1. Caring   and   2. Helping 

        I believe that caring about people as individuals is not only a desirable and enviable component of our nature, but it is also a pre-requisite character trait that determines not only if help is to be proffered, but also the quantity and quality of helping assistance we might render to others. Only when people care will they help.

CARING 

        First, let's talk about "Caring". May I illustrate: From the pen of Marjorie Spiller Neagle comes one of my favorite accounts of a true-life experience:

        When I was young, and pretty much satisfied with myself," an elderly man once told me, "I spent a college vacation looking for what I called 'local color` for use in a book I planned to write. My main character was to be drawn from an impoverished, shiftless community, and I believed I knew just where to find it.
        Sure enough, one day I came upon the place, made to order with its rundown farms, seedy men and washed-out women. To top it off, the epitome of the shiftlessness I had envisioned was waiting for me near an unpainted shack, in the shape of a scraggly-bearded old man in faded overalls who was hoeing around a little patch of potatoes while sitting in a chair.
        I started back to my rooming house, itching to get at my typewriter. As I made the turn in the dirt road which ran past the cabin, I looked at the scene from another angle. And when I did, I saw something which stopped me cold in my tracks. For from this side, I observed, leaning against the chair, a pair of crutches, and I noticed one empty overall leg hanging limply to the ground. In that instant the lazy, shiftless character I had seen was transformed into a figure of dauntless courage.
        Since that hour I have never judged a man after only one look or one conversation with him. And I thank God that I turned for the second look." (Reader's Digest, Nov 1971, p 137)

        Properly perceiving people makes possible the development of a caring attitude within us. The so-called lazy potato-hoeing man was not transformed; he didn't change at all. The change occurred in the eye and heart of the beholder. Instead of seeing a shiftless character, he ultimately saw a person admirably coping with physical limitations and doing what he could to lead and live a productive life. The writer's judgment of the man's values and needs changed as he acquired an awareness of the disability that dictated and determined behavior patterns. The second look provided the writer with a new vision of reality that already existed for the bearded old man in faded overalls. And that new view created new feelings of compassion, admiration and respect for the nobility of a fellow human being. New feelings of caring were conceived.
        We should be reminded of the Savior's declaration that "...the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." (Doctrine and Covenants 18:10, emphasis added) The Lord's view is never enhanced by a second look. It seems that the need in our role is to seek to acquire His perspective and look upon the souls of God's sons and daughters rather than risk rendering inaccurate judgments based upon limited and faulty views of outward appearances or actions. Appropriate and adequate assistance depends upon accurate assessments. No one in church leadership positions can afford to rely on personal wisdom without the directing and confirming influence of the Holy Spirit. As Nephi, we need to be "led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which [we] should do". (1 Nephi 4:6)
        In the situation just described, the subject was a man with physical debilitating disabilities. But what of individuals who live with both internal and external consequences of mental illness? They may or may not exhibit a physical or outward manifestation of their inward conditions. Their suffering may never be seen through observations of physical situations only. But their afflicted souls need the caring concern of the Lord's people who are already committed to a covenant of "...bearing one another's burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort...." (Mosiah 18:8-9) Perhaps our compassion would be enhanced if we better understood the feelings of the sufferer. Let me read to you one of David's biblical psalms. Would you wonder with me if he might have been inspired to write a prayer that could also be heard as a reflection of the passionate pleadings of a soul plagued with mental illness. Such people typically feel terribly alone among their mortal associates. Often, in desperation, they cry unto the Lord seeking relief and freedom from imprisoned feelings. As you listen take special note of a statement that might be considered to be the saddest statement in all holy writ:

I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me." (Psalms, 142:1-7 emphasis added)

        I think we must never, never, never permit any human being within our circle of influence to think no one cares for his or her soul. Not only must we be obedient to the Lord's second commandment and love our neighbor, we must also be certain those feelings are not wrapped in a shroud of secrecy. If our neighbor doesn't know of our love, it is the same to him as if such feelings don't exist. And our love cannot be conditional or dependent upon our convenience or pre-conceived notions; nor can it depend upon our perception of the behavior, attitude or even illness of others. Sometimes the most unlovable are those who need love the most. Consider the Savior's experience with the rich young man as recorded by Mark:

And when [Jesus] was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, ... Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest...." (Mark 10:17-21, emphasis added)

