Running Header: LET US BE ANXIOUSLY ENGAGED
Let Us Be Anxiously Engaged
Madison Olsen
BYU-Idaho
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LET US BE ANXIOUSLY ENGAGED
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Abstract
In her paper, “Let Us Be Anxiously Engaged,” Madison Olsen explores what it means to
be anxiously engaged. She also provides ways to be anxiously engaged by incorporating Susan
W. Tanner’s “Learning by Heart,” Thomas G. Plummer’s “Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia
Syndrome,” Hugh Nibley’s “Zeal without Knowledge,” and Elder M. Russell Ballard’s “Being
Anxiously Engaged.” She also provides instruction from the Lord derived from the scriptures to
help support her claim for the need of being anxiously engaged. First, Olsen provides a personal
example of being anxiously engaged, but asserts one must carefully maintain a balance so as not
to become overwhelmed or to neglect family life. She then defines what it means to be anxiously
engaged and what one can do to become active in aiding others. Next, she describes that one can
become a true disciple of Christ by having an active heart, mind, and soul. Olsen then concludes
that by being anxiously engaged rather than simply being busy, one has become a disciple of
Christ.
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Let Us be Anxiously Engaged
Over the years I have dealt with extreme anxiety. Because of this, I have found it
overwhelming and difficult to go out of my way and help others—whether they are family,
friends, or strangers. It wasn’t until I received my Patriarchal Blessing that I was instructed to
turn that anxiety into something productive: I am to become anxiously engaged. According to
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, “anxious” can either be “characterized by extreme uneasiness of
mind,” or “ardently wishing to learn.” It is vital that we be zealous to learn as well as earnest to
teach. By this we are actively and eagerly engaged in our lives. But what does it mean to be
anxiously engaged? And how can one keep a balance without becoming overwhelmed? Both
sides of the spectrum can cause a sense of exhaustion and angst—whether it be working
strenuously to help others or not working at all. I have found there is a fine line between being
anxious and being anxiously engaged.
Many people participate in church callings, but they see it as an obligation or a duty
rather than a blessing or an act of love. And then there are others who throw their entire selves
into their calling in the Church, and those at home are somewhat left behind and neglected. It is
crucially important to keep balance in our lives, and yet it is one of the most difficult things to
do. We are told that a sacrifice is giving up something good for something better. Nevertheless,
we must be careful that we do not sacrifice our own families.
I have seen some of this in my own family. My father is a great man, but every so
often—well, very often— he spreads himself too thin: between his calling in the Stake
Presidency and his jobs as Administrator at Juvenile Justice and a psychology professor at ISU,
the exhaustion and stress frequently becomes too much. He then comes home to my younger
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siblings who always want to play with him. He is aware that his patience and his time are thin,
and yet he still continues to make a conscientious effort to engage and play with my siblings.
Because of this, he has managed to create a balance in his life between work, church, and family,
though it has not always gone smoothly. It is easy to become overwhelmed when doing good
works. It is difficult to know where to draw the line between too much, even overzealous, and
the bare minimum, or not enough. We can do the work of the Lord and keep an active eye out for
opportunities that He presents us with, but we must also remember we cannot always fix, help, or
change everything in the world. The work of one man is not enough. This is why it is crucial we
lead as examples. Thus, through committees and organized leadership, the work of one turns into
the work of many. We are His hands. We spread His work, even in our simple daily activities if
we keep His countenance about us.
We are counseled in D&C 58:27 to “be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many
things of [our] own free will, and to bring to pass much righteousness.” This does not mean only
in the Church, but also in our lives outside of church. Again, we, as Latter-Day Saints, must lead
by example. It is essential to be avid in showing our goodness of heart, performing acts of His
love and passing that love forward to His other children—especially those who do not yet have
the gospel in their lives.
It is challenging to discern what exactly being anxiously engaged entails. It is challenging
to know whether or not we are doing enough—to know exactly what to do to help others in
certain circumstances. However, the Lord tells His children in Doctrine and Covenants sections
six and nine what to do in these situations: “…if you desire a further witness, cast your mind
upon the night that you cried unto me with your heart, that you might know concerning the truth
of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning this matter?” (Section 6: 22, 23;
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italics added). And, “But, behold, I say unto you that you must study it out in your mind; then
you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within in
you; therefore, you shall feel that this is right” (Section 9:8). If we seek His guidance, we will
have a calmness of mind and peace of heart. He will direct us in the direction of others so we can
carry out His plan and continue His discipleship. Yet, sometimes we must go out on our own
and trust ourselves that we know what is right, that we know what to do to lighten another’s load.
