When a light goes out and Suicide

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On Friday, I went to a funeral for the most amazing young man.  He was 21 and he cut his life far too short.  A bright candle went out that day...Watching my friend, I see her husband holding her elbow, guiding her, quite literally holding her up.  I wonder how she is still standing.  I can't imagine the pain and anguish they are going through.  My heart grieves with them.  She was dignified and gracious and I know she was being held up by our Father in this tough moment of her life.

I find comfort in the words of one of my Church leaders.

I feel that judgment for sin is not always as cut-and-dried as some of us seem to think. The Lord said, “Thou shalt not kill.” Does that mean that every person who kills will be condemned, no matter the circumstances? Civil law recognizes that there are gradations in this matter—from accidental manslaughter to self-defense to first-degree murder. I feel that the Lord also recognizes differences in intent and circumstances: Was the person who took his life mentally ill? Was he or she so deeply depressed as to be unbalanced or otherwise emotionally disturbed? Was the suicide a tragic, pitiful call for help that went unheeded too long or progressed faster than the victim intended? Did he or she somehow not understand the seriousness of the act? Was he or she suffering from a chemical imbalance that led to despair and a loss of self-control. 

Obviously, we do not know the full circumstances surrounding every suicide. Only the Lord knows all the details, and he it is who will judge our actions here on earth.

When he does judge us, I feel he will take all things into consideration:   our genetic and chemical makeup, our mental state, our intellectual capacity, the teachings we have received, the traditions of our fathers, our health, and so forth. ~M. Russell Ballard

It is so comforting to know that He knows everything we are going through and judgement is left to Him and Him alone.

It's important to reach out to others, to treat them with kindness and love.  You never know what someone is going through.  Your simple attention and kindness might just be the thing they needed.   One light has gone out, but lets share the light with another.