We are not alone in isolation

CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS

By Jim Greer

LW Contributor

Recently, Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles released inspiring advice to help each of us during this time of isolation. He explained that “this era of social distancing has brought a new sense of isolation that many of us never experienced before. I have grown to understand that while we may be physically distant from each other, we do not have to be spiritually distant from Jesus Christ. You and I can use this unique time as an opportunity to hear Him.”

Elder Gong continues to explain that one of the things that he’s felt deeply is the Lord’s voice through the Scriptures. He reminds us that studying the stories and parables of those who feel lost helps us realize the savior’s love for each of us. The parables of the lost coin, the prodigal son, and the lost sheep are excellent examples with which we can identify. Elder Gong felt drawn to a verse in the parable of the prodigal son, where our heavenly father expresses his love for those who feel lost. The Lord says, “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:24).

He emphasized that the first part of the verse refers to our Savior: “For this my son was dead, and is alive again.” Our testimony to the world is that our savior lives. And because he lives, we need never feel lost. The second part of the verse states, “He was lost, and is found.” This promise guarantees each of us that through the Lord’s atonement, we can always be found.

Elder Gong testified that none of us are ever truly lost because Jesus Christ, who once was dead, is alive today. “I find great hope in the assurance that no one is ever lost to the Lord—no matter our circumstances, no matter how alone we may feel, no matter how much we may sense that we cannot connect with the world around us.”

Elder Gong continued by emphasizing the importance of the church’s new symbol launched at the April General Conference. It features the restored name of his church—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—in a cornerstone. A reminder that our cornerstone is the living Jesus Christ. In the center of the symbol is Jesus Christ, reaching out to each of us. Jesus is asking, inviting, calling to us in his name and his voice, reminding us that we’re never lost. We’re never alone.

We should remember that the savior is always there. He lives, and He loves us. We can all cherish those “precious and sacred moments we have when we feel the Lord encircling us in his arms of love.”

The new official church symbol is a reminder that we are never truly isolated or alone. We have access to the savior of the world, Jesus Christ. He lives eternally, and so we will always have access to him. “When we come to him, his arms encircle us, his love encircles us, and we are more able to hear him in our lives.”

During this period of social distancing and COVID-19, we can hear the savior call to us, saying, “I see you. I know you. I love you.” Knowing that he sees us, he knows us, and he loves us, we can understand that we are not isolated. We are never alone, so long as we have a knowledge of and a relationship with the living Son of God.