Lifting Others Up

This is part of the General Conference Odyssey.

I’m going to keep this short.

Image result for helping someone upMarvin J. Ashton’s talk had a few quotes that I think help remind us how to view others as Christ does. “Brothers and sisters,” he says, “we must learn to look beyond the flesh and see the spirit, the soul, the attitude, the real human being.” This was followed up with a short story about a recently engaged amputee and a happily married partially paralyzed woman. Seeing “the real human being” is what should inspire us to lift others up: the subject of Ashton’s talk: “In this great Church we must try to lift those who need us economically, socially, physically, and spiritually as we earnestly link hands with the Lord in “this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39.)” Toward the end of the Book of Mormon, Moroni proclaims, “And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles. And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles” (Mormon 9:18-19). According to Ashton, “Certainly the greatest miracles of our day are the lifting and healing of troubled souls. Spiritual strength is a priceless possession available to those who will endure in righteousness. The healing of the troubled soul gives health and strength to those dead in things righteous. Purity, faith, hope, and charity are restored, making the once spiritually sick whole.” He states,

Certainly the day is here when, if we are to follow in [Christ’s] paths, we must take the weary, lonely, depressed, the troubled soul, and the gospel-hungry by the hand and lift and help. Yes, we also need to lift the dishonest, the self-condemning, and those who have chosen expediency over correct principles. Countless numbers today will be able to take their first steps in the right direction when we are willing to provide the lift of confidence and encouragement and give them back that self-respect spoken of by President Lee in the opening session of this conference and to help others retain that self-respect.

“How beautiful,” Ashton says, “in the eyes of the Lord are those who take the time to lift the needy hand.” There are plenty who need lifting. We need to see “the real human being” in all of them.