JojoBag

This is a very complicated problem. My wife has a fair bit of education in psychology. She quit when she realized that the only thing a pshrink will do for someone in my daughter's case is to drug them. That is the medical standard for the treatment of schizophrenia: drugs, drugs and more drugs. Cognitive therapy is too expensive and even if it is used, what a patient says about what they see is nothing more than a figment of their imagination. I suffered from depression for over 50 years; the last 12 of those years I was suicidal. My helpful pshrink gave me lots of different drugs that were supposed to help me. During that time the doctor tried me on 22 different anti-depressants, anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic drugs. None of them worked to control my symptoms. One drug, Seroquel, made me sleep for 12-14 hours at a time. This was the pshrink's idea of managing my symptoms: for me to sleep my life away. It did nothing for the nightmares I experienced on almost a daily basis. When I came off the drug, I vomited for 6 weeks because you become addicted to it. To this day, I now have problems going to sleep and staying to sleep. What cured my depression was someone getting me to talk about my childhood. My daughter was hospitalized off and on for several months. All they did was drug her into a stupor. This is the case with the majority of these types of patients. I have been in psychiatric hospitals and it is the same in both the U.,S., and Australia. The doctor's idea of managing a patient's symptoms is to drug them senseless. Drugs cure no one and don't even manage the symptoms. The only things psychiatric drugs do is keep patients quiet so they don't bother anyone else. Drugs are not the answer to all problems, especially mental illness. If you do any research into the so-called “chemical imbalance,” you'll find it cannot be measured. There is not one single test that can measure an imbalance in the neurotransmitters of the body – not one. This “imbalance” is nothing more than a theory. As for the priesthood, I have given her blessings, but I simply do not have sufficient power to heal her; or it is not time for her to be healed. Often people are not healed because there is a lesson either for them or someone else to learn that has not been learned. I don't know which answer applies. However, Joseph Smith said that you should continue trying until the person is healed or you are inspired to quit trying.

One of the reasons I feel the "don't talk about it, you don't bring about it" crowd is inaccurate is because of my 29 y/o daughter. She sees and talks with evil spirits on a regular basis. The pseudo-science of psychiatry calls it schizophrenia. I call it pseudo-science because it not only does not recognize the part that evil spirits play in mental illness, it says they don't exist, period. I know that not all mental illness is a result of evil spirits. In the New Testament, the Savior clearly knew the difference between a lunatic and someone mentally ill, but possessed by unclean spirits. Let me cite two examples from my daughter's life. Back in Melbourne, about 2;30 AM, my daughter did a stage dive between my wife and I. She said that she could hear growling in her room. This type of thing was an ongoing occurrence, so my wife got up and went to her room. About ten seconds later, she called me to come to the room. I walked in and, along with my wife, heard the most inhuman growling coming from the middle of the room. There were no animals in the room and the window was shut. About two months later, I was working on the computer at 11:30 PM. My wife was in bed, asleep. From my daughter's room, I hear her scream. As I quickly walked to her room, I clearly hear the weirdest hissing noise coming from the hallway. I remember wondering if there was water spraying out in the bathroom. I got to my daughter's room and asked what was wrong. In a voice full of fear, she said, "There's hissing coming from the hallway." There was no water leak, nor anything else that would have made the noise. Every single day, I see the effects of evil spirits and I have become rather sensitive to their presence. I have learned that feelings of depression, pain, illness, etc., are often caused by evil spirits. I can give a dozen quotes on this subject starting with Joseph Smith. This same thing is taught by a couple dozen church leaders. The problem with the overwhelming majority of LDS is that they think these ailments have nothing to do with evil spirits. Almost every LDS I have ever talked to feels this way. The only LDS I have talked to that do understand this are Lamanites; especially islanders. Their culture understands the relationship of evil spirits and affliction. It is the modern, sophisticated white culture that doesn't understand and dismisses this relationship and unfortunately, too many LDS are sucked in by the deception. It reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

