The 7th Article of Faith
Sacrament Meeting talk given by Brandon Karr May 28, 2011
When I was asked to speak today, I was asked to speak on the 7th Article of Faith.
It reads:
“We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.”
...I am going to focus on just one of the items in the article, “healing”, which as I'll explain in a moment why, is very near and dear to my family...(pause)...
In the June 2008 Ensign, Elder Alexander B. Morrison speaks about healing. He talks about Christ's healing powers and how they extend beyond physical ailments to include “all manner of disease among the people”. This means that he not only heals people with physical ailments, but also those with mental or emotional ailments. These healings are an integral component of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
The Savior can heal all with his powers, but mortal men with the Melchizedek Priesthood are subject to his will. Sometimes, we are not able to heal an afflicted person, because God's will is otherwise. In 2nd Corinthians, the Apostle Paul sought out the Savior three times asking him to remove an unidentified “thorn in the flesh”. The Savior declined his request, explaining: “My grace is sufficient to thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul then understood that tribulation and suffering are both necessary and inevitable parts of life.
Because we have felt the power of prayer and healing, it is something that has really affected my family for the last few months, and there have been a lot of feelings from tender moments that have been very close to the surface,
I have some cousin's, Josh & Lindsey Karr, that are currently going through a “”thorn in the flesh” as mentioned; as she(Lindsey) has many tumors that medical professionals have deemed at this point untreatable: the following excerpts are from an email sent to our family in February of this year:
Dear Family, Friends, and loved ones.
It's been a season of peace and healing for us since Lindsey finished her radiation treatments. We have watched her gain weight, have no pain, start to drive, begin teaching lessons again, of course her laughter never left her. It's what makes Lindsey so unique and amazing is that despite all her adversity her view of life always has remained optimistic and full of love for all those around her, especially Josh who has been by her side (and as he said they have grown so close thru this experience that he couldn't have hoped for more) We have truly been blessed.
However, just 2 days ago on Sunday Josh and Lindsey had their first get away since her radiation treatments ended. They were staying in SL and during dinner Lindsey looked at Josh and said it felt like she was having a seizure. He gathered her up and rushed to the ER.
The medical team began treating her with anti seizure medication which made her very groggy. Her speech began to slur and she began having pain. The cat scan that was ordered did not show any fluid build up in the brain, and we were hoping that a previous shunt had plugged or was malfunctioning and that we would get it fixed and move on. More tests were going to be done so they admitted her to Neuro ICU, where she is currently.
As you can imagine our emotions have been high. While she rested. we got the information back from the radiologist who conferred on her case when we were at the hospital last time. He told us that it appeared the tumor had spread throughout the membrane which surrounds her brain and it is totally encompassed now by the disease. We tried to take in what was being said and still hoping that what we were looking at would end up being something else. Josh was devastated. The neurosurgeon came in to see us as soon as he was thru with his surgery. He and his team broke the news to us that if what we were looking at would have been infection she would already be gone. Indeed, the tumors have spread throughout her brain and there is no more treatment that can be done... as this news was soaking in, thoughts of what we knew... that the radiation treatments she had were going to be a one time chance to conquer this horrible disease which took such a toll on Lindsey, and that chemotherapy is not effective in these cases. It was very difficult being told by all the doctors that proceeded to come and see us that there was nothing more to be done.
Josh is trying to come to terms with the information we received yesterday. It was one of the most emotionally devastating days of my life, and I felt wholly inadequate in trying to comfort my son at facing life without his best friend. We are taking Lindsey home today and will enlist hospice care to care for her for the time we have left. Josh decided that she will be moved into her parents home, where Lindsey and he will move back into, to spend her last days or weeks surrounded by her family. We do not know how much time we will have with Lindsey. At this point she regained consciousness for a short time last night and Josh was kneeling by her bed. She looked at him and told him she loved him. She reached her face over and kissed him all over his face and said she loved him again.
He just lit up. She has a hard time speaking and we don't know how much coherency she will regain. It was a beautiful moment.
We love you all very much. We have been surrounded by the love and prayers which have been offered on the kids and our behalf. Please continue to do this. Now, more than ever, we are in need of strength we do not possess.
With love (and a broken heart)
Julie(Josh Karr's Mother)
As you can see this is a situation where man has stepped aside, and we are clearly dependent on the powers of Heaven.
They gave my cousin only days, or at best, weeks to live at that point, and sent her home to be “comfortable” which in itself doesn't make much sense to me.
The story doesn't end there however, Lindsey, as she has put it says “I am still here, and I am not going anywhere”! She is no ordinary person, she simply refuses to give up. She and Josh are an inspiration to me, through their extreme circumstances, love of life and sheer optimism.
Since February, Lindsey has been in the news papers, and featured on KSL news, for her amazing happiness, love of life, and putting others before herself, regardless of her circumstances, she is truly an inspiring.
She has a credo which is “Living Life through laughter” which has sustained her and Josh though the past months. The Healing power of the priesthood, and of the many prayers offered on her behalf, have kept her here longer than any of the medical teams ever expected...
Back in February, Lindsey and Josh asked our family to set an alarm to remind us to pray for her at 5:55 pm every day, which we do happily. She has since told us that she can actually feel the healing power of the the prayers.
This has helped to build my testimony of prayer, and healing through the power of the priesthood, which I have seen first hand in the lives of my family. I say this in the Holy name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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