Dear Patients,

My spiritual journey is one of Gratitude.  I am so grateful to all of my patients that have taught me so much over the 37 years of my career. Many of you have shared your own spiritual experiences and beliefs. You have had a profound impact on my spiritual journey. In April I had the strong prompting to share my journey with you as I approach retirement. This letter is a part of my story- a story of spiritual discovery, humility, knowledge, prayer, faith, conversion, hope and the refinement of these principals. My hope is that you feel the spirit of caring and compassion I hold for each of you. It has been an immense privilege being your physician.  

With Gratitude,  

Dr. Greg Litton  

 

A Personal Story of Spiritual Awakening 

I grew up in Spokane, Washington and I did not attend any organized church. I spent many Sundays in the out-of-doors in the beauty the Lord has created, but not learning about the gospel or the teachings of Christ. I attended college, medical school, residency, fellowship, and eventually began practicing medical oncology and hematology in 1989. I was working toward a goal that I had had for 20 years. I sought worldly knowledge and the knowledge of medicine. I knew the importance of God and being closer to Him, but did not actively seek spiritual knowledge.  

By age 38 I had reached a crossroad. I had achieved many of my personal goals and acquired lots of stuff, but lacked an inner peace. I said to myself, “now what?” I started searching for peace. I searched for it in my tasks and accomplishments. Life presents us with endless tasks. I had so many tasks related to family and my career. One can feel that accomplishing these tasks is our purpose and should bring peace and happiness. This inner unrest led me to taking the first step to find inner peace by searching inward. As I did that, I realized I had a belief of the spiritual nature of our beings. My work continually exposed me to the powerful influence of faith, spirituality, and the comfort they can bring, especially in life’s most challenging moments. 

As an Oncologist I encountered the subject of death frequently. I had pondered the consequences of death on numerous occasions. I believe that death is only physical death, not a spiritual death. My belief of our being’s spiritual nature comes from my presence at many deaths. Over and over you can the sense the spirit. Sometimes this spirit is weak, sometimes it is overwhelming strong. You can feel a presence and sense a separation of the spiritual and physical bodies. Even if you have your emotional barriers up, this sense of a spiritual power is great. These experiences affirmed for me the reality of our spiritual nature and deepened my faith that there is more to life than our earthly existence. 

 

Witnessing Spiritual Transformation 

One pivotal experience came from a close friend and patient, Rich, who was diagnosed with cancer. Like me, he was not actively involved in any spiritual practice. He obtained his spiritual energy from being in the outdoors, but not actively developing a relationship with God or spiritual knowledge. In his final months, he sought a spiritual connection. He began to attend a church and build a relationship with God. As he incorporated Christ into his daily life, he and his wife changed; they became “born again.” He became much more at peace with his life and his eventual death. He found an increased joy in smaller things. Joy in his friends and relationships. He had an inner peace that calmed him through all the ups and downs of his treatments. At his birthday party he was asked what he wanted. He replied that he wanted each of us to “Come unto Christ.” I immediately knew this was true, but it was a hard thing for me to act on.  

During Rich’s last two weeks, we went on a boat trip to Lake Powell, a place we both loved. It was the early spring and uncrowded. On a beautiful morning we sat on the bow of the boat with cool temperatures, blue skies and red rocks surrounding us. We were talking about his faith and suddenly it seemed as if everything stopped. A total peace enveloped us. It was an incredibly calming and comforting sensation. In that spiritual moment I was a witness to the power of Jesus Christ and how even in troubled times we can be comforted. Having faith can heal us. The peace I felt was not of this world—it was a gift from our Savior, Jesus Christ. That experience inspired me to actively pursue my own spiritual peace through a relationship with Christ. 

 

The Importance of Humility and Prayer 

The process of developing a personal spiritual relationship can take time. It is influenced by our experiences, but it also requires humility. Taking care of patients with cancer taught me humility. I witnessed unpredictable challenges in my patients’ lives and the strength with which they faced them. By being more emotionally connected to my patients, I learned that with humility comes true empathy and understanding. Personal and relationship difficulties can also be humbling and I experienced several of these. With humility in our heart we can really begin to search out and seek true spiritual knowledge and then find that inner peace.  

I sought spiritual knowledge and knowledge of the gospel. Many friends, colleagues, and patients who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared their testimonies with me. My wife at the time, though an inactive member, returned to church amid our personal challenges. Their influence guided me to begin attending church, where I realized that inner peace required my active pursuit of spiritual understanding. I realized that on this spiritual journey I could not be a passive participant. Through study, I learned the importance of prayer. 

Prayer is a skill that requires practice, especially for those unfamiliar with it. Learning to pray and discovering that I could freely communicate with God brought immense peace. Prayer became my “passport to peace.” I developed faith that my prayers would be answered, but often in unexpected ways. 

As I observed patients facing difficult prognoses, I noticed how faith and hope provided comfort, even amid setbacks. Prayers were sometimes answered in small, seemingly miraculous ways. Sometimes as a precious extension of time with loved ones, or an unexpected response to treatment. These experiences showed me that prayer works, though its answers may come in subtle forms. Recognizing these small answers has strengthened my peace and belief in the power of prayer. 

With humility, knowledge of the gospel and Heavenly Father’s plan, and through the miracle of prayer, I gained a testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I could feel the spirit and its’ witness that these things are true. I was baptized August of 1999.  My faith has grown since that time. Today, I cannot imagine what life would be like without the many blessings of the gospel. Every struggle and challenge that has occurred on the path has been “worth it” because they have strengthened and shaped my faith and testimony. I have felt the presence of the Holy Ghost and my savior Jesus Christ. My previous marriage ended in 2006 and with that challenge I was comforted by the peace Christ can bring into our lives through His atonement. I was married to Kay in 2008. She also had found comfort and peace in living the Gospel of Jesus Christ after the death of her previous husband. She has filled my heart with joy. Christ blunts the difficulties we face; He magnifies the joy, and brings happiness and peace.  

The Power of Hope 

The final thing I would like to mention is hope. Hope is so important. On my path to find inner peace it has been demonstrated to me often that hope is powerful. My friend Rich developed faith and hope that he would be ok. In caring for patients I see that their hope, and my hope for them, is a healing tool. Being filled with faith and hope gives us happiness, and within happiness is our inner peace. We can hope to be cured, we can hope we make it to tomorrow, we can hope that our pain and anguish will go away. One can have all types and magnitudes of hope. We can have faith and hope that by our spiritual nature we will rise up at the end of our lives and have Christ by our side. We need to be filled with hope, not fear. We need to seek spiritual things and not worldly things. As we seek and find these spiritual truths we can be filled with a perfect brightness of hope.  

Author Samuel Smiles wrote: “Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us. Hope sweetens the memory of experiences well loved. It tempers our troubles to our growth and our strength. It befriends us in dark hours, excites us in bright ones. It lends promise to the future and purpose to the past. It turns discouragement to determination.”  In my practice I see hope heal every day.   

I believe that we are spiritual beings. Through faith, prayer, and hope, we can all find truth, inner peace and happiness, no matter our earthly circumstances. To my patients, for all you have taught me, I am profoundly grateful. 

With love and gratitude, 

Dr. Greg Litton