This typical traditional LDS response is one I simply do not understand. The idea seems to be that if you don't think about or talk about evil spirits, then they won't bother you. This couldn't be farther from reality. Evil spirits surround us every single second of our lives. They are responsible for all evil in this world. They are also responsible for most of the sickness, disease, mental illness, pain and suffering we go through. It seems that the vast majority of LDS do not understand this. They think that Satan has no bearing on suffering, yet this has been taught extensively by the prophets and apostles. The attitude I have observed is that LDS think Satan can only tempt and influence. If you have been through the temple, you should realize that Satan plays a major role. We are taught that one of his major goals is take the spirits that followed him and possess the bodies of mankind. Just as the Church has a three-fold mission, so does Satan. Possession is the single most common affliction of mankind, yet the average LDS has no idea at all or think it is uncommon, if at all. Let me give you a few more quotes on the subject. We normally cannot see evil spirits, but their influence and the signs of their actions are all around us on a continual basis. A person may not be aware of this, but it does not change the fact that they are around us at all times. Have you never had a temptation enter your mind? Has it been rather strong? If you think this is just "you" or as some LDS think, "the evil passions of men," think again. It is an evil spirit putting that thought in your mind. They know every one of your weaknesses and know exactly how to exploit them. A person can be the biggest spiritual giant of their generation; they may master all the basics, yet they will still be tormented and afflicted their entire life. This is God's plan for us; this is how we are tried and tested every single day of our lives. Christ was no exception. He suffered temptations of every kind. Why would we be any different? Why would we be excused from the affliction of evil spirits? BTW, this is not an attack on you. I don't mean it to sound this way. I just get a bit passionate about a few different subjects.

One aspect of modesty that I rarely hear anything said about is modesty in speech. I started looking into this particular topic about eight months ago after being disgusted by the constant cussing by my coworkers. Some guys I worked with included the F word in every paragraph at least once. Then I began wondering about my own speech. I do not swear or take the name of God in vain. I was taught early not to use swear words by the simple expedient of getting my mouth washed out with soap. I began considering my use of substitute swear words, “Mormon” swear words and I began looking into it. I came to the conclusion that I needed to change my language. This is still a work in progress as I find myself still using different substitute words for things like fecal matter and I wondered how John Crapper would have felt if he realized his last name had been turned into substitute swear word. Coincidentally enough, there is an article in the August Ensign about this very subject. The parents were concerned about what type of language kids were hearing in school and came up with the following acronym. I taught my children to use proper anatomical language for their body parts and bodily functions. I also taught them that you can say words like, “hell”, “damn,” and “ass” if you are using them in their proper context, otherwise they are not acceptable. There are a number of other articles on the Church web site regarding modesty in speech and I have come to the conclusion that the best way to be modest in my speech is to speak as the language was intended using proper grammar, terminology and phrasing.

I read of an incident many years ago of a young child that was cutting up in sacrament meeting. The parent got up with the child and was carrying him out for a little heart to heart talk. As the parent was walking out with the child, he yelled out, "Bishop, SAVE ME!" The entire ward cracked up laughing.

It's a commandment from God. That's all I need to know.

I have searched through the the church web site (not exhaustive) and cannot find anything that says we must stay away from the mysteries. Believing that we do not need to know the mysteries of the Gospel is what I have taken to calling a “traditional truth.” Joseph Smith talked about it. A traditional truth usually results from a misinterpretation of a statement from a general authority. Some bishop or someone in church misquotes something, or it was taken from the internet, or something taken out of context, or some such thing and then is repeated again and again in church until it becomes “doctrine.” This particular “traditional truth” probably got started when someone heard or read something that came from one of the GS's and a misinterpretation of just what are the “mysteries.” Elder McConkie wrote, “Declare the first principles, and let mysteries alone....” This was probably repeated again and again without reading the entire quote and understanding it in its proper context. What he was saying was for missionaries to not go beyond the first principles of the gospel. We are to avoid useless speculation about things that do not pertain to our salvation. Here are two quotes from the Church web site.

