Many members face a variety of challenges. Parents, leaders, ministering brothers and sisters, and friends have the opportunity to provide help. As you minister to the needs of others, you can help them experience joy and fulfillment. As people seek solutions to their personal problems, they can find help and healing through Jesus Christ and His redeeming power.

The Church provides a number of resources to help as we counsel with others who experience life’s challenges.

Life Help

The section Life Help on ChurchofJesusChrist.org provides gospel-centered teachings and practical helps for life’s challenges in the following areas:

• Abuse
• Addiction Recovery
• Adoption
• Death, Grieving, and Loss
• Disabilities
• Divorce
• Education
• Employment
• Family and Relationships
• Finances
• Media Safety
• Mental and Emotional Health
• Physical Health
• Pornography
• Preparedness
• Pregnant and Single
• Same-Sex Attraction
• Self-Reliance Services
• Single-Parent Families
• Suicide
• Transgender

Counseling Resources

A section of counseling resources is available in the Gospel Library. (Go to Handbooks and Callings, then Ward or Branch Callings, Bishopric, and then Counseling Resources.) These resources provide guiding principles and also give specific helps on how to help people who experience these life situations.

Guiding Principles

• Love first. All of God’s children are worthy of love and kindness. We may not understand a person’s individual experiences, but we can always show love.
• Listen to understand. Be careful not to make assumptions about feelings or behavior. Ask questions and listen, then respond with interest and empathy. As you listen, you will nurture trust and gain understanding in how to minister.
• Teach truth. True principles provide the foundation for faithful choices. As guided by the Spirit, lovingly teach those truths that will help the person stay on a path toward eternal joy.
• Nourish faith. Faith is founded on trust in a loving Heavenly Father, on an understanding of Jesus Christ’s Atonement, on confidence in the Holy Ghost’s guidance, and on the assurance that God has a plan for each person’s eternal progression. Encourage individuals to nourish their personal faith through daily prayer and scripture study.
• Minister. Acting in love, listening to understand, and seeking direction from the Spirit will provide a deeper understanding of the best way to lovingly minister to individual needs.

Specific helps are available for the following topics:

• Abuse (Help for the Victim)
• Abuse (Offender’s Needs)
• Addiction
• Employment
• Finances
• Grief and Loss
• Marital Conflict
• Mental Health
• Missionaries Who Return Home Early
• Pornography Use
• Same-Sex Attraction
• Single Expectant Parents
• Suicide
• Support for Caregivers
• Support for Spouses of Pornography Users