On Being Vulnerable

There is a concept that is part of the gospel and an important part of Living in Truth that I’ve never heard a single talk or lesson about. That is the concept of being vulnerable. If you are like most people just reading the word sends shivers up your spine, and yet in order to progress and become like God we need to open ourselves up and be vulnerable. The word vulnerable means “open to attack or damage.” That’s what a missionary does. That’s what teaching a lesson or giving a talk or bearing a testimony entails. That’s what loving another person involves. Nothing in life that is worth having is obtainable without being vulnerable. A person who refuses to be vulnerable, refuses life.

The hermit who hides away from people and the world is afraid of being vulnerable. They may never suffer the pangs of being rejected, but they also never experience the joys of friendship and love. The person with great talent who is afraid to share that talent is afraid of being vulnerable. They may never be laughed at or make a mistake in public, but they will never have the satisfaction or joy that comes from sharing with other. The shy person who never speaks up may never be put down, but they will also never enjoy the bonding that occurs when people share ideas, dreams, and knowledge. Refusing to be vulnerable isolates us from others and shuts us off from growth.

But most important, repentance requires a person to be vulnerable. It requires us to risk as we seek forgiveness from others and to experience embarrassment and other such emotions we don’t want to confront. But if we refuse to be vulnerable and repent, we stop our eternal progress.

Instead of cringing at the concept of vulnerability, we need to learn more about it, embrace it, and open ourselves up to the possibilities that await us.