Sister Mandy Woodruff
Relief Society First Counselor
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The thought I want to share with you comes from an episode of Hope Works with Matt Townsend, who is an LDS therapist here in Utah, and I'll attach a link for that episode so you can watch the whole thing. He told of an experience he had while counseling a young women who had been in an accident. She had sustained injuries that left her with some scars. She was angry and confused at why this had happened to her, but she felt peace and love at the thought of the Savior being present and comforting her. She was asked how she would then feel if the Savior didn't take away her scars and she questioned why he wouldn't want to heal her. Matt asked her why she thought Jesus Christ kept his scars? She replied, "so we will always remember him.' "Is it possible then that we are allowed to keep our scars for the same reason," he asked?
I am reminded of the event that took place in the Book of Mormon when Jesus Christ appeared to the Nephites. In 3 Nephi verses 9,10 and 13-15, Jesus Christ invites the multitude to feel his scars so that they would know that He is Jesus Christ. We all have scars, whether physical or emotional, and maybe there's a reason we are left with them. Jesus Christ suffered the Atonement so that He would know how to succor his people. We likewise experience things in this life that help us succor those around us. Our experiences may leave us with scars that remind us of a time when we relied on the Lord, when our faith was tested, when our testimony was strengthened, when we learned valuable lessons. I'm still learning and I don't have all the answers, but I do know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, and that They know us and love us. I leave you with this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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