Weltschmerz (10/17/2018)

Hello,

Sometimes we copy and paste stuff from our weekly letter to our friends and families into our weekly letter to our mission president. This time I'm going to do the opposite.

Things have been different ever since the Assistants came to our area and rescued us last Thursday. We picked up new people to teach, we have more things to do, and we're more filled with faith to find. It hasn't been a 100% turnaround by any means yet but it's going well overall. The area isn't dead.

In fact we have someone on date for baptism: Dillan, an 18-year-old with a really crazy life who had to grow up very fast. We're excited to keep teaching him, though it so far isn't going very quickly due to his crazy work schedule. He doesn't quite understand the Restoration yet but he wants to be baptized, so that's good.

I think what I've found the most throughout my time here is just how few people are searching for the truth. Most everybody is set and settled where they are. It can get discouraging. It's so difficult to convince people that they are missing something. In fact I don't think I've ever convinced anybody that they're missing something.

One thing I started doing is marking up a copy of the Book of Mormon with two highlighters: one for how the Book of Mormon can help us and one for how Jesus Christ can help us. I plan to use it in teaching situations where those things need to be taught.

I've felt like I'm missing things lately. I've gone past it by now, but there are days every so often where I feel that I'm missing people--be it members, fellow missionaries, people to teach, converts--who I can actually befriend like I seem to see or hear about others doing. I seem to be missing that deep love for the place I'm serving others have. And most of all missing those true seekers of the truth. I've got some of all of that, but not what I imagined I would have.

What keeps me going is knowing that I need to be here. Knowing that in ways I may not grasp, God can and will use me here and throughout the next 14 1/2 months.

So that's what's happening. I'm drawn to the talk Elder Uchtdorf gave this past conference, called Believe, Love, Do. Another talk of his, The Hope of God's Light, came on while we were driving yesterday and lifted me from a difficult day. So I think I'll leave you with his words from both talks.

"There is a word in German, Weltschmerz. Loosely defined, it means a sadness that comes from brooding about how the world is inferior to how we think it ought to be.

"

When we journey through our own personal and lonely path of misfortune, and pain darkens our stillness and breaches our tranquility—we might be tempted to agree with Solomon that life is vain and devoid of meaning.

"The good news is, there is hope. There is a solution to the emptiness, vanity, and Weltschmerz of life. There is a solution to even the deepest hopelessness and discouragement you might feel.

"This hope is found in the transformative power of the gospel of Jesus Christ and in the Savior’s redemptive power to heal us of our soul-sickness.

"'I am come,' Jesus declared, 'that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.'

"We achieve that abundant life not by focusing on our own needs or on our own achievements but by becoming true disciples of Jesus Christ—by following in His ways and engaging in His work. We find the abundant life by forgetting ourselves and engaging in the great cause of Christ.

"And what is the cause of Christ? It is to believe in Him, love as He loved, and do as He did."

"

I’d like to tell you about a woman who grew up in a room filled with darkness—I’ll call her Jane.

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From the time Jane was three years old, she was repeatedly beaten, belittled, and abused. She was threatened and mocked. She awoke each morning not knowing if she would survive until the next day. The people who should have protected her were those who tortured her or allowed the abuse to continue.

"In order to protect herself, Jane learned to stop feeling. She had no hope of rescue, so she hardened herself to the horror of her reality. There was no light in her world, so she became resigned to the darkness. With a numbness that can come only from constant and unrelenting contact with evil, she accepted the fact that any moment might be her last.

"Then, at age 18, Jane discovered The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The joy and hope of the restored gospel penetrated her heart, and she accepted the invitation to be baptized. 

For the first time, light entered her life, and she saw a bright path before her. She left the darkness of her world and decided to attend school a great distance away from her abuser. At last she felt liberated from an environment of darkness and evil—free to enjoy the Savior’s sweet peace and miraculous healing.

"However, years later, after her abuser had died, Jane was again troubled by the horrible events of her youth. Profound sadness and anger threatened to destroy the wonderful light she had found in the gospel. She realized that if she allowed that darkness to consume her, her tormentor would have a final victory.

"She sought counseling and medical help and began to realize that, for her, the best path for healing was to understand and accept that darkness exists—but not to dwell there. For, as she now knew, light also exists—and that is where she chose to dwell.

"Given her dark past, Jane could easily have become vindictive, venomous, or violent. But she didn’t. She resisted the temptation to spread the darkness, refusing to lash out in anger, hurt, or cynicism. Instead, she held fast to the hope that with God’s help she could be healed. She chose to radiate light and devote her life to helping others. This decision enabled her to leave the past behind and to step into a glorious, bright future."

Love,

Elder Gallagher