        Jesus then proceeded to give him direction that, if heeded, would eliminate the problem or condition wherein he was lacking. We take note of two things from this encounter:
        First: Jesus' response and counsel to the young man was based upon having first "beheld" him. Jesus clearly saw his soul, observed his need, and specifically declared him to be lacking in at least one thing.
        Second: Though the young man was lacking, though he may have had an undesirable problem, though he may have been demonstrating an offensive nature, though his actions and attitude might even have been distasteful to the sensitive nature of Him who beheld, still the scripture records that Jesus "loved him". I am impressed that our Savior would look upon a man, who, like me, may have many problems, weaknesses and/or afflictions and yet beholding him, "loved him".
        And so it is with us. In our encounters with others, we must seek to behold the real strength and value of souls without waiting or hoping for a second look that may not be possible and may never occur. We need to discover, as accurately as possible, what condition of weakness prevails, or in other words, in what way a person is "lacking". It may be mental, physical, emotional or spiritual. But it needs to be identified. In the case of many mental afflictions, it is well to remember that neither the individual nor his family have commonly done anything to cause the illness with its attendant difficult-to-understand behavior. Furthermore, the person so afflicted is typically not empowered with the ability to overcome the illness and mentally lift himself out of the depths of despair and depression. The illness is usually a "no fault" condition with an attached "no fix" solution. So we remember the worth of souls - and we care.
        Furthermore, there should be an awareness on our part and in the hearts of others, that we love regardless of what people may lack. No one should have reason to believe that no one cares. Though the individual may be figuratively or even literally, "far away" we must do as the prodigal's father who saw his lacking son "a great way off", yet had "compassion" for him and, beholding him, hurried to fill his needs and assure him of his love. (See Luke 15:20)

HELPING 

        Our second topic in this presentation deals with "Helping". To set the stage for our discussion, may I again turn to the scripture and read a few verses:

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (John 9:1-3, emphasis added)

        Note that neither the man or his family were responsible for his ailment. Jesus then healed the man of his blindness and the Jews challenged the source of the power by which the blindness was removed and sight installed. The healed man then defended Jesus by saying, "If this man [Jesus] were not of God, he could do nothing". (John 9:33) Let's review the sequence. After Jesus truly "saw" or "beheld" the blind man, He determined that help could be extended and proceeded to remove the affliction. Now there is a principle to be learned.
        Sometimes God is willing and able, without assistance, to perform a work in behalf of those who may be lacking. But His help commonly comes through the involvement of people who are willing to help others under the direction and by the approval of the Almighty. The performance of the works of God is dependent upon the faithful and diligent service of the servants of God. And how are the servants to assist in the recovery process for those who are afflicted with mental illness? 
        There is an order to things in the Lord's kingdom. Again we turn to the scriptures where we are told that "it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23, emphasis added) In other words, we can expect the Lord's blessings will be bestowed after we have done all we can within our limited knowledge and ability. We ought not to expect the Lord to perform a healing or adjust degrees of suffering until we have utilized our currently-existing resources and accomplished whatever we have the capability to do. The Lord has revealed many ways mankind can help themselves and obtain relief from and prevention of many illnesses and diseases. In addition to and often before calling on the Lord for divine intervention, we are expected to utilize the knowledge and skills of those endowed with the ability to provide counsel and treatment in our afflictions. Many medical processes, procedures and substances have been revealed through the light of Christ to the scientific community in these latter days. Our responsibility to utilize these resources was explained by Brigham Young when he taught the following:

You may go to some people here, and ask what ails them, and they answer, 'I don't know, but we feel a dreadful distress in the stomach and in the back; we feel all out of order, and we wish you to lay hands upon us.` 'Have you used any remedies?` 'No. We wish the Elders to lay hands upon us, and we have faith that we shall be healed.` That is very inconsistent according to my faith. If we are sick, and ask the Lord to heal us, and to do all for us that is necessary to be done, according to my understanding of the Gospel of salvation, I might as well ask the Lord to cause my wheat and corn to grow, without my plowing the ground and casting in the seed. It appears consistent to me to apply every remedy that comes within the range of my knowledge, and to ask my Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, to sanctify that application to the healing of my body; to another this may appear inconsistent.