Something else came to mind as I read the replies to the OP's question. Something that has helped me move on was the realization that I was worshipping the abuse of my childhood. We are told: Thou shalt have no other gods before me. I got to reading the talk by Pres. Kimball, "The False Gods we Worship." It dawned on me that my childhood was a golden calf. It so consumed my life as to place it before God. I held on to the memory of the abuse I suffered and couldn't move on with my life. I wasn't forgiving and I wasn't forgetting the pain of the abuse. I used it as an excuse to not improve and grow. This is what all victims of abuse must learn. The forgetting part means to forget the pain of the offense. Once this is done, the healing can begin.

During Elder's Quorum this past Sunday, one of the brothers said something that didn't set with me. He said that all we had to do were the "basics" of the Gospel and we would make the Celestial Kingdom. He said we didn't have to worry about the mysteries, we only had to do the basics that the leaders keep stressing. This doesn't make any sense to me. The basics are what you learn in elementary school. It isn't enough for you to graduate from high school let alone college. Joseph Smith said that we must gain knowledge because we gain our salvation through knowledge. My understanding of why the leaders are stressing the basics is because the LDS aren't even doing the basics, let alone gaining a knowledge of the mysteries. I am reminded of the scripture that says: Alma also talked about this:

Are you talking about illegal immigrants? I think that when it comes to this class of people, Church doctrine is very clear. I truly feel for those people coming to American to find a better life, but my wife is an immigrant and she did it within the bounds of the law. I don't think anyone should be given special status through an executive order that side steps the Constitution or Congress.

In my mind, it is impossible to forget. Especially if it is an ongoing offense or a heinous offense. I am the survivor of several years of rape and sexual abuse. That is something I cannot forget, although I have forgiven my offenders. Those years of abuse totally made me into something different than what I would have become had I not been their victim. No amount of counselling or therapy will ever make me whole. Only the Atonement can accomplish that. While I have forgiven them, I have no contact with the main abuser. My dad always told me about a quote from Brigham Young that I think is very applicable. I don't remember the exact wording, but it goes something like this: Forgive all men, but don't take a snake back to your bosom.

I know about the other and make it a point to talk to them. I have also observed the same reactions to certain people that I get. I've talked to some of them and it is the same problem. In my last ward in Sydney (Bungarribee), it was very clannish. About 3/4 of the ward were islanders and they really stick together. However, they were friendly and would introduce themselves. Not the ward I'm in. I went on my mission to Canada, lived in Germany for 3 years and Australia nearly 4 years. I have lived in PA, AL, AZ, CA and OR. In every ward I've been in, I was treated much better than my current ward. And yes, Arizona Mormons are much better.

Several. No matter what I have done, I am still ignored. I contribute in priesthood and Sunday school, I have expressed appreciation for comments made, but I am still treated like a pariah. I am ordering 4 tons of wheat and have tried to see if anyone wants to order any. I have asked twice for a home teaching route, but nothing so far. The Elder's Quorum president has yet to say a single thing to me unless I have said something to him first. When I asked for an HT route the second time, he only said, "I'll get to it." He literally walks past me and my wife in the hallway and says nothing. My last ward was a bit cliquish, but nothing like the clannishness of this ward. I have not and will not stop trying, but as I said: if I were a non-member or a less active member, I would have walked out and never came back.

I recently moved to southern Utah with a bit of fear and trepidation. The reason was something my dad always used to say: "Utah Mormons are the worst kind." He said this many times as I grew up. I've lived in three different countries and I was welcomed in every single ward. I was asked to introduce myself and someone always said hello. Seven weeks ago, I moved from Australia to small town in southern Utah and the ward fulfilled my dad's saying. If I had been an investigator looking into the church, I would have walked out and never returned. Not one single person introduced themselves to me and I was virtually ignored. I wasn't asked to introduce myself and although my records have been received, my family has not been read into the ward. The Elder's Quorum President has yet to introduce himself and shake my hand. The same goes for the rest of the quorum. I got to looking at the ward directory and I noticed that there are 3 or 4 prominent families that make up a sizeable part of the ward. They all associate with each other, but no one else. There are a few other families that have moved in during the past couple years and they, too, are ignored. I began to understand why my dad said that Utah Mormons were the worst kind. I guess that unless you were born into the ward, you are an interloper.

