Anyone remember The Glad Game from Pollyanna? That’s what we need today!
http:/https://youtu.be/1Ihxyf7A1hg
Is it really possible to think of things to be grateful for when our world is crashing down all around us? The Glad game (from the book, Pollyanna, written by Eleanor H. Porter), will help us find them and think about them and pull us right out of a depression. At least long enough to get us through till the next crisis.
Marvin J. Ashton, speaking about gladness, reminds us what the Lord said to Joseph Smith in a time of intense persecution when partial seclusion was necessary.
“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).
The good news is the gospel of Jesus Christ; in fact, it’s Jesus Christ, Himself, who will never leave us. Ever!
Sadly, the truth about depression and anxiety is that we step away from our Lord, and Savior. We lose hope and wallow in all that we have to endure; and worse, our own imperfections. If only we could break out of this death spiral and realize that Jesus is still there, waiting for us to look to Him.
Two great commandments given to us in Matthew 22 have the potential to break us out of debilitating depression.
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
If we love God more than anything else, we’ll recognize that He really does love us and watch over us constantly. And when we think of others and serve them, we forget about ourselves and end up feeling much better about life.
That is the very basis of The Glad Game.
President Monson’s version of The Glad Game was given in his talk, Attitude of Gratitude.
“We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude.”
Elder Ashton, in his talk, refers to a book about children with cancer, written by Erma Bombeck. She was a comedienne, turned prolific writer, who focused on simply making people happy. About these children, and this very difficult subject, she wrote:
“They took personal pride in the fact that they were fighting something bigger than they were and stronger than they were—something that might even overpower them. But they still had something their enemies couldn’t take away—hope. It is a formidable weapon. … When all else fails, pull out the big artillery, HOPE, and hang on” (“I Want to Grow Hair, I Want to Grow Up, I Want to Go to Boise.”)
Ultimately, the lesson Elder Ashton teaches is that applying gospel principles is the best way to get through tragedy. In fact, “self-pity and discouragement do not come from the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” This life is a test and we will go through hard things. But we were never meant to go through it alone. We can be glad that we have the option to keep company with a God who actually wants to be with us.