Apocryphal Scripture of the Week: (see Doctrine and Covenants 91)
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“For those who claimed to drive away fears and troubles from sick souls
Were sick themselves with ridiculous fear
For if nothing alarming frightened them,
Yet scared by the creeping of vermin and the hissing of reptiles
They died of fright,
Refusing to look even upon the air, which could not be escaped on any side.
For wickedness is a cowardly thing, condemned by a witness of its own,
And being distressed by conscience, has always exaggerated hardships;
For fear is nothing but the giving up of the reinforcements that come from reason….
For the whole world was bathed in bright light,
And occupied in unhindered work;
Only over them was spread a heavy night,
A picture of the darkness that was to receive them.
But heavier than the darkness were they to themselves.”
(Wisdom of Solomon 17:8-12, 20-21)
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There is a lot of fear going around, but sometimes we are afraid of the wrong things, or we respond to fear in the wrong ways.
For example, the virus is a real threat, and in some ways it makes sense to fear the consequences of not taking the proper actions to slow its spread. But we’ve all seen how some allow that rational caution to become “sick themselves with ridiculous fear”–panic buying, media sensationalism, etc. Clearly there is a delicate balance to be reached here.
More importantly, though, this scripture reminds me that often the root of my fear isn’t just for temporal pain; it’s for my consciousness of my sins, the feeling that my soul is not adequately prepared to meet my God should earthly hardships cut my trial period short. As a result, those frightening things outside of my control can weigh much heavier than they should, and as Solomon observes here, “Heavier than the darkness were they to themselves.”
If anything, the trials we’re all facing right now are an important opportunity to repent. Think about where you are; if this week were to be your last, what would you regret not having done? What words would you regret not having said to a loved one, or to an enemy? What forgiveness or apologies or compliments would you regret having withheld? What behaviors would you wish you had at least made a stronger effort to change? (Alma 5 is a pretty good throwdown on this kind of stuff)
If “fear is nothing but the giving up of the reinforcements that come from reason,” then let us hold on to those reinforcements by overcoming fear with faith. It’s important for us to worry for our health and our souls, but it’s our choice whether to allow fear to debilitate us or buoy us into greater confidence before God.
P.S. I also wrote a little piece about how fear can be good. Here’s the link if you’re interested:
The Commonplace Notebook 