In the strength of the Lord

Alma 31:30-31... O Lord God, how long wilt thou suffer that such wickedness and infidelity shall be among this people? O Lord, wilt thou give me strength, that I may ^abear with mine infirmities. For I am infirm, and such wickedness among this people doth pain my soul.

31 O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul ^ain Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these ^bafflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people.

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Alma 7: 12 And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to ^csuccor his people according to their infirmities.
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Alma 20: 4 Now Lamoni said unto Ammon: I know, in the ^astrength of the Lord thou canst do all things.

I've been reading in Alma lately and I remember reading these applicable verses. I've been closely following the story of Elizabeth since she has kidnapped eight years ago. I've read just about everything I could get my hands on. Last week I read her daily court testimony as she testified with conviction, strength and composure about the terrible ordeal she went through for 9 months. I'm in awe of Elizabeth. I'm so proud of her inner strength and determination to not let this terrible episode in her life define who she is. She is a beloved daughter of God who has let the Atonement of Jesus Christ wash over her like a healing blanket and work it's wondrous healing powers. That marvelous gift can take the pain, the hurt, the humiliation, the injustice, the sorrow, and the grief and remove it from an individual and put it on our Savior. He can truly succor us according to our infirmities, whatever they are! Elizabeth's story is a shining example of this power. Individual self-worth, knowing who she really is, determination, undoubtedly good counseling, a supportive family and our Savior. What a winning combination. What else would explain her resilience? I would suppose that if other people went through a similar horror, they would be curled up in the fetal position and wouldn't be able to function. They would surrender to the captivity. Not Elizabeth. She is a marvel.
I observed her over a year ago while she was in the MTC learning French, getting ready to serve in the Paris, France mission. She was smiling, happy and anxiously involved in a good cause as she was preparing to serve others.
Here are some things I've learned from her example:
~No matter what happens to a person, we still have agency to decide how we will react to any situation. No one can take that from us.
~No amount of complaining, whining or feeling sorry for yourself is going to change horrible circumstances. Move on and let it go, even in the face of extremely difficult circumstances.
~Don't let anyone take your sense of worth from you. Ever.
~Don't let a horrible time in your life define your life.
~Have faith. Pray. Hope. Never, never give up.
It's a miracle to watch what happened to this wonderful women and her family and to see the miraculous, all encompassing healing that has taken place through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.