Recently I found out that someone dear to me has rejected the Church. I thought they were a strong, believing member, but I discovered that this is not so. I am not completely surprised because they have a rough home life and many family members who have rejected the Gospel as well. But somehow I thought that this person was different. I thought that they knew the eternal significance of staying close to God. But they have forgotten.
I was heartbroken.
I know that Jesus Christ can help us through all of the struggles and pains in our lives - but only if we let Him. This person has so many hardships and has turned away from the only source of true peace. I pray that soeday when they hit rock bottom, they will remember that Jesus is always there.
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I had mostly forgotten about this heartache with the adventures of the weekend and the stress of finals, but today it came rushing back to me.
We were singing "Oh Say, What is Truth" in my choir class in preparation for our performance tomorrow. I love this piece and especially the poignancy of John Jacques' lyrics. We were in the last verse of the hymn -
Then say, what is truth?
'Tis the last and the first,
For the limits of time it steps o'er.
Though the heavens depart
And the earth's fountains burst,
'Tis the last and the first,
For the limits of time it steps o'er.
Though the heavens depart
And the earth's fountains burst,
- when this line hit me right in the face.
Truth, the sum of existence,
Will weather the worst,
Eternal, unchanged, evermore.
And I sobbed.
This person's face flashed in my mind. And all my other loved ones who have tasted the sweetness of the Gospel and forgotten it. No matter what storms these people will face, no matter how far they stray, no matter what decisions and false accusations they make, Truth will not be altered. The Gospel will still be true. Jesus Christ will still live and will still be their Savior. And if they decide to return to Him, He will always be there with open arms to heal them, forgive them, accept them.
No one's decisions can alter these truths or my testimony of them. As Joseph Smith wrote, "I know it, and I cannot deny it."
Eternal. Unchanged. Evermore!
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Like you, watching a friend do the same thing has completely devastated me. I cannot get my mind around it. But even with the sadness, I'm so grateful to know that truth is truth. What others choose to say or do, doesn't change that. I'm so grateful.
ReplyDeleteThat's so rough. It's always so hard when someone falls away from the church. You just know it's true, but you can't convince them-if anything they just get frustrated when you try.
ReplyDeleteI've seen so many people fall away just because others fell away too, and that just shows how strong you are in your testimony. You don't pay attention to their arguments when others fall away and question your own beliefs. You seriously have one of the strongest testimonies of anyone I've known.
I'm really sorry Tasha :( That is so hard to deal with. I've had loved ones and friends that have fallen away from the Church, and it never gets easier. I just baffles me when I see someone who seems so strong in their testimony leave the true Church. It always makes me wonder what happened. My dad and I talked about this once, and he said that falling away from the Church usually comes from some sort of transgression...Like they say, once Satan gets a grasp on you, it gets harder and harder to get away from him. I had a dear friend leave the Church last year...It was absolutely heartbreaking, and to read some of the things he says now...It just makes me cry. All we can do is love them though, right?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I never comment on your blog! I always read all your posts, and it makes me so happy whenever there is a little notification in my google reader that you've updated. Your posts are just a little burts of sunshine in my day. I admire you so much :) I appreciate all the comments you leave me; they totally make my day!