Is It Safe to Come Out?

            Alaska and other Republican-led states are opening and jump-starting their economy, while most Democrat states are continuing their lockdowns. I know that blue states were hit harder by the coronavirus and had higher levels of cases. However, I wonder if it is COVID-19 or a political agenda that keeps blue states locked down.


            By the end of May, Alaska will be fully open. Restaurants and shoppes will be working at full capacity. The number of coronavirus cases has remained low and manageable, but the state continues the 14-day quarantine period for anyone entering Alaska. Assisted-living centers, nursing homes, etc. are not open for visitors yet. The Anchorage Alaska Temple will be open for live marriage ceremonies, and meetings will be starting soon. 

So, what does all this mean for me and others who fall into the “vulnerable” age and health groups? We know that the coronavirus is still out there lurking around for victims. I also know that I am just as vulnerable today as I was in March when I was told to stay home. Is it safe for me to enter the community again, or should I continue self-quarantine? How long can my husband and I put off doctors’ appointments without causing more problems with our health?

As I wonder about what I should do and what I should encourage my husband to do, I am grateful for a reminder from Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In an interview with the Church News, Elder Renlund described COVID-19 as an indiscriminate virus made of protein and ribonucleic acid that has no soul, no temperament, and no personality and that affects people differently. However, we can rely on personal revelation to sort out our different circumstances and what we should do in our individual lives.

…When we want personal revelation, we need to study it out…. As the leaders of the Church seek revelation in the COVID-19 pandemic, we study. We study what the medical experts are saying and try to sort through how it will apply.

To think that God will just simply reveal what we have not studied is naïve and nonsensical.

…I never get personal revelation if I am angry, excessively frustrated, or even excessively anxious.

            Elder Renlund said that we must be at peace to receive personal revelation and reminded us that President Russell M. Nelson pled with us “to do the spiritual work necessary to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.” He then quoted President Nelson as saying, “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.” The prophet said this in the April 2019 General Conference. One month ago, he asked us to “refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost.” He added, it has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now.”


            This is a good reminder from Elder Renlund. Even though Alaska is opening, and other people are going and coming as they please, it may not be time for me to leave the shelter of my home and/or car. I need to listen to the medical experts and try to see how what they say applies to me and my husband. Then I can go to the Lord to see if I the correct information. It seems that no one else can make the decision for me. I must be willing to take the time and make the effort to find the answers for myself.