These scriptures lead directly to Susan Tanner’s point of learning by heart. Tanner
counsels we study out in our minds what we must learn in our hearts. Once we have committed
what we have learned to our hearts, to our very souls, we have become more in tune with the
Spirit, the Comforter. We can then be led by his gentle hand to assist and support others who are
in need. Tanner asserts that it is essential to learn by heart and apply that knowledge in life,
using it to further the Lord’s plan. To fully follow the path of Christ, it is required that we study
out our actions in our minds and in our hearts. This provides for greater insights which allows a
truer interpretation of the guidance of the Lord and how we can integrate our blessings into our
lives—specifically Patriarchal Blessings. As Tanner says, “I like the phrase ‘learning by heart.’
In contrast to ‘learning by rote,’ to learn by heart is to commit things to memory so deeply and
richly that they sink deep into the soul… This type of learning by heart prepares our minds and
hearts for revelation and witnessing from the Holy Ghost. Joseph Fielding Smith said, ‘Through
the Holy Ghost the truth is woven into the very fibre and sinews of the body so that it cannot be
forgotten’” (qtd. In Tanner’s “Learning by Heart, 2008/2012, pp. 496-497). Striving for true
discipleship replaces the pressure and demand of duty to God, to something that is more in tune
with the Spirit, to wanting to serve others, for helping our fellow men out of love. With the Holy
Ghost woven into our souls and our very bodies, it is easier to follow and keep along the path of
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service. However, our challenge or journey is still to find the balance of our life and our roles in
life, creating a state of simply being versus a state of being anxious—by turning that anxiety into
anxiousness to do the will of the Lord, learning by mind and heart and putting that knowledge
into action. When we assist others because we want to, rather than because we feel we have to,
we find that it is easier to care for them. We find we have more time to nourish and lift those in
need.
Just as Thomas G. Plummer provided six treatments to avoiding the Ophelia Syndrome,
we can apply those same six treatments in deciding how to be anxiously engaged. They are not
necessarily instructions so much as they are guidelines, or even warnings of what we must do in
order to be a disciple of the Lord. Plummer advises his readers to “seek out and learn from great
teachers; dare to know and trust yourself; learn to live with uncertainty; practice dialectical
thinking; foster idle thinking; plan to step out of bounds” (2008/2012, pp. 440-445). While the
fifth treatment suggestion may not necessarily apply, the others are still valid in becoming
anxiously engaged. It is extremely beneficial to learn from great teachers and to share our
knowledge we have gleaned with others. By practicing dialectical thinking, we think in
alternatives, or opposites (Plummer, p. 444). Try to see what is like to be in the other person’s
place. Things may start out uncomfortable when helping others, thus the stepping out of bounds
and living with uncertainty. Also, one must learn trust him- or herself. The Lord counsels us with
this same advice. He has presented and blessed this world with the gift of agency. It is critical
that our agency is utilized effectively rather than simply leaning on the Lord for every solution
and answer. We must study the answer out in our own mind and seek for the Lord’s guidance
and approval. While Plummer’s “Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome” refers to more
of an academic sense, his notions can still be applied spiritually. Plummer suggests that as we
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come to know ourselves, we gain confidence in ourselves and in our skills (p. 443). He also says,
“…you must also learn to play your hunches, to follow your intuition through” (p.443). Because
we are the only ones who know exactly what is going on in our minds and in our hearts, then we
are the ones we must rely on to follow through with what we think and feel (Plummer, p.443). If
we seek the answers for ourselves and then ask the Lord if he approves, then we have achieved
correctly using agency. Then we have activated our minds as well as our hearts.
