Jeffrey Lord There You Go Again Buddy
Elderberry Jeffrey R. The netherlands delivers a devotional accost about forgiveness at BYU on Tuesday, Jan. eighteen, 2022, in Provo, Utah.
Brooklynn Jarvis/BYU
This Christmas, the unabridged extended family of a man who caused a drunken freeway collision that hospitalized a Nevada mother willfully went without holiday gifts.
The family donated the money saved to the family of the injured female parent, Deedra Russell, who has weathered 18 surgeries since the Sept. 8 accident, a horrific head-on collision on I-15 in the Virgin River Gorge of Arizona.
For the Russells, it has been a second tragedy. Half dozen years ago, Deedra's married man Troy Russell accidentally backed his pickup over their 9-yr-former son, Austen, who died, a story later shared by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles during a general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
On Tuesday, Elderberry The netherlands invited members of both families, including the driver, to the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he delivered a devotional address illustrated by their examples of love, repentance, forgiveness and religion in Jesus Christ.
Elder Jon Schmitt visits Deedra Russell and Troy Russell as Deedra continues to recover from a head-on collision with a drunk commuter on Sept. viii, 2021.
Elderberry Jon Schmitt
"God does not now, nor will he ever do to you a destructive, malicious, unfair thing, ever," Elder Holland said. "It is non in what Peter calls 'the divine nature' to even exist able to do so. By definition and in fact, God is perfectly and thoroughly, always and forever, good, and everything he does is for our good."
Instead, he said, "Miracles flow fifty-fifty from the mangled wreckage of a charcoal-gray Honda and a white Silverado pickup — all in response to artless submission and meekness when dealing with what the Father allows."
His married woman, Sis Patricia Holland, besides spoke briefly on the same topic.
"I am old enough to show of a God who thinks 'peace' regarding us, and non 'evil,' a God who will 'hearken' unto every one of us in our times of need," she said.
Elder The netherlands, who was BYU's president from 1980-89, shared three lessons from the September crash and the reactions of the drunken commuter, the victim and their families. He also shared a video message from Deedra and Troy Russell.
Lesson 1: Keep the commandments and seek forgiveness after breaking them.
"Backside what we want to exist a hopeful and constructive ending to this story," he said, "is the constant reminder, the drumbeat in my encephalon — rain or polish; dark or twenty-four hour period; leap, summer, winter and fall — that in that location is a loving reason to obey gospel laws and a worthy reason to follow gospel principles, the keeping of God's commandments actually is of import, and that revealed exercise'southward and don'ts are for a purpose."
When a mistake is made and a commandment is cleaved, "Our purpose is to learn. It'southward why we come up to a academy, and 1 thing this brother and his family have taught united states is when we have made a mistake, serious or otherwise, we should experience genuine remorse and sorrow, and nosotros should have responsibleness for impairment done and suffering acquired," he said.
Elder Holland said that responsibility includes a decision to alter the habits and behaviors that led to harm as well as prayers for God to repair or repay what one cannot do oneself.
"To deserve such assistance, we surely ought to seek to alive a life that would warrant information technology, always remembering that heaven's grace exceeds our merit," he said. "I am touched that this expert brother who caused this accident is trying to do everything he knows how to exercise and has done just what I have only said in every way he knows how."
Elder Holland reported that driver who was headed southbound in the northbound lane on I-15 and caused the collision that hospitalized Deedra Russell has abandoned drinking and returned to religious activity. His extended family joined him in his attempts to brand amends past donating their Christmases to the Russells, whose medical expenses likely will bankrupt their family.
The driver likewise wrote Deedra Russell an eight-page letter.
"Deedra, I feel so horrible (almost what) I (accept done) to you. My eye is (broken). My lungs can't exhale. I am and so sorry for the hurting you are in," the driver wrote. He added, "Troy, you are an angel (to forgive me). ... I am and then distressing you had to go through so much in your lives already, and at present this all considering of me. ... (But) I am going to church once again. I am reading my scriptures every night.
"And please tell the kids I am so sorry I hurt their female parent. (Deedra), I know I near took your life simply if it matters, you have saved mine."
Lesson 2: Everyone needs forgiveness, so we should extend it to others
"I offer a second lesson," Elder Holland said. "It is the other side of the forgiveness coin: But as the transgressor seeks forgiveness equally role of the quest for relief and peace, we need to forgive at least in office for the relief and peace it brings us."
The Russells felt that they could not withhold forgiveness to the driver in function because of Troy'due south struggles over the past half-dozen years with his accidental part in their son'south death.
"Nosotros all give thanks God for existence a Father of forgiveness and for the gifts of mercy and relief that he offers usa, all of it ultimately coming to u.s.a. through the majestic Amende of his Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ," Elder The netherlands said. "We are to bring together in and participate in that offering. The Russells have done that. They take looked up to their God and, even in their anguish, accept humbly but resolutely joined the Savior in extending forgiveness to i in need."
Lesson iii: Faith in Christ is the well-nigh powerful lotion and strength
Elder The netherlands urged BYU students to go along their faith in the face up of life's inevitable struggles.
"So when y'all are being hammered on the anvil of adversity, when your soul is being refined with severe lessons that perhaps can be learned no other way, don't cut and run. Don't jump ship," he said.
He said that the only help and strength in the well-nigh difficult experiences comes from Christ, "the very physician who is unfailingly there to care for your injuries, elevator yous to your feet and assist you finish the class."
"What we need from everyone," he added, "from those of you lot solidly in the church equally well equally those struggling to concur on, is powerful faith, religion that sustains u.s.a. here and now ..."
That message resonated with students. The total estimated audience was 7,783, co-ordinate to the Marriott Center events function.
"It thought it was timely because forgiveness and repentance are not things we see in today'south civilization," said Ryan Smith, 24, an advertising and business major from Lake Wood, California. "The commuter's instance and his family'due south case inspired me to want to amend myself."
Smith's twin brother, Tyler, said he turned to his wife, Sage, while Elder The netherlands was talking and said, "I'm ready to do hard things with you."
"For me, it was a call to gratitude," said Bryson Lichtenberg, 23, a computer science major from M Blanc, Michigan. "It was eye-opening to realize how skilful my life is. I go through difficult things on a regular basis, just they are so manageable compared to what others take been chosen to feel."
Video message from the Russells
Elder Holland said the Russells' case of forgiveness has produced miracles of love and organized religion rippling out to touch hundreds who have washed their laundry, brought them meals, taken their children to school, and stayed with Deedra in her St. George, Utah, hospital, hundreds of miles from their family unit home.
Others have helped Troy at work, allowing him to spend one-half of the past 132 days since the accident by her side at the infirmary.
Their example of forgiveness has touched others who want to understand the source of their strength.
Elder The netherlands shared a video message from the Russells.
"One thing I've learned these past few months, which accept been really, really hard for me, is that we have a very loving Heavenly Father," Deedra said. "... I don't think that I would have had such a strong testimony of just how much Heavenly Father really loves u.s. if I hadn't have gone through these things."
Troy and Deedra Russell
Troy Russell
Troy said he has thought Deedra would die three or four times over the past iv months, but said that he has been sustained by the Latter-24-hour interval Saint conventionalities in temple sealings and forever families.
"We promise that we ever employ our bureau to forgive others that accept wronged the states, to show love and kindness and to be in that location for other people," he said.
Source: https://www.deseret.com/faith/2022/1/18/22889577/elder-jeffrey-r-holland-how-2-car-accidents-demonstrate-the-power-of-forgiveness-and-faith
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