The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a new Mormon Message video Tuesday night regarding suicide prevention.
In the video "Sitting on the Bench: Thoughts on Suicide Prevention," Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, encourages all to reach out and offer help.
"Every human soul is precious," Elder Ballard says in the video. "There is nothing more powerful than the arm of love that can be put around those who are struggling."
In the video, a painting by Greg Olsen is shown in which a teenage boy sits on a bench next to Jesus Christ. Olsen's son, Nate Olsen, then shares the story behind the painting, which involves a friend who took his own life.
Author and blogger Seth Adam Smith also shares his struggle with suicide. Smith explains that although his family was not professionally trained to assist someone who had attempted suicide, it was simply their presence that helped him to heal.
"The mere fact that they reached out to me in love, that is what did it," Smith says in the video.
"Sometimes just sharing the load, being someone to sit with you. My brother Sean hardly said a word. He didn't know what to say. But what he did, what my brother did is what changed my life."
The video was released on the Mormon YouTube channel and at the time of publication had more than 5,500 views.
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