This is an edited version of a talk I gave at church in the Plum Canyon Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints three days after an active shooter incident at Saugus High School on Thursday, November 14, 2019. The principles discussed in the talk seem to be even more relevant and meaningful now, and to more people, as the world seeks to deal with a growing pandemic. I invite you to read this and ask, “Who are the helpers now?”
This week has been a difficult, frightening, painful, trying week for us here in Saugus, California, particularly for students of Saugus High School and their parents.
Perhaps there has never been a time when it was more important for us to be “willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in” (Mosiah 18:9).
It is inspiring to see all that our ward has been doing to provide opportunities for our youth to come together in safe spaces for healthy healing to begin to take place. As families and individuals, and as a ward family and stake family, we will do well to continue to put our arms around each other and to allow each young man and young woman to process these events in their own way and time.
This week has been a time of intense and sometimes mixed thoughts and emotions. This has been a time to weep and to mourn the loss of life, the injuries sustained, and the terrible emotional trauma experienced by so many. It has also been a time to rejoice each time a surviving student was reunited with his or her family.
I watched some of the live TV news coverage as events unfolded on Thursday. One reporter interviewed a mother and her son at Central Park. They had just been reunited and each had an arm tightly around the other. The mother talked about how scary it was not knowing if her son was safe. Clearly, she was still very upset about that, even though she now knew he was safe and they were together again. It was touching to see her son comforting her and to watch as they walked away after the interview arm in arm.
After prayerful consideration, I would like to share with you four principles. I pray that these four principles will assist us all in navigating our troubles, trials and traumas.
First, Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood often shared the following advice for children:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
Especially to our youth, I would give the same advice: Look for the helpers.
We can draw comfort, strength and hope from seeing and recognizing how many helpers there were and are in this conflict: Teachers, first responders, parents, students themselves, and many others. As we minister to one another, we all become helpers for each other.
Second, as we learn to look with an eye of faith, we begin to see more clearly how many helpers there really are.
In 2 Kings chapter 6, we read that on several occasions the Lord revealed to the prophet Elisha, and Elisha in turn warned the king of Israel, how the armies of Israel could evade the opposing armies of Syria. The king of Syria was furious and thought one of his own soldiers must be a traitor tipping off the Israelite army about his plans. But the king’s servant told him it was actually “Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, [who] telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber” (2 Kings 6:12). Upon hearing this, the king of Syria sent spies to find Elisha. The spies returned and told the king that Elisha was in Dothan. Verses 14-17 tell the important part of the story:
“Therefore sent [the king of Syria] thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
“And when the servant of the man of God [Elisha] was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
“And [Elisha] answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
“And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.”
I pray that our spiritual eyes—the spiritual eyes of every Saugus High School student and parent and everyone else touched by the events of last Thursday—may be opened to see that they that be with us on both sides of the veil are more than they that be with them.
(See also Looking Forward With an Eye of Faith.)
Third, our ultimate Helpers are Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We can always look to them for help.
One of my favorite scriptures is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 6:36, where the Lord says, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.”
Earlier in my life, I assumed this scripture meant that all of my thoughts should be good, and I should never doubt or be afraid.
Later I started taking the words of this scripture more literally: I need to look unto Christ in every thought, including my good thoughts, my bad thoughts, my doubtful thoughts and my fearful thoughts.
On Thursday, as the events at Saugus High were unfolding, I pondered on this scripture and the voice of the Lord’s Spirit came into my mind, giving me a deeper understanding of this scripture. It said:
“Doubt not to look unto me.”
“Doubt not to look unto me.”
“Fear not to look unto me.”
What do we see when we look unto Christ? The answer is in the next verse of scripture:
“Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
“Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.”
(Doctrine and Covenants 6:36-37.)
When we look unto Christ in every thought, especially the doubtful and fearful ones, we see who He is and what He has done and will do for us. We are reminded of His atoning sacrifice and of the help and healing only He can offer.
The Book of Mormon prophet Alma helps us understand the very personal nature of the atoning sacrifice of our Savior. He said:
“And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
“And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”
(Alma 7:11-12.)
To “succor” means to “run to help.” (See "Running to Help, Already With Us.")
I share my witness that Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, will run to help each of us as we doubt not and fear not to look unto Him. He has taken upon himself our individual pains, afflictions, sicknesses and infirmities, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor us and give us what we need.
However, when it comes to emotional trauma, relief can sometimes seem to be slow in coming. Sometimes it may seem that the Savior is not running to our aid and we can feel alone or abandoned.
