Great Scripture to Memorize

Doctrine and Covenants 6:34,36

Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail. Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.

As I was reviewing the scripture references for the Sunday school lesson I was about to give, those scriptures stood out to me.

In our home, discussion of the growing financial financial crisis in America and the world is a daily occurrence. My husband works in the banking industry and follows the market trends closely. We're both fiscal conservatives. We're concerned about high taxes, growing government, and regulation. Our kids worry about their educational and occupational opportunities. I'm concerned that my parents are unprepared to care for themselves and my nephew if inflation rises and pensions shrink.

I'm also concerned about the loss of liberty as government takes more personal responsibility from each individual. I see a growing victim class. Responsibility is becoming a dirty word.

Amid these tensions, the scripture citation above sounds as a clarion call to me. Do good. Focus on Christ. Believe in his promises.

Shifting gears now, I want to reflect on an experience I had this week. I volunteer regularly at a rest home near hear. Sometimes, as was the case last week, one of the residents I visit wants to die. They cannot find a purpose for their life. All the things they did that felt worthy and useful are gone do to the physical limits of age or disability. They seem lost and depressed. Often, they live in the past, unaware of the horizon. This week, one of the residents I know wept. I asked her what she wanted to accomplish in 2009. She said she wanted to die. She was praying to die. I see this in my own grandmother. As her body has aged and her social circle has shrunk, she has lost the desire to live. She only wants to talk about all the things she can no longer do.

As I understand it, this is a real crisis that every aging adult passes through. Some are successful in adjusting to the realities of aging and manage to continue to see themselves as useful, vital individuals. Obviously, some sink into depression. I don't know how to counsel those in the latter group. My heart breaks for them. Often, the body lives beyond will.

I find myself wondering what purpose God has for these individuals. I wonder why they cannot discover that purpose. I told the resident that visiting her keeps me from feeling lonely and isolated. I told her that I need her in my life for companionship. This is true.

I would like to know what the literature says about this crisis, so that I could better understand and care for people. Also, I want to be prepared to live proactively for all of mortality.