Spiritually Whole in Him

President Camille N Johnson

Written By April T Giauque

Sister Camille N. Johnson, General President of the Relief Society for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, made a powerful impact with her talk, “Spiritually Whole in Him.” Looking at how she broke down the differences between physical and spiritual wholeness brings the world great hope and clarity.

She opens with the story of the Ten Lepers.

“Ten lepers hollered to the Savior, ‘Have mercy on us.’ And Jesus did. He told them to show themselves to the priest, and as they went, they were cleansed of the disease. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, shouted praises to God. He returned to the Savior, fell at His feet, and expressed gratitude.

And the Savior said to him who was thankful, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” Jesus Christ had healed ten lepers. But one, coming back to the Savior, received something in addition. He was made whole.

This is an interesting and powerful statement that one was physically healed and made spiritually whole. The nine were all physically healed, but one had something added unto him. Wholeness. It is brought on by gratitude and by recognizing something more–He knew the Savior.

WholeNess

Sister Johnson goes on to express, “In pondering this story, I have wondered if the converse is true. If healing and wholeness are not the same, can one be made spiritually whole by Him but not yet physically and emotionally healed? The Master Healer will heal all our afflictions—physical and emotional—in His time. But in the waiting to be healed, can one be whole?”

This statement then leads us to ask the question, “What might it mean to be spiritually whole?”

Faith in Jesus

The answer is we are whole in Jesus Christ when we exercise our agency to follow Him in faith, submit our hearts to Him so He can change them, keep His commandments, and enter a covenant relationship with Him, meekly enduring and learning from the challenges of this earthly estate until we return to His presence and are healed in every way.

I can be whole while I wait for healing if I am wholehearted in my relationship with Him. we are following him, then we can submit our hearts to Him so He can change them. That leads us to keep His commandments and enter a covenant relationship with Him. Once we have that conversion, we meekly endure and learning from the challenges of this earthly estate until we return to His presence and are healed in every way.

Is this what we all want—to be spiritually made whole in Him? YES! I can be whole while I wait for healing if I am wholehearted in my relationship with Him.

Our hearts need to be turned to him, and we find hope in striving to be whole—a wholeness born of faith in Jesus Christ.

Sister Johnson says, “Faith in Him increases my hope for healing, and that hope reinforces my faith in Jesus Christ. It is a powerful cycle.”

She then reminds us of the story of Enos. The Lord told Enos his faith had made him “whole.” Wholeness came as Enos pondered on the words of his prophet-father, Jacob, as he hungered to understand the opportunity for eternal life, as he cried unto God in mighty prayer.

And in that state of desire and humility, the voice of the Lord came to him, announcing his sins were forgiven. And Enos asked the Lord, “How is it done?” And the Lord responded, “Because of thy faith in Christ, … thy faith hath made thee whole.”

If we are exercising our faith in Jesus Christ, we can seek to be spiritually whole while we wait and hope for physical and emotional healing. Sister Johnson said, “By virtue of His atoning sacrifice, and when we sincerely repent, the Savior heals us from sin, as He did with Enos. His infinite Atonement also reaches our griefs and sorrows.”

While it might be true that the physical ailments may still be there, they are a gateway to seeking him and there finding peace!

5 Wise Virgins

What does wholeness actually mean? It means to be complete and full. The way to illustrate this is to think about the five wise virgins. They had their lamps full of oil when the bridegroom came; that means their hearts were filled with Christ. They were doing what they could in faith, their hearts were turned to Him, and they were shining their light because they had oil in their lamps. The Bridegroom could see the whole thing because of their light! That is why they were permitted to enter. We can be whole in Jesus Christ as we fill our lamps with the nourishing oil of conversion to Him.

In that way, we are prepared for the symbolic wedding supper, His Second Coming. In the parable all ten of the virgins were in the right location, awaiting the bridegroom. Every one of them came with a lamp.

But when He came, at the unexpected midnight hour, the five foolish did not have sufficient oil for their lamps. The foolish failed to adequately prepare to keep their lamps burning with the oil of conversion.

The Bridegroom's response, “Ye know me not.” Implying, then, that the five wise virgins did know Him. They were whole in Him.

Sister Johnson then talks about a magnificent sculpture depicting the five wise virgins and how it was recently placed on Temple Square, just outside the doors to the Relief Society Building and in the shadow of the Salt Lake Temple. “It is a location befitting of the parable. Because when we make and keep covenants, particularly those available in the house of the Lord, we fill our lamps with the oil of conversion.”

In the depiction of the sculpture, they share their light as they hold up lamps full of oil that burn brightly. Significantly, they are depicted supporting one another, shoulder to shoulder, with an arm around each other, making eye contact, and beckoning others to join them in the light.

If we have that wholeness and conversion, we will shine and be the light that God needs us to be. Indeed, “[we] are the light of the world.” The Savior declared, “I give unto you to be the light of this people. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Therefore let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father [which] is in heaven.”

Wholeness Comes Even When Physical Healing doesn't

Sister Johnson then mentions Paul and his “thorn in his flesh.” Paul’s example suggests that even in our weakness, our strength in Jesus Christ can be made perfect—that is, complete and whole. I think of it as when we have something physical and it causes us pain, we reach out to the Lord for relief, help, and be become humble and get to know Him in our “extremities.”

Those who wrestle with mortal struggles and turn to God in faith like Paul, can receive the blessings of becoming acquainted with God. Paul was not healed of his affliction, but he was spiritually whole in Jesus Christ.

Finally, Sister Johnson shares the story of Mary Magdalene. Here is that summary:

She followed Christ
She witnessed his crucifixion
She went to the tomb to complete the burial
He was not there. He found her weeping.
She knew Him as He spoke her name, “Mary.”
She responded, “Rabboni”---Master!
His words wiped away her tears!
She was the first witness of the Risen Lord!

Like Mary and what the Prophet Isaiah prophesied, “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.” Christ’s resurrection allowed Mary’s tears to be wiped away. Think about that! There will be those dark, challenging moments where surely He will wipe away yours too.

Sister Johnson shares her testimony: I humbly add my testimony to Mary’s. He is risen. Jesus Christ lives. Ultimately, all will be healed, physically and emotionally, in Him. And in the waiting for that healing, faith in the Master Healer will make us spiritually whole. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.