Jesus taught:

“I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”

—Matthew 25:36

There are many kinds of prison: the prison of the mind, the prison of the soul, the prison of the body. Being in prison, regardless of the kind, doesn’t make you a bad person. In some cases, it means you’ve made mistakes or bad choices—something we all do. In other cases, it’s something you must suffer through no fault of your own. You might be imprisoned by a body that doesn’t function as it should or a mind that’s riddled with depression. You might be imprisoned by brick and mortar. It doesn’t matter why or how you’re imprisoned, you deserve love and kindness. We all do.

My parents served at the Salt Lake City Prison as family history specialists. They might have been surrounded by people who had done bad things, but they never had anything but good to say about them. It’s because doing bad things doesn’t make you a bad person; bad choices don’t have to define you. You are and will always be children of God, divine beings of infinite worth.

If you’re imprisoned, know that you’re loved. We all have a prison of some sort to work through. Whether you are imprisoned or not, visit those who are. This might be an actual visit to someone you know behind bars or lunch with someone who has depression. Reach out to those souls who are suffering.

Choose Joy, and Light the World.

—A