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See a list of Church resources, articles, videos and counsel on suicide prevention.stock.adobe.com/Ursula Page
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By Mary Richards, Church News
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-273-TALK, or simply by calling 988.
Suicide is a global public health problem that can often be prevented, explains a Gospel Topics essay. Most people who have thought about suicide do not want to die; they simply want to find relief from the physical, mental, emotional or spiritual pain they are going through.
Everyone should learn the risk factors and warning signs of suicide and then reach out to find help for a person considering suicide, said the essay.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that mortal life is a precious gift from God — a gift that should be valued and protected. The Church strongly supports the prevention of suicide. For information about how to help someone who is suicidal or someone who has been affected by suicide, see suicide.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The following are some of the available Church resources.
Church Websites Devoted to Suicide Prevention and Mental Health
The release of suicide.ChurchofJesusChrist.org in September 2016 purposely coincided with World Suicide Prevention Day. The Church also released mentalhealth.ChurchofJesusChrist.org within 60 days.
A Church News article noted that the timing for launching the two websites is appropriate given that 90% of people who die by suicide also lived with mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, known as NAMI.
The website has helpful resources for those:
Elder Renlund Talks Suicide Prevention, Reaching Out to Others in Church Videos
In July 2018, the Church released three videos with Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to help Church members approach those who are considering suicide.
“We need to reach out with love and understanding,” Elder Renlund said in one of the videos, titled “Suicide Prevention: Understanding Suicide.” “And you do that in concert with health care professionals, with ecclesiastical leaders, with friends and family support.”
Other videos with Elder Renlund include advice to families who have suffered from the effects of suicide:
- “Suicide Prevention: To Parents after a Suicide Loss”
- “Suicide Prevention: To Loved Ones Left Behind”
Church Video 'Choose to Stay' Offers Hope for Those Considering Suicide
A video released in September 2018 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides a personal perspective of a young man grappling with thoughts of suicide and the hope that comes from choosing to lean on his family, prayer and medical professionals for healing.
“Somewhere between my new dark existence and all those beautiful moments I’d experienced in the past, I forgot something,” says a young man in the video. “I didn’t have to stay alone.”
Other Resources
- Counseling and ministering help for leaders and ward council members at counselingresources.churchofjesuschrist.org.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- Gospel Topics, “Suicide”
Teachings from Church Leaders
- President M. Russell Ballard, “Suicide: Some Things We Know, and Some We Do Not,” Ensign, October 1987, 6–9.
- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Like a Broken Vessel,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2013, 40–42.
- Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Hope of God’s Light,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013,
70–76. - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Tomorrow the Lord Will Do Wonders among You,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 124–27.
- Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Finding a Safe Harbor,” Ensign, May 2000, 59–61.
Church Magazine Articles about Suicide and Depression
- “Choosing to Live: Overcoming Suicidal Thoughts”
- “How to Create a Suicide-Prevention Safety Plan”
- “Suicide, Healing, and Hope”
- “Saved After My Daughter’s Suicide”
- “How Survivors Heal”
- “Understanding Suicide: Warning Signs and Prevention”