Four Titles - Healer of Souls

"Brethren, if we truly follow our Lord Jesus Christ, we must embrace a third title: healer of souls. We who have been ordained to the priesthood of God are called to practice 'the healer’s art.' ”

Again, President Uchtdorf is speaking specifically to Priesthood holders, but again, I don't think his message is for Priesthood holders exclusively. He said, "As home teachers, we are healers. As priesthood leaders, we are healers. As fathers, sons, brothers, and husbands, we should be committed and dedicated healers." The root of that statement seems to be that, no matter what position we hold, we are meant to be healers. I believe that he could have just as truthfully said to the women of the church: "As visiting teachers, you are healers. As members of the Relief Society, you are definitely healers. As mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives, you can be committed and dedicated healers."

But I would ask "How? How can we be Healers of Souls?" President Uchtdorf counseled us:

to follow the Savior’s example and reach out to those who suffer. We “mourn with those that mourn … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort.” We bind up the wounds of the afflicted. We “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.”

The Savior is the worker of miracles. He is the great Healer. He is our example, our light, even in the darkest moments, and He shows us the right way.

Let us follow Him. Let us rise up to our role and become healers by serving God and our fellowmen.

That's still a little bit vague, but maybe it was meant to be vague. Maybe there is no 'one true way' to heal souls. Everybody's soul is completely unique, and everyone's heart is wounded in a different way. President Uchtdorf couldn't have said "To heal other people's souls, have a heartfelt talk with everyone you meet who is suffering," because not everyone is ready to talk about what's bothering them. He couldn't have said "If you see someone struggling, give them a hug," because some people really don't like being hugged, and it's probably not the kind of help they need anyway. Because we and the problems that bother us are unique in each situation, there is no one technique that will enable us to heal every soul we encounter, but there is one attitude that is always certain to help: Love.

As Christians, we are supposed to love and serve our neighbors, and by "our neighbors," God meant everyone. It can be hard, and sometimes impossible, to love everyone, but God somehow does. So if we love God, even people we really deeply hate are "friends of a Friend." And, out of sheer love for our Friend, we can show love for His friends, because deep down we know that's what He would want us to do (and I think He'll take note of how much of an extra sacrifice it was to show love toward someone we hate).

Two weeks ago maybe, I had a thought that heaven is heavenly because good people live there, and hell is like hell because mean people go there. (A corresponding thought is that even if all Mormons go to hell, as some people believe we will, our Elders' Quorums and Relief Society will roll up their sleeves and establish Zion right there on the side of the pit. It won't be much like hell if a bunch of active Mormons live there.) Similarly, we can do our part to make Earth like heaven by treating everybody nicely, by binding up broken hearts and strengthening feeble knees. The more angelic we as individuals are, the more Earth will be like a place where angels live.

The more we fulfill our role as Healers of Souls, the happier we, and the rest of the world, will be.