But supposing we were traveling in the mountains, and all we had or could get, in the shape of nourishment, was a little venison, and one or two were taken sick, without anything in the world in the shape of healing medicine within our reach, what should we do? According to my faith, ask the Lord Almighty to send an angel to heal the sick. This is our privilege, when so situated that we cannot get anything to help ourselves. Then the Lord and his servants can do all. But it is my duty to do, when I have it in my power. Many people are unwilling to do one thing for themselves, in case of sickness, but ask God to do it all. (Journal of Discourses, 4:24-25)

        We have already determined that church leaders must first care and be filled with love for the afflicted, so that when they behold they might also accurately discern individual needs. This ability is developed in part as church leaders seek to learn about and recognize symptoms that reveal inward needs. They must also be informed of sources of professional expertise which can provide immeasurable help to those afflicted with an illness they cannot cure themselves. This is the value of Mental Health education.
        As an example of this process, let me share with you something that is personal. Members of my own family have experienced various levels of anxiety and chemical depression. For some time, I was unaware of what was happening and at a loss to determine any course of action that might provide relief for them. Though I loved them, empathized with them, and cared terribly that they were suffering, I was blind to the problem and the people with whom I talked offered no help. I prayed intensely and incessantly for my loved ones' relief but to no avail. Priesthood blessings offered hope, but it didn't come right then. I wondered when and how any help might be found. One day I received a phone call from a family member who had, that very day, attended a medical symposium and heard discussions of these problems, including the typical symptoms associated with it. Everything fit our situation. So we obtained the services of a medical specialist who had acquired a great deal of expertise in the field. We found and utilized available resources that provided help and relief and a return to a more normal lifestyle for our family. The blessing came only as we did all we could do, including the personal involvement of another family member who cared and was inspired to help us find solutions to some very difficult problems. Recognizing the condition and knowing where to turn for help was a key to the resolving process.
        The Lord has directed that church leaders should magnify their callings, whatever they may be. The word "magnify" may be understood to mean "enlarge". In order for an enlargement to take place, one needs to gather the powers of the existing resources and focus them on a given point. This is illustrated in the process by which a magnifying lens enlarges by focusing the powers of available light. Church leaders can be measurably more helpful and effective when they become informed of the problems associated with mental illness, with their accompanying symptoms and potential solutions . Only then will they be able to magnify their calling by use of available information and resources, thus being enabled to provide appropriate assistance to those who live within the circle of their personal association and ecclesiastical responsibility.
        Without sufficient sensitivity to mental illness symptoms, church leaders could mistakenly interpret a person's unacceptable outward behavior as an attitude problem and take up a labor of counseling while persuading the individual to make the necessary personality and attitude changes. Sometimes, church leaders have told victims of mental illness that if they would be more faithful in their prayers and scripture study, they would grow stronger in the spirit and thus be able to lift themselves out of their depressive conditions. Unwittingly, some have even said, "I know you can do it if you work at it hard enough." Though the counsel and challenging encouragement is well intentioned and could surely be expected to provide for personal spiritual growth and motivation, still the illness is not likely to change by simply following that course only. Instead, the victim of the illness will likely try to please church leaders, family and friends, and when conditions don't improve, feel an even greater sense of frustration and failure than before. The helping influence we offer needs to be based on the qualities and conditions outlined by the Lord, when He said:

No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge.... (Doctrine and Covenants 121:41-42, emphasis added)

        By way of summary, may we be reminded that the clergy and membership of the Lord's church can be effective in ministering to those with mental illness by functioning in two specific ways. First, we need to care by having Charity, the pure love of Christ. Secondly, we need to help by providing appropriate counseling and guidance in the utilization of available resources, especially including the seeking and obtaining of heavenly powers.
        May each of us merit the praise, gratitude, and blessings Joseph Smith extended to his beloved brother, Hyrum, when Joseph said:

Brother Hyrum, what a faithful heart you have got! Oh may the Eternal Jehovah crown eternal blessings upon your head, as a reward for the care you have had for my soul! O how many are the sorrows we have shared together; and again we find ourselves shackled with the unrelenting hand of oppression. Hyrum, thy name shall be written in the book of the law of the Lord, for those who come after thee to look upon, that they may pattern after thy works. (History of the Church, 5:107-8, emphasis added)

        May we seek the Lord's vision of values and His divine direction as we search for the most suitable means of healing the afflicted; that we might fulfill and honor our sacred trust in behalf of Father's sons and daughters. I know He cares and provides help for all who seek it from Him. He lives. He is our God. This I know and declare as a witness of Him.

May 2001