So, the fourth principle I want to share with you is this: Even in your darkest moments, the Lord is mindful of you and is watching over you. You may not feel it or be aware of it at first, but he is with you. I testify that He will give you the strength to carry on—to make it through all your dark moments, whether they be short or long. And in a coming day you will receive the greater comfort and healing that you long for. You are not alone. The Savior is with you. Our Heavenly Father is with you. And we, your helpers, will also continue to be here for you and walk with you.
We can see this fourth principle profoundly at work in a story about Martha, Mary, Lazarus and Jesus in John 11:1-44.
Martha and Mary were sisters. Lazarus was their brother. They lived in a town in Judea called Bethany. They loved Jesus, and he dearly loved them.
When Lazarus became sick, his sisters sent for Jesus, who, at the time, was staying at a place a little less than two miles from Bethany, and implored him, “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”
However, upon hearing that Lazarus was sick, Jesus did not immediately rush to go to Lazarus. Instead, he remained where he was for two more days. Only then did he leave with his disciples to go to Bethany.
When they arrived at Bethany, Jesus learned that Lazarus was placed in a tomb four days earlier. Many mourners had come and were there trying to console Martha and Mary about their brother.
Before Jesus arrived, Martha heard that he was coming, and she went out to meet him. “Lord,” she said, “if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”
Jesus said, “Thy brother shall rise again.” Martha replied, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” To this, Jesus declared:
“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
Martha said, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
Martha then hurried back to the house, called her sister aside from the mourners, and said, “The Master is come, and calleth for thee.” Mary quickly arose and went out to meet Jesus. When the mourners saw that Mary was leaving the house, they followed her, thinking she was going to Lazarus's grave to weep there.
When Mary came to Jesus, “she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
Seeing Mary weeping and also the mourners who had come with her, Jesus “groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,” and he said, “Where have ye laid him?” They said, “Lord, come and see.”
Then the Gospel of John simply says, “Jesus wept.”
Some of the mourners said, “Behold how he loved him!” Others said, “Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?”
Jesus, “therefore again groaning in himself,” came to the grave, which was a cave with a stone that covered the opening. Jesus said, “Take ye away the stone.” Martha objected, saying, “Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.” Jesus responded, “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”
Then they removed the stone. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me,” and then he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”
Lazarus came forth, “bound hand and foot with graveclothes.” Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
Why did Jesus wait for two days to come a relatively short distance to be with Lazarus and his two sisters in their time of need? Clearly, he loved them and mourned with them. He cared about them deeply. When he saw their grief, sorrow and disappointment, Jesus wept and groaned within himself. So why did he wait?
Jesus knew the end from the beginning. He had a reason for waiting. It was a reason that he fully understood. It was something that he wanted Martha and Mary, and also his other disciples, to understand for themselves. It required him to delay his coming.
In John 11:4, Jesus told his disciples, right after learning that Lazarus was sick, that “[t]his sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”
Then, after two days had passed, Jesus told his disciples it was now time to go to Bethany, and Jesus plainly said to them, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.”
It appears that Lazarus had in fact already been placed in the tomb well before the messenger from Martha and Mary told Jesus that Lazarus was sick, for Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days when Jesus arrived there after only a two-day wait. Waiting an additional two days left little doubt that Lazarus was in fact dead and “stinketh.”
Only under these circumstances—after the beloved friends of Jesus had waited so many agonizing minutes, hours and days to feel the Savior near—would they and his other disciples be able to witness for themselves, and for us, that what Jesus told Martha was true:
“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”
In this way, they became the first witnesses of the fact that the mortal Messiah had power over life and death, “that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”
I testify that there are divine purposes whenever we are required to be patient and wait upon the Lord.
I testify that Jesus Christ loves you and me personally, individually, just as he loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He has power to raise us from physical death and also from emotional darkness. He is mindful of us and watches over us. And even if we do not feel his presence now, I testify that he is with us and will stand by us.
Doctrine and Covenants 68:6 assures us:
“Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you. And ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.”
So, during this and every trial and tribulation, may we learn to take comfort by looking for the helpers.
May we learn to look with an eye of faith and see how many helpers there really are—on both sides of the veil.
May we learn to doubt not and fear not to look unto Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ as our ultimate Helpers, knowing that we can always look to them for help.
And may we learn to trust that, even in our darkest moments when we feel alone or abandoned, the Savior is mindful of us and is watching over us. Even when we don’t feel his presence, may we learn to trust and ultimately come to know that he is nevertheless with us and will stand by us.
Thus buoyed and strengthened, may we, too, be found among the helpers.
—o0o—
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