Hugh Nibley states “our search for knowledge should be ceaseless, which means that it is
open-ended, never resting on laurels, degrees, or past achievements” (2008/2012, p. 377). If we
continue to learn, our minds are engaged; if we integrate what our mind knows with our heart,
even folding it deep into our soul, then our hearts are engaged; if we then take what our mind,
our heart, our very soul knows and apply that to our actions and use it to edify or aid others, then
we have become anxiously engaged. Similar to Colossians 3:23-24 which councils, “Whatsoever
ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive
the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ,” Elder M. Russell Ballard teaches
These simple, daily acts of service may not seem like much in and of themselves, but
when considered collectively they become just like the one-twelfth teaspoon of honey
contributed by a single bee to the hive. There is power in our love for God and for His
children, and when that love is tangibly manifest in millions of acts of Christian kindness,
it will sweeten and nourish the world with the life-sustaining nectar of faith, hope, and
charity. (2012)
Elder Ballard informs us that being anxiously engaged is not necessarily as complicated
as so many people like to think. It is actually quite simple, though the actions may be more
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difficult to perform. It can be difficult to help others; it is difficult to know how services will be
received. It is also frustrating to know whether or not anyone notices your good actions, and
sometimes you are left wondering why even bother, wondering if you even make a difference.
Just as the bee’s one-twelfth teaspoon of honey to the hive may seem insignificant, each
contribution “is vital to the life of the hive. The bees depend on each other. Work that would be
overwhelming for a few bees to do becomes lighter because all of the bees faithfully do their
part” (Ballard). God notices our own seemingly insignificant contributions, and others notice
too, though we may not see their acknowledgment of our actions. By being His disciples,
performing acts of His love, sharing His glorious gospel, and interacting with our families, we
have become anxiously engaged and progressed on our journey to salvation. Elder Ballard
eloquently and simply says,
We are to love God and to love and care for our neighbors as ourselves. Imagine what
good we can do in the world if we all join together, united as followers of Christ,
anxiously and busily responding to the needs of others and serving those around us—our
families, our friends, our neighbors, our fellow citizens. (2012)
Nonetheless, it is important to keep in mind that being “busy” does not necessarily mean
we are being spiritual. Do not let life become a “quick successions of busy nothings” (Austen,
1814). Rather, become anxiously engaged in good works, and balance your time wisely between
school, work, church, and family. While this is easier said than done, it is indispensable that we
strive to become engaged with balance and peace in order to become active in searching for
opportunities to share the pure love of Christ. Though it is not necessarily second-nature to
actively help others, it is essential in being a disciple of Christ. It is important to diligently search
for those opportunities to aid others and spread Christ’s truth, but also take time to focus on
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yourself, your purpose, and your family. Enjoy life and see every day as a gift. Contribute to that
gift. Just as the honey bee contributes to the hive, every contribution you make adds to the
greater whole of the life God has so graciously given us. Once we have replaced the “must serve”
to the “want to serve,” we can leave behind the angst, the exhaustion and find we have more
peace and balance in our lives. Even by simply not being ashamed to show our discipleship of
Christ, we have led by example, and in turn have contributed to His plan. Though at times it may
be overwhelming to attempt to see the bigger picture, things may appear daunting, pray to the
Lord in your heart and He will soothe your mind.
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References
anxious. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved March 2, 2013, from http://www.merriam
webster.com/dictionary/anxious.
Austen, Jane. (1814). Mansfield park. (Vol. I, p. 88). Michigan: Edwards Brothers, Inc.
Ballard, M. R. (2012, October). Be anxiously engaged. Retrieved from http://www.lds.org/generalconference/2012/10/be-anxiously-engaged?lang=eng
Lee, R.E. (2013 January 6). Patriarchal Blessing given to Madison Olsen. Pocatello, ID: The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Nibley, Hugh. (1978/2012). Zeal without knowledge. In R. Seamons (Ed). The way of wisdom. (pp. 373384). Rexburg, ID: BYU-Idaho. Retrieved from http://ilearn.byui.edu.
Plummer, Thomas G. (2008/2012). Diagnosing and treating the Ophelia syndrome. In R. Seamons (Ed).
The way of wisdom. (pp. 438-447). Rexburg, ID: BYU-Idaho. Retrieved from
http://ilearn.byui.edu.
Tanner, Susan. (2004/2012). Learning by heart. In R. Seamons (Ed). The way of wisdom. (pp. 496-500).
Rexburg, ID: BYU-Idaho. Retrieved from http://ilearn.byui.edu.
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