Mormon Writers Blogfest: Faith in Jesus Christ

First of all, I just have to thank you guys for all of your encouraging comments on my last post. You. Are. The. Best. My revisions are going well. I may not finish the whole thing this week, but I'll have enough to keep my sister busy until the rest arrives in the mail. It's been a doozy of a week so far, but more on that later.

Last week - when I decided to forgo internet in an attempt to revise my whole manuscript in a week - I spaced two important details.

Detail #1

The funny thing is, as I was writing last Thursday's post, I kept looking at the date and thinking, "I have something today. What's going on today?" Two days later, I remembered. This has nothing to do with the rest of my post, but Beneath Ceaseless Skies published Adam Heine's short story, Pawn's Gambit, last Thursday. If you like or are even curious about steampunk, you should check out his story. Aw, you should check it out anyway. I loved it. I'm linking to his post because he has links to everything else, and he's having a contest to celebrate. Adam's querying a novel set in the same world as Pawn's Gambit, so go read his story and wish him luck.

Did I mention that Adam and his wife live in Thailand, where they take in orphans?

Detail #2

I also forgot I'd agreed to be part of Krista's Mormon Writers Blogfest. Yes, the date of the blogfest would be today, April 27th, which is why I am blogging. She asked me right after my post on resurrection last month, when my friend died. So, here's a list (for your clicking convenience) of everyone involved.

The Book of Mormon and missionary work with Kayeleen Hamblin
Families with Charity Bradford
Family history with Laura D
Joseph Smith with Annette Lyon
Restoration of Jesus Christ’s church with Kelly Bryson
Stories from the Book of Mormon with Kathi Oram Peterson

Temples with Krista V.

I can't think of any funerals I went to last year, but last week I went to another one. I've had a lot of thoughts pushing around in my brain, and I'm hoping that writing this post will help sort them out.

You know how, when you're growing up, there are families where you're not just friends with one person? You connect with siblings, parents even. I'm bringing this up because saying that one of my friend's older brothers committed suicide wouldn't be accurate. I felt like I had to go to the funeral because I love and respect their mom so much. I don't even want to imagine what it would be like for one of my children to commit suicide. Saying you're sorry feels so inadequate.

An old wrestling coach talked of the challenges we face, that we don't know what battles other people may be fighting. Sometimes we win our battles, and sometimes we lose. I've read a couple of articles in the last year about teens committing suicide because they were bullied in school, and there were quotes from their friends and parents saying they wished they'd known their friend or son or daughter needed help. The funeral I went to wasn't for a teenager. He'd made it through those years to his forties. I don't know what happened. I don't know if anyone knows why this man made the decision that he did, but I do know there were a lot of people who loved and admired him because he'd gone out of his way to help them when they needed help.

There have been times in my life when I've struggled with depression and the hopelessness that goes with it. Since I've been married, it's only gotten ugly during my pregnancies, but it's gotten worse with each of my pregnancies to the point where I'm not sure if I can handle another one. I've never been able to bring myself to tell my doctor. I can barely talk to my husband about it, and he's my best friend. During my pregnancies, hormones and other factors I can't control determine the seriousness of my depression. But normally, my choices play a big part. It's not a serotonin deficiency or something that I need medication for. Ironically, the only time I actually need anti-depressants is when I can't take them because they'd harm my unborn child. I'm differentiating because I don't want anyone who's reading this to think I'm suggesting that they or someone they know should stop taking medication and pray more often. While praying more often won't hurt, not taking a medication that keeps them from the edge of the abyss might.

But praying does help. Reading my scriptures helps. Reaching out to help other people - especially when I feel rotten - makes me happy. Singing hymns of praise can lift me out of the abyss. In the Old Testament (of the bible), there's a scripture I love. Isaiah 12:2 reads: "I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song." And in Moroni 7:41-42, we read:

40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning ^ahope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?

41 And what is it that ye shall ^ahope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have ^bhope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life ^ceternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

I know that Jesus Christ, my redeemer, lives. He showed us how to live, how to find hope and be happy. When he could have passed judgement, he said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." I can't think of anything he could have said, after suffering for the sins of mankind, to better show his love for all of us. I am so grateful for the hope and strength that having faith in Jesus Christ has given me. I hope that we can make time to love and help each other. After all, friends are more important than revisions.