Bring Them Hither

In the most recent general conference, Elder Renlund told of an experience he had kayaking with his family in Hawaii. He related, “Our guide gave us instructions and showed us the ocean kayaks we would use. They differed from the ones I had previously paddled. I was supposed to sit on top of the kayak, instead of down inside it. When I got onto the kayak, my center of gravity was higher than I was accustomed to, and I was less stable in the water.” At first, he moved quickly in the water, but soon a wave hit his kayak and he flipped over into the water. After finally getting back on top of the kayak, another wave hit his kayak and flipped him over again. He related, “By the time I managed to right the kayak, I was so out of breath I feared I would not be able to climb on top. Seeing my situation, the guide rowed over and steadied my kayak, making it easier for me to climb on top. When he saw that I was still too breathless to row on my own, he hitched a towrope to my kayak and began paddling, pulling me along with him. Soon I caught my breath and began paddling adequately on my own. He let go of the rope, and I reached the first island without further assistance. Upon arrival, I flopped down on the sand, exhausted.” While he was there on the small island recovering, the guide said to him, “Mr. Renlund, if you just keep paddling, maintaining your momentum, I think you’re going to be fine.” Elder Renlund continued, “I followed his advice as we paddled to the second island and then back to our starting point. Twice the guide rowed by and told me I was doing great. Even larger waves hit my kayak from the side, but I was not flipped over.”

In addition to applying this story to teach how we can live the doctrine of Christ, Elder Renlund used the example of the guide to show us how we can best help others. He said, “Consider how the expedition guide helped me after I flipped over in the kayak. He did not shout from afar an unhelpful question such as, ‘Mr. Renlund, what are you doing in the water?’ He did not paddle up and chide me, saying, ‘Mr. Renlund, you would not be in this situation if you were more physically fit.’ He did not start towing my kayak while I was just trying to get on top of it. And he did not correct me in front of the group. Instead, he gave me the help I needed at the time I needed it. He gave me advice when I was receptive. And he went out of his way to encourage me. As we minister to others, we do not need to ask unhelpful questions or state the obvious. Most people who are struggling know that they are struggling. We should not be judgmental; our judgment is neither helpful nor welcome, and it is most often ill-informed.” He then made this important statement about our role in assisting others, “The Savior’s job is to heal. Our job is to love—to love and minister in such a way that others are drawn to Jesus Christ. This is one of the fruits of the powerful, virtuous cycle of the doctrine of Christ.” As we see those we love struggling, it is easy to feel that we need to “fix” them, especially as parents when our children have difficulties. We observe where they are having problems, and we want to control the situation and make it all better. But that is not our role. Like the guide in Elder Renlund’s story, our job is to help where we can, show love, and continue to point them to the right way. And the right way is always to come unto Jesus Christ so that He can heal them. As He said to the Nephites in the midst of the three days of darkness, He invites all of us, “Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?” (3 Nephi 9:13) He is the Healer, and we don’t have to worry that we cannot heal or fix others—that is what He does. All we can do is to humbly love and point others to Him so when they are ready, they can be healed by Him.

Luke recorded what happened in the evening on the day that the Savior healed Peter’s mother-in-law in Capernaum. He wrote, “Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them” (Luke 4:40). Perhaps Luke included the detail that the sun was setting to symbolically suggest that these people had been unable to find help or hope any other way before coming to Him. Sometimes it may feel to us that the sun is figuratively setting on the possibility of healing and help for those we love, and when that it is the case, we should seek more diligently to bring them unto Him. I love that this verse says that He laid His hands on every one of them—He rejects none who come sincerely to Him. After His day with the Nephites, He asked them, “Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.” Our role when trying to help others is to bring them to Him so that He can heal them just as He did in this marvelous experience: “All the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him” (3 Nephi 17:9).