llhilton

I'm surprised at the number of people who don't believe the comments of the RS president. I can certainly think of some not-bad reasons for the president to say some of the things along those lines (maybe she has some reason to think abuse might be an issue, or maybe she is hyper-sensitive about that issue because of dealing with it with another sister or something), so perhaps there's some hypersensitivity there. (Heaven knows I've been guilty of that, especially when depressed or anxious!) However, I have known many people in the church who do not understand the difference between feeling the guilt that leads to godly sorrow and repentance and the feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt, fear, and other negative things associated with mental disorders like depression and anxiety. To Anonymormon1, I would advise telling your bishop what she said. The things about you needing to confess to her and her not releasing you are not in line with our doctrine at all. (As is the whole thing about the only reason to be depressed is because of sin or marital problems!) While it seems surprising to me, there are people who've been in the church their whole lives and yet have strange views of how things are set up. You may never know, but this could be part of the reason for your calling--to bring to light that this sister has some incorrect understandings and to get the bishop aware of it and dealing with it. This sister may have said such hurtful things to others. She might also be standing in the way of those trying to get repentance, if she's the one they're talking about their sins with. I found this post because I have a similar question. I've been getting sick really frequently, and I'm pretty sure it's due to my calling to the primary and the exposure to the adorable little germ factories. I've loved it (and hated it ), and I've learned tons. I know there's still tons more for me to learn, but I've also missed tons of work. (Like this week, when it's super-critical that I was working, and instead I've been home with a nasty case of the flu.) I really appreciate the comments from those who have commented that learning to ask for help or to admit weakness could be part of the reason for my calling. (And to deal with the emotional baggage that will come from doing one or both of those things.) Good food for thought. And for prayer.