Monday, August 15, 2011

I can do hard things

Tonight T and I had the wonderful and amazing chance to hear Elizabeth Smart speak at my YSA stakes fireside. Two weeks ago, our bishop announced that she was coming to speak and I nearly gasped out loud because I was so excited. 

If you don't remember, Elizabeth Smart is the girl who was kidnapped at knifepoint by a man who broke into her house and stole her from her bed as she slept. She was held captive for 9 months and was repeatedly raped, tortured, starved, and more atrocities. 

The thing that I love about her is that after this horrific ordeal, her testimony remained strong and unshaken. No one would have blamed her if she no longer believed in God because of the horrible things she went though. She went on to serve a full-time mission for the LDS Church. She gave up 18 months of her life to serve the Lord. 

The first thing that struck me when she walked into the chapel and sat up on the stand was how poised she was. The chapel was over flowing with people, so much so that they opened up the culture hall behind and people were sitting on the stage. They even had to roll a tv into another room and video tape it because there were so many people. Sister Smart didn't bat an eye at the crowd. She was smiling, laughing, and talking to the family that was on the stand with her. 

One of her companions who had served with her in France and also lived in Utah introduced her. Sister Smart got up and began to speak. Her voice didn't waver once.

 She told the story of her captor and how he grew up. She told us about being stalked for 8 months, taken from her bed, and lived under constant threat of abuse and death for nine months. She reminded us that we are all children of God and that what was happening to her was not her fault. Even though her captor constantly used religion as a way to manipulate and justify his actions, she didn't loose faith. 

She spoke of the Atonement. How it healed her and allowed her to move on. She knew that there was someone that knew exactly how she felt. Christ went through what she went through. I gained a better appreciation and understanding hearing her talk about the wonderful blessings that come from the Atonement. 

After her talk, the audience was allowed to ask questions. Some were funny (How is dating? "Messy. Stressful. Normal" was her answer) Some were touching and testimony strengthening (Did your testimony suffer during or after your ordeal? "No." Simply 'no'.) My personal favorite was when she asked what she was afraid of after going through this ordeal, she answered that she was afraid of snakes and spiders. :)

I walked away with a greater appreciation of life. Anything that I am going through pales in comparison of what that little 14-year-old went though. Her faith never wavered and she went though things that are unimaginable. Even though religion was used to justify her captors motives, she knew it was wrong. She knew that God loved her and wouldn't command anyone, even a so called "man of god", to intentionally make someone do something they do not want to do. 

No matter what the affliction is, you can make it through. You CAN do hard things even if you don't think you can.  At the very end she shared her favorite scripture that got her through so much: 

"Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days."
D&C 24:8

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

She definitely has a sad, but inspiring, story. It's so wonderful that she lived to talk about it!