We Wear the Mask

I am reminded of a fireside with a rather famous latter-day saint, a lovely lady who had just gone on an extensive public tour revealing how she coped with chronic depression, divorce and great pain. Yet, there was never a mention of such things. Her life was described as peaches and cream, with not a hint of a single worm in those peaches. She felt comfortable enough talking about her struggles to the general public at almost every turn but obviously didn't feel the same when it came to her own church culture. She wore the mask.

I wonder how many lives could be reached by talking about our struggles with frailties and life's misfortunes rather than skirt past such unniceties. Like her, we probably all wear a mask of one degree or another. I respect that mask but thank heavens the scriptures have peeled away such masks by revealing the frailties and humanity of those striving to be more godly. At least I can turn to them in my hour of need.

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906)

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!