Norte70

Social security is like any retirement account. If you have paid into it, or are otherwise qualified it's yours to draw. It, unlike welfare money has rec'd employee contributions and is an entitlement. I do not want to give the impression the Church does not play a role in spiritual development, only that in so many case individuals become converted to the Church and not the Gospel. Hence when the Chruch fails them they have no basis upon which to fall back on. My position is just that, the Church failed to meet my needs and only after radical action have I come to believe I am on my own to obtain my salvation, just as the Savior points out in Mathew. I can find no reference which would indicate my saving ordinance have been voided when I was excommunicated, only those indicating seperation from the Church. prisonchaplin: I have found my service to my fellow man has become more meaning and genuine since I don't have a reporting committement tied to it. I continue to attend church meetings for my wife's sake, and when my particular talents are requested by the Church I give (this contrary to my excommunication order of non participation) of my time. It has become very rewarding to give not based upon some precieved church requirement.

My wife says I am more of an alturist now than I have ever been. I am learning the Savior did not act with the intention of being rewarded. When asked why he built an alter Adam replied he was told to do so, because it was an act of obedience, the right thing to do. I see that somewhere around Cain and Able that paradigmed shifted to the rewards system of blessings. What psychology identifies as classical or operant conditioning, and with we have found does not change behavior. Doing good/right because it is the right thing to do is not regularly taught in the church. "Do it and you'll get a blessing." That is not strong enough a reinforcer.

Most children have an internal barometer that allows processing of emotional information. It is when they experience information for which they have not developed coping skills that we see issues. Good resources for you to determine your children’s preparation is to Google Piaget and assess their individual levels of development, and also maybe correlate with their counselor. The most important aspect is your involvement in their lives, you need to be aware of when they are ready for information and then provide them with that level each one can cope with. It is dangerous for young children to receive acute traumatic information from unreliable sources. Manage you own demons before creating new ones for your children. Google Jo-Hari Window

Hemidokota: Simply put, I lost my membership in the Church about a year ago. During my journey to return to the Church I’ve been enlightened in a number of aspects. Which have resulted in my current uncertainty if I actually desire to “have my blessings restored.” I have a long family history with the Church with one of my ancestors joining in 1832, another was in the first party into the Salt Lake Valley with Brigham. I have grandchildren who are seven generation members. Yes I do have a connection with the Church, having testified many times I believed the Church to be true. I had converted to the Church. What I’ve come to realize however is what the Savior indicates in Mathew is true that we individually must work out our own salvation. I spent well over forty years struggling with carnal issues, seeking help from the Church and never receiving any life changing assistance. I was converted to something that does not actually function on the same level as does the Gospel. Activity in the Church is an occasional thing while activity in the gospel, on the other hand is a constant and growing thing; and I don’t know that activity in the Church has ever helped me grow. The purpose of the Church is to help save all the living and the dead through three essential missions: to preach the gospel, to perfect the Saints, and redeem the dead. Stephen Covey identified it plainly when he wrote the Church is the scaffolding that supports the Gospel. It is only in the last year that I have begun to perfect myself, without the aid of the Church. My paradigm has shifted, they may have thrown me out of the Church, but they cannot throw me out of the Gospel.

Bottom line: The Church is a business as opposed to the Gospel as a life style.

I still believe evaluating one's reality testing is the first step in determining what is real and what is mentally generated.

Many years ago as a young mental health worker we had a young man who returned to Provo early from his mission because he had experienced a vision. He spent time as an impatient with the final assessment from the LDS psychiatrist that he quite possibly had experience what he claimed. The theraputic approached shifted. However I have experienced many others whose experiences fell into the mental illness area. A mental status examine may well have added creditability to Joseph Smith.

It sounds as if she needs a mental status examine and professional evaluation.

The brethren receive a living allowance, which is suppose to provide adequate support for their activities. Most have other incomes, however some of those from depress regions need the income to meet the requirements of their jobs. I have come to learn there is a difference between the church and the gospel. The church is the business and support end for the gospel. Most of the time it fails those who most need support. Members have become converted to the church and not to the gospel, which is why when problems arise and the church fails to meet the needs, members lose.

It is difficult to approach depression from the objective position when you have suffered it's results. The logic of treatment is lost in emotion of self defeating behavior. My experience has been medication allows for the cognitive approach to work. It is difficult to reason when you are overwhelemed with emotion. I have found the medication allowed me to blunt the emotions and develop appropriate defense mechanisms to dealing with depression. Having been diagnosis of both depression and Post Traumatic Stress I am learning that I will never be "fixed" but I can learn to cope.

I was prescribed anti depressants for a number of years. I was still depressed and continued with self defeating behaviors. About a year ago I walked off the medications. I wanted to see what my illness looked like without the meds. I have learned I missed the emotional (spiritual) feelings of pre-medication life. My self defeating behaviors have become minimal and I can feel more than I did on the medication.