abc9 Posted July 28, 2010 Report Share Posted July 28, 2010 I am trying to better control my thoughts, and was wondering if anyone has advise? Any good articles I can read? I'm just having problems with certain thoughts entering my mind that are unholy, and it's sometimes very difficult to get rid of them (nothing too horrible, just sexual in nature). How can I control my thoughts without constantly telling my self to shutup and feeling like I'm holding back a herd of wild horses? Does it get better once I've "trained" my mind? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemidakota Posted July 28, 2010 Report Share Posted July 28, 2010 I am trying to better control my thoughts, and was wondering if anyone has advise? Any good articles I can read? I'm just having problems with certain thoughts entering my mind that are unholy, and it's sometimes very difficult to get rid of them (nothing too horrible, just sexual in nature).How can I control my thoughts without constantly telling my self to shutup and feeling like I'm holding back a herd of wild horses? Does it get better once I've "trained" my mind? Let me commend you for striving to become Christ like. This is admirable in seeing such a person, striving for perfection. Also, this is an area where to enter into the realm of the highest state in the Celestial kingdom, our thoughts can be easily access and our modes of communication is not always a verbal one and needs to be controlled at all times. Those who have great faith, may have to learn this principle due to what the honor of GOD maybe bestowed in the person and can easily cause mayhem if left unchecked.Lord made it plain to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the D&C section 121: 45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. 46 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever. The late President Gordon B. Hinckley stated four items to the above reference: Now I offer you a very simple recipe which, if observed, will assure your happiness. It is a simple four-point program. It is as follows: (1) pray, (2) study, (3) pay your tithing, and (4) attend your meetings. See LDS.org - Ensign Article - Let Virtue Garnish Thy Thoughts UnceasinglyPresident Hinckley main point is to be a “constant doer of the word”, not just physically, but spiritually, and place our essence of thoughts always in a constant prayer to the Godhead. Another great source, was President David O. McKay where he outlines his own process:“Sow a thought, reap an act,“Sow an act, reap a habit,“Sow a habit, reap a character,“Sow a character, reap an eternal destiny” (quoting E. D. Boardman, in Conference Report, Apr. 1962, 7).I am a believer of this. A simple thought left uncheck can after time become part of our character. Quoting from the Ensign that may aid you also: While we can’t always prevent impure thoughts from entering our minds, we can prevent them from staying there. While a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, Bishop H. Burke Peterson gave us important counsel on purifying our thoughts and our lives:“First, we must stop the flow into our minds of … vulgar stories, jokes, pictures, conversation, and a myriad of other satanic products. … “Now, assuming we have cut off the flow—not cut it down, but cut it off—the second thing we must do is to develop a filtering system that will cleanse the great reservoir of our mind so that the life-giving thoughts coming from it may again be pure and fit for our use. … “The secret to cleansing our spirit of whatever the impurity is not very complicated. It begins with prayer every morning and ends with prayer every night. This is the most important step I know in the cleansing process. … “Secondly, an added refinement will come in the filtering process: An added measure of spiritual purity, if you please, can be found in a daily study of the scriptures—not long, perhaps, but every day. … “Third, feed refreshment to your spirit that comes when you do something good for another that he or she doesn’t expect. Keep it simple, but do it—daily. It may only be a cheery hello, a short visit to [someone who is] homebound, a phone call, or a note. … “And finally, pick up a commandment you are still struggling with and give it an honest chance to bless your life” (“Purify Our Minds and Spirits,” Ensign, Nov. 1980, 38–39; emphasis in original)Your first step is to remove anything, I mean anything, that uses our bodily senses (sight, hear, touch) in filling our minds less than eternal weight of righteousness. After 21-days of completing this, it will become habitual in your life. The positive results after accomplishing this, your own spiritual receiver tuner will be easier to preciously tune into the smallest band wave, where you now can hear the whispering voices of the Spirit. As we strive to develop purity, the third member of the Godhead can be a treasured companion. Sheri L. Dew, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, explains, “The Holy Ghost … helps us subdue weaknesses and resist temptation; inspires humility and repentance; guides and protects us in miraculous ways; and gifts us with wisdom, divine encouragement, peace of mind, [and] a desire to change” (“We Are Not Alone,” Ensign, Nov. 1998, 95).The end result in what you are seeking to accomplished is what the Savior stated: “What “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8)Hopefully this helps… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanh Posted July 28, 2010 Report Share Posted July 28, 2010 Elder Boyd K. Packer: “The mind is like a stage. Except when we are asleep, the curtain is always up. There is always some act being performed on that stage. It may be a comedy, a tragedy, interesting or dull, good or bad; but always there is some act playing on the stage of the mind. “Have you noticed that without any real intent on your part, in the middle of almost any performance, a shady little thought may creep in from the wings and attract your attention? These delinquent thoughts will try to upstage everybody. If you permit them to go on, all thoughts of any virtue will leave the stage. You will be left, because you consented to it, to the influence of unrighteous thoughts. “If you yield to them, they will enact for you on the stage of your mind anything to the limits of your toleration. They may enact a theme of bitterness, jealousy, or hatred. It may be vulgar, immoral, even depraved. When they have the stage, if you let them, they will devise the most clever persuasions to hold your attention. They can make it interesting all right, even convince you that it is innocent—for they are but thoughts. “What do you do at a time like that, when the stage of your mind is commandeered by the imps of unclean thinking, whether they be the gray ones that seem almost clean or the filthy ones which leave no room for doubt? If you can control your thoughts, you can overcome habits, even degrading personal habits. If you can learn to master them, you will have a happy life. “This is what I would teach you. Choose from among the sacred music of the Church a favorite hymn, one with words that are uplifting and music that is reverent, one that makes you feel something akin to inspiration. Go over it in your mind carefully. Memorize it. Even though you [may] have had no musical training, you can think through a hymn. “Now, use this hymn as the place for your thoughts to go. Make it your emergency channel. Whenever you find these shady actors have slipped from the sidelines of your thinking onto the stage of your mind, put on this record, as it were. As the music begins and as the words form in your thoughts, the unworthy ones will slip shamefully away. It will change the whole mood on the stage of your mind. Because it is uplifting and clean, the baser thoughts will disappear. For while virtue, by choice, will not associate with filth, evil cannot tolerate the presence of light. “In due time you will find yourself, on occasion, humming the music inwardly. As you retrace your thoughts, you discover some influence from the world about you encouraged an unworthy thought to move on stage in your mind, and the music almost automatically began. “Once you learn to clear the stage of your mind of unworthy thoughts, keep it busy with learning worthwhile things. Change your environment so that you have things about you that will inspire good and uplifting thoughts. Keep busy with things that are righteous” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1976, 99–100). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemidakota Posted July 28, 2010 Report Share Posted July 28, 2010 I am trying to better control my thoughts, and was wondering if anyone has advise? Any good articles I can read? I'm just having problems with certain thoughts entering my mind that are unholy, and it's sometimes very difficult to get rid of them (nothing too horrible, just sexual in nature).How can I control my thoughts without constantly telling my self to shutup and feeling like I'm holding back a herd of wild horses? Does it get better once I've "trained" my mind?Before I forget, I welcome you to the forum... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rameumptom Posted July 29, 2010 Report Share Posted July 29, 2010 I had a missionary companion that was excellent on thought control. If we were walking down a street and a beautiful woman was approaching us, he'd say: Elder, there is a car. There is a tree. There is a house. He would continue talking and pointing at these items until the temptation was literally and figuratively passed/past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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