Safemakers

No, I'm not talking about people that forge giant metal boxes with combination and biometric submarine hatches on them. I'm not talking about money, documents, jewelry, or guns, though it has much to do with things of value. I'm talking about gifts.

We all come into this life with certain gifts, certain abilities that seem to come naturally to us. We are also given the chance and the challenge to acquire gifts that may not come so readily (1 Cor 12:31, D&C 46:8-9). I was reminded today of one of "the best gifts" we can have in life. My wife returned home from church, it was my turn to stay home with our newborn, and she told me about the lesson she had in her class. The topic, difficult for almost any teacher, was mental illness. She told me how the teacher had a remarkable ability to help the members of the class feel safe so that they could share their feelings and their experiences without reservation. The result was an unfettered conversation in which many were touched, eyes were opened, and bonds between people were strengthened.

The ability to make others feels safe in your presence is the gift I'm talking about. It is of inestimable worth and it allows you and I to get past walls that may seem to be impenetrable. It gives us the ability to lift and influence others for good when we would otherwise meet withdrawal and distrust. Real and honest love is the source of this gift. It cannot be faked or feigned in anyway without immediate detection by the wary, and often weary, soul. It comes when people know that they will be loved regardless of any information they might divulge or any shortcoming they might have.

Trust is a precious thing that, once lost, is extremely difficult to recover. If people are going to trust you with their thoughts and emotions, you have to prove to them that you can be " true at all times to whatsoever thing [you are] entrusted" (Alma 53:20). You have to prove that your "faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death (D&C 121:41-44). The person that can do that is a safemaker, and like a peacemaker, he or she can go into hearts that others can't. May we all pray for and seek after this gift.