Joseph Smith taught that knowledge is power and knowledge is salvation. What I gather from this is that through knowledge we gain power to work out our salvation.

I like what Brigham Young taught about offense: "He who takes offense when no offense is intended is a fool, and he who takes offense when offense is intended is a greater fool.”

Yes, I do think we should be making our clothes if we cannot find modest clothing. The problem is that way too many LDS are deceived as to what constitutes "modest." It seems that the concept of modesty is not much more than the teachings of men mingled with scripture. For all too many, modest means that you don't show too much cleavage or the skirt or isn't too far above the knee. The problem with a large majority of fashions is that the cloth used is designed to cling to and show off the figure. Last Sunday, there was a regional conference for southern Utah. If anyone watched it, do you remember the General Relief Society President's outfit? Simply look at how she and her counselors dress. They are the example we should be following.

I find that those women who dress immodestly and those men who condone have no idea what the church standards are. If they do, they are blatantly ignoring the standards. Here are a couple photos of what missionaries wear. I figure if this is what the Lord wants the missionaries to wear, then he wants everyone to wear the same.

This says nothing about the practice of women giving a blessing through the prayer of faith being condemned by the church. It is not encouraged, but there are circumstances in which it may be necessary. Especially when there are nothing but lazy priesthood holders who can't be bothered to do their home teaching or a bishop who also can't be bothered. Both are circumstances my wife had to face as a single mother.

I'm amazed that you wrote this. It is absolutely true. The Deseret News wrote an editorial in 1853 regarding possession and intimated how not to become possessed. I have a copy of the editorial. Elder George Q. Cannon wrote extensively about it as well as Brigham Young. We need to study evil spirits, not to learn about Satanism, but to learn how to fight back. If you know what they are doing, then you can counter them by rebuking and casting them away from you or out of another person. A good general studies his enemy and gets all the intelligence he can so he knows how to fight him. We must do the same, which is why Joseph Smith told us we must gain a knowledge of evil spirits.

Can you give me a reference for this quote?

Can you give me references where the church asked women to quit giving blessings? As for Pres. Benson, how is what he wrote about not authorized. Seriously, I'm curious. We are told to stand up and speak up regarding the problems of today. For example, Pres. David O. McKay stood up in general conference and said that every Latter-day Saint should read "The Naked Communist." Elder Benson went around the country at the behest of Pres. McKay to give speeches on conspiracies of the last days. How is that not authorized? Could it be possible that the reasons for the push for food storage this year, keeping the Sabbath day holy, etc., are because we are in the final moments of the last days prior to the Savior's return? Getting our personal house in order will allow us to survive the cleansing that is prophesied to come.

Can you give me some quotes and references from general authorities for what you think is "clearly taught to us?" I would seriously like to read them. If I am wrong, I want to know it, but I want to read it for myself.

I think one of the best ways to gain a gift or increase a gift is through gaining knowledge. Joseph Smith said that the reason God is God is because he has all knowledge. He also said that knowledge is salvation and knowledge is power. I have a quote that talks about knowledge and discernment.

Why the hostility? I am sorry that this offends some people, but I am not simply expressing my opinion nor my interpretation. I have quoted a very small sampling of what is taught by the apostles and prophets. Joseph Smith taught that knowledge is power and knowledge is salvation, including a knowledge of evil spirits which pertains to our salvation. That isn't my opinion, just a fact. Instead of getting angry, do some research and find out for yourself what is tradition and what is truth. If you'd like, I can give you a few web sites to download free all 26 volumes of the Journal of Discourses, all 7 volumes of the History of the Church, along with a couple dozen other books and articles written by the apostles and prophets, including current church leaders.