marcostolto Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) if there are any LDS members who can give me some advise, references, scriptures or links to online articles, that can help me deal with an almost overpowering attraction to pornography & the occult, that has been engulfing me, and with which i have been struggling with for the last 30yrs, it would be greatly appreciated. thank you Edited September 1, 2012 by marcostolto page refresh errors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vort Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 It may be that missionaries could give you more direct help and support than we can, though I'm sure many here would be willing to help you as we can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcostolto Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 thank you Mr Vort, unfortunately Elder Browne, il missionario con qui ho avuto delle discussions on the phone, has finished his term of service in SA and has returned to the US, and i have been unable so far to get through to the Durban church and missionary offices (no replies and no call backs from missionaries via the missionary office answering machine). Its a little difficult for me to invite the missionaries over, as i am lodging with my elderly parents, who are quite staunch Catholics (as are all my relatives in Italy), and hence quite unfriendly and opposed to the efforts of others to influence me into leaving the RC church, so am pretty much relying on online and telephonic help at this stage, that i must say has been surprisingly quite effective so far. I started the LDS Family services addiction recovery program yesterday, and its really helping me to deal with this habit, but would like some advise on the issue of the occult, as am really struggling with this, even more so than the porn, so any advice appreciated. thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dravin Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) LDS Church manuals and magazines are searchable online: Magazines and ManualsThe scriptures and study helps are searchable online as well: Scriptures | LDS.orgYou can change the language by clicking on the little 'globe' in the upper rightish corner if you so desire. Edited September 1, 2012 by Dravin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applepansy Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 Marcostolto, We have missionaries from our area who are currently in South Africa. I might be able to help you contact them. Send me a private message with your contact information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applepansy Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 this website has all the phone numbers for the Africa Southeast Mission. Maybe there is one that will help youl/pages/area-contact-info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcostolto Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 applepansy, thank you. the Elder who gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon, over twenty years ago, actually wrote that missionary office number on the front page of the book, i last spoke with them 10 days ago, however no reply at this stage. the number is possibly temporarily out of order. i will keep trying over the next few days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prisonchaplain Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 The following may be a good read for you. It emphasizes that there is grace when failure comes, but that the sincere follower of God will repent deeply, and strive to grow and move forward in faith. The focus is more towards porn than occult, but I'm thinking that the journey to deliverance is similar. "How can I be saved and keep doing this?" http://www.purelifeministries.org/filerequest/2753.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcostolto Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) very interesting. is this program run by LDS? would like to limit counsel received, to that derived from the Book of Mormon. here are some articles found at the lds.org website that may be of interest to those struggling with an attraction to the occult. most of the references to satanism in the magazines are to music promoting satanic thoughts, that is music that i often listened to without thinking[br]Aaronic Priesthood Manual 2 Lesson 11: Satan and His Temptations[br]Searching the Scriptures: What the Scriptures Say about Astrology, Divination, Spirit Mediums, Magic, Wizardry, and Necromancy - Ensign Mar. 1974 - ensign[br]The Precarious Age of Aquarius - New Era Nov. 1972 - new-era Edited September 1, 2012 by marcostolto new info updated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_T_R Posted September 1, 2012 Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 My sister serves in the LDS church's Addiction Recovery program. I don't know whether they hold meetings there in South Africa or not, but here is the website where you're able to download their program, as well as read material specifically for pornography addiction. I'm sure it helps to have the in-person support but perhaps you can meet with members there or even a bishop and go over these things with them.Best of luck to you, marcostolto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcostolto Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 many thanks, my parents are opposed so attending service or meeting with a bishop or the missionaries, will be difficult at this stage. i have started the online LDS family services addiction recovery program and its helping me a lot to understand the steps i need to take in order to overcome this problem.thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Posted September 2, 2012 Report Share Posted September 2, 2012 I had suffered from a pornography addiction for many years as well. I know what deeply helped me was fighting it with good media. When I had a temptation, I would go on youtube to the mormonchannel and watch tons of videos or conference talks. It became really hard for me to continue and give in to my temptations after watching these good men speak. What also comes to mind is Alma 49:18, the story of where the Lamanites were unable to get into the fortified walls put up by Captain Moroni and his men. You need to build walls between you and your addiction, there is a lot of great software that can help you fight it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x1134x Posted September 8, 2012 Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 Don't look outside of yourself, look INSIDE of yourself. Acting out is a sign of inner pain that hasn't been resolved. Get therapy, talk to others. Were you abandoned or neglected as a child? That's where I'd start looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcostolto Posted September 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 Were you abandoned or neglected as a child?no, i actually abandoned my parents and my family. i left the church, and joined the Jehovahs Witnesses, but it was not completely a voluntary decision on my part, as there was coercion involved. i was trying to remain politically neutral, in lieu of compulsory military service, in South Africa, during the apartheid era, and at the time the JW's were the only religion in ZA that had made an agreement with the SA Defence force, to allow those concientious objectors, who refused to serve in the military, to perform 3yrs of community service. the alternative in my case, would have been a 6yrs civilian prison sentence, so the initial 3yrs of seperation from my family, including my baptism as a JW, happened largely as my own fault, even despite the fact that there was a degree of duress, but i have no excuse for the 12 yrs i spent seperated from my parents, in the JW religion, thereafter. i should have left, but i did not, because i actually developed faith in the JW teachings, although there was also a fear that leaving, would result not only in shunning, but also in eternal death.thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skalenfehl Posted September 8, 2012 Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 That's ok. Martin Luther protested the Catholic church in the 1500s and Joseph Smith questioned the revival of Christianity in the US in the 1800s. The most important thing is to continue seeking Christ until you find yourself in His embrace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcostolto Posted September 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 (edited) That's ok. Martin Luther protested the Catholic church in the 1500ssorry, this may not seem very important, but i feel i do need to clarify it. i protested, because the script required protest. else without protest, i would never have been able to evade military service, but i would never have joined the JW's, if it was not for the issue of military service, and the fact that i was pressured at my trial, to join this organization, by both the SADF and the JW's. so essentially, my baptism as a JW, occured under duress, in fact under these circumstances, my baptism should never have been approved, by the JW leaders, in the first place. i should have gone to jail, but they allowed me to join their religion and escape military service. it was sort of like a charity thing. thank God, everyone in ZA, today, is equal, but in the 80's, there was a war going on between blacks and whites, on the ZA borders, it was a big thing in the lives, of us school kids. thank you Edited September 8, 2012 by marcostolto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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