Tay358 Posted December 1, 2012 Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 When I was younger I had a problem with MB and I would tamper with pornography on occasion, but really not a lot. I got that stuff out of my life and I felt so good and confident. I later confessed those things to a church authority. I honestly did not know that I needed to confess those things in order to be completely forgiven. Since then I seem to be afraid and feel like I need to confess everything I do wrong because I want to make sure that I am forgiven. My biggest fear is to go on living my life thinking I am ok when really I am not, like I was doing. My mind seems to constantly be trying to find everything I ever did wrong and I am going crazy. I am just wondering if Bishops need a lot of detail about those types of sin. I did some weird things when I was young that are really just details of those sins and I am just wondering if those need to be talked about. What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy740 Posted December 1, 2012 Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 (edited) Confession is good for the soul. That said, Bishops help to give ecclesiastical clearance and help you in your personal repentance process. "Ecclesiastical clearance" meaning that you confessed and the Bishop may help you in your repentance by restricting your participation in meetings and in not partaking of the sacrament for a while. This is to help value being in good standing and to participate fully in the gospel... because you aren't able to for a while. This is also the same reason for ex-communication, if it becomes necessary. Bishops should (in my mind) only ask for the details that are important to understand the nature of the sin. Too much detail isn't good for a Bishop's mind either. For example: the type or intensity of pornography (imo) shouldn't be discussed... unless it was child pornography which is a crime. Even then, you shouldn't have to describe what you saw on the screen, acts, etc. Before my missionary service, I was encouraged to make sure I fully disclosed everything - even things I may have repented of in the past - because you don't want to have any residual feelings of guilt/remorse in the mission field. It's still a good practice, and maybe something you should do with your Bishop. You'll just feel better afterwards. Edited December 1, 2012 by skippy740 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tay358 Posted December 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 Well, I have confessed that I tampered with pornography and had a problem with MB multiple times, and always felt better. You bring up the child pornography issue and I am trying to remember and I do remember that I went to a website once for a couple of minutes and the girls did seem pretty young, like they were teenagers... did I look at child porn? I sure hope not. All this was years and years ago. I would assume that, that stuff is illegal and I probably wouldn't just run into it.... I would never seek out after that stuff when I was young, and I would never seek after any type now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy740 Posted December 1, 2012 Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 Based on your post, you probably did NOT view child pornography... at least it wasn't your intention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tay358 Posted December 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 Thank you for your advice! I really appreciate it. I guess I don't know what is the matter with me. I have confessed and repented. I think that anytime I feel anxiety I automatically think that I must need to confess something, or that I have done something wrong. I am automatically a guilty person and extremely unforgiving of myself. I just want my mind to stop being out of control. When I think of how my Savior really is, I feel that he is so quick to forgive and so understanding. I guess I sometimes feel that it is too go to be true and that it can't be that simple; therefore, I over complicate it all. I figure he looks at who I am now and how I live and he doesn't hold on to the little details that I might occasionally remember. I let myself be full of fear far too often. Before I got married, the stake president asked me " When was your last experience with pornography and MB and I was able to tell him it was years ago, and he assured me that I was ok and can go through the temple confidently. I would assume that if something else was amiss that he would have been able to discern and I would have had something come to mind, but I didn't. I guess I just need to have faith.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy740 Posted December 1, 2012 Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 (edited) You may want to see a doctor/psychiatrist. You may need medication to help you gain mental balance and a healthier outlook on life. For me, I never knew how much my life could change by having medication. I thought that if I could just align my thoughts right, my attitudes could change. Sometimes, it's chemical. So, you may want to have faith that there is a doctor that understands mental illnesses/conditions and could suggest something. I saw a psychiatrist regarding my ADD, and he recommended an anti-depressant. Had no idea how much it could benefit me! So that's something you may want to explore. St. John's Wort is an herbal supplement that is generally prescribed in Europe for depression. That could be a low-cost way to see if a stronger medication may be helpful for you. Edited December 1, 2012 by skippy740 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tay358 Posted December 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 Thank you very much. I have been thinking about seeing someone. I appreciate all of your advice. Best Wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgia2 Posted December 2, 2012 Report Share Posted December 2, 2012 Also the adversary puts in your head bad thoughts about yourself. He doesn't want you to feel happy. You don't have to go to your Bishop about everything. Everyone sins every day. If we had to confess all that the Bishop would need 40 hours a week of interviews. Only serious issues need to be discussed. Serious issues I would think are ones you can't stop by yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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