World Suicide Prevention Day, observed on 10 September each year since 2003, raises awareness of the causes and prevention of suicidal behavior. Suicide and suicide attempts are a major health problem around the world. At least 800,000 people commit suicide every year, with at least 20 times more than that attempting suicide.
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Most major world religions consider suicide a serious wrong because they believe life is given by God and suicide cuts short that life. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes the problem but teaches that suicide is too complex an issue for mortals to judge the person who has died. On this point, the Church's Handbook of Instructions is explicitly clear: ". . . a person who commits suicide may not be responsible for his or her acts. Only God can judge such a matter."
“Most people who attempt suicide do not want to die; they simply want relief from the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual pain they are going through.” (https://www.lds.org/study/manual/how-to-help/warning-signs-of-suicide?lang=eng). An individual’s problems may seem so terrible and unsolvable that he or she sees death as the only remedy.
The tragedy of suicide is that it not only destroys one life, but it also brings terrible pain and guilt to friends and family left behind. Christ stands ready to comfort and heal the souls of those who falsely believe that they are responsible for or could have stopped the suicide. The Church encourages loved ones to remember this verse in John 14:27—“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives hope and insight for those thinking of suicide, advice and resources for those trying to help them, and comfort for those who are struggling in the aftermath of a suicide. It teaches that God understands the complexities and trials that affect us as part of mortality; suicide does not define a person’s whole existence.
The Church has created many resources to explain and prevent suicide and to comfort those who have lost a loved one to suicide. For access to all videos and resources, please visit suicide.lds.org.