Chrissy3818 Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 Can Gods answers cause you anxiety and Depression? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdfxdb Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 If the answer is from God. Then NO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prisonchaplain Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 It can if we do not like the answer, and refuse to walk by faith in the revealed truth. Less judgmental--Jesus surely felt anxious in the Garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roseslipper Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 It shouldn't!!! But it depends on how u handle the answer!! Trust in the Lord and all will be alright, even if you don't understand it......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sali Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 I just went through this myself just the other week. Our family has made a huge decision after praying, counseling with our Bishop etc. We all got the same answer that it was the right thing to do, but it did send my anxiety haywire as it's a big step and very stressful. God didn't cause the anxiety, but the way I reacted to the answer did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james12 Posted September 24, 2013 Report Share Posted September 24, 2013 God delivers pure intelligence to us via the Holy Ghost. He does not cause anxiety or depression but the message given to us may result in various feelings of inadequacy or anxiety. Often we are directed to do things that are difficult, like repent which always causes fear in the natural man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Praetorian_Brow Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 I would suggest that those feelings of anxiety are already rooted in the supplicant's mind. I find that if I am not emotionally or mentally disciplined when I pray, then my answers or what I wish to believe are answers, tend to reflect my current emotional state, so the authenticity of the answer can be debated. I find that calming myself before prayer, through meditation of some sort, scripture reading, or a walk, brings me the inner peace that I need to be more receptive to an answer, that is divine and not wishful thinking. Its kind of like a blessing. Some people ask for them nearly every week, expecting a result, but the mindset going into the blessing or prayer will determine the outcome. There are also things we need to work through ourselves without seeking guidance. Such as praying whether someone is in love with someone else, which is a bit ridiculous because no one but that person can decide that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakumi Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 yeah I remember having a nightmare when I started reading the Book of Mormon but I honestly believe that was my wacky mind and not the scripture doing that to me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andypg Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 When I made the decision to convert, while I was happy, man was there anxiety. Every day from the day I made the decision up until entering Sacrament Meeting the day of I was constantly trying to convince myself not to do it, that I couldn't, that it was the wrong thing to do. It was crazy. When Joseph Smith went to pray in the forest, I believe the Spirit led him to that forest to pray. But what happened? Satan tried to stop him. Luckily, Joseph didn't give in. The Enemy wants us to have fears and anxiety. He wants us to think, "This can't be God." The job of the enemy is to make us believe that God doesn't exist and if He does7, He can't possibly exist. This leads to anxiety and depression. Also, maybe we don't like the answer. I would imagine that the early pioneers of our faith were not always at peace with their conditions or what they were going through. But they trusted in God and didn't give into the despair or the worry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakumi Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 When I made the decision to convert, while I was happy, man was there anxiety. Every day from the day I made the decision up until entering Sacrament Meeting the day of I was constantly trying to convince myself not to do it, that I couldn't, that it was the wrong thing to do. It was crazy.When Joseph Smith went to pray in the forest, I believe the Spirit led him to that forest to pray. But what happened? Satan tried to stop him. Luckily, Joseph didn't give in.The Enemy wants us to have fears and anxiety. He wants us to think, "This can't be God." The job of the enemy is to make us believe that God doesn't exist and if He does7, He can't possibly exist. This leads to anxiety and depression.Also, maybe we don't like the answer. I would imagine that the early pioneers of our faith were not always at peace with their conditions or what they were going through. But they trusted in God and didn't give into the despair or the worry.oh good, then its not just all me...I think the hardest part is going at it all alonethough I do think some of my depression is caused by a certain book I am writing, but it must be completed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misshalfway Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 (edited) I don't think our reactions of anxiety and depression are inflicted either way by God. They are our emotions..our reactions. Can God's answers make us feel anxiety? SURE! We feel this for a variety of reasons. Perhaps God's answer challenges us to do something that is scary or has daunting implications. Like when he told me not to marry weird eyebrow dude. I