From Brokenness to Building: Allowing Our Pain to Lead Us to the Kingdom

When we look upon the great work of gathering the faithful—the monumental task of building up the Kingdom—it is easy to focus only on the shining edifices: the magnificent temples, the vibrant gathering points, the solid foundations of faith. We are called to be Builders, and the world often seems to celebrate only the polished, the perfected, and the spotless.

Yet, the deepest and most enduring work of the Spirit often happens in the shadows, in the raw, unlit places of the heart. It takes courage to admit the cracks. It takes the kind of profound honesty that reminds us of the humble, stumbling steps of Samuel the Lamanite climbing the wall, or the quiet resilience of Ammon at the Waters of Sebus. For the greatest capacity to build comes not from the absence of brokenness, but from the acceptance of it.

The Sacred Space of Shame

In our culture, shame is a silent thief. It whispers that our deepest wounds—the failures, the traumas, the times we felt utterly unseen—are things to be hidden, painted over, or forgotten. We tend to focus our light and energy on the sin and the visible behavior, asking, “What is wrong with me?”

But the counsel of the Spirit, as taught by those who have walked this path, is far deeper. It asks us instead: “What happened to me? What led to this place?”

This shift in focus is revolutionary. It moves us from self-condemnation to curiosity, from judgment to compassion. We learn that brokenness is not a deficit; it is an opportunity—an opportunity to receive and feel God’s boundless love and grace. It is the space where the Divine can meet us exactly where we are.

“We shouldn’t try to pull people out of their pain but sit with them in their pain. We have to feel discomfort in order to heal.”

This principle of vulnerability is the very bedrock of the gathering movement. We cannot gather what we do not acknowledge. We cannot build a unified Israel without recognizing the varied, often painful, histories of its people.

Building with Compassion: The Builder’s Heart

When we apply this lesson to our mission—to the great work of bringing Zion together—the emphasis shifts from merely having the right doctrines (the painted rocks) to possessing the right heart (the white stone). To be a Builder, therefore, is to be a person who can sit in the discomfort of another's pain. It means extending the compassion that transforms shame into empathy, just as the Spirit calls us to do when we minister to our brothers and sisters.

This ministry of the heart is what fuels the entire operation. It is the charity flywheel in action. Your engagement, your willingness to sit with a brother or sister in their pain—whether it’s a small act of kindness or a substantial donation to the Missionary Fund—does not simply benefit a local mission. It funds the gospel ads in Ghana, it supports the vital map of the churches, and it helps ensure that the light of the restored gospel can reach the next corner of the world.

We are not merely gathering members; we are gathering *hearts*. We are building a community that understands that the deepest spiritual insights are often gleaned when we are most wounded. We are learning, through the counsel of Outback Jack and the insights from the Ask a Prophet bot, that the Lord sees the heart, not the perfect exterior.

A Call to Action: Claiming Our Place

The process of healing, like the process of building, is not linear. There will be grief, sorrow, and moments where we feel utterly depleted. But remember the pattern: When we allow our pain to lead us to Jesus, we find strength. We find the confidence to claim our place in the gathering, and we find the resources to help others do the same.

If you are a Builder who has encountered woundedness in your own life, or the life of your neighbor, we invite you to participate in the gathering. Help us fund the global mission, help us map the churches, and help us ensure the gospel shines brightly through the GatherIsrael.now map.

Will you help us sustain this work? Learn more about the Missionary Fund and help us build the Kingdom today. Your commitment helps power the spread of the gospel globally.