Wards fully adequate to care
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The ward is organized to minister to the needs of those who face even the most difficult and heart-breaking trials, said Bishop Richard C. Edgley.
Speaking Saturday morning, Bishop Edgley, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, spoke on the capacity of ward members to "endure together."
"The bishop, often considered the father of the ward, is there is provide counsel and resources," he said. "But also close at hand are Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthood leaders, the Relief Society presidency, home teachers, visiting teachers, and the ward members — always the ward members. All are there to minister comfort and show compassion in times of need."
Bishop Edgley spoke of his own immediate neighborhood that has suffered its share of heart-wrenching tragedies; five young people died in the small neighborhood during a few short years.
In every incident, he said, there was a outpouring of love, service and compassion that was inspiration to all. The families who lost a loved one expressed increased faith, increased love for the Savior, increased gratitude for the Atonement and heartfelt thankfulness for the Church.
Bishop Edgley said he has learned several lessons from bearing one another's burdens as ward members:
• The Lord's organization is fully adequate to know and care for those with even the most dire emotional and spiritual needs.
• Adversity can bring one closer to God with a renewed and enlightened appreciation for prayer and the Atonement which covers pain and suffering in all their manifestations.
• Members who suffer tragedy first-hand often experience an increased capacity for love, compassion, and understanding. They become the first, last, and often the most effective responders in giving comfort and showing compassion to others.
• A ward, as well as a family, draws closer together as they endure together — what happens to one happens to all.
• And perhaps most important, "we can each be more compassionate and caring, because we have each had our own personal trials and experiences to draw from."
