never fully understand these issues in this life, although we will continue to do what we can. I find great comfort in the thought that those who suffer from mental illness can be succored to some degree in this life by an understanding Savior; I find great joy in knowing that all will be made whole in the eternities.
I am grateful for a combined understanding of things both temporal and eternal. I will devote my professional life to finding immediate treatments for disorders, and I will continue to devote my spiritual life to helping others find the healing balm of peace through the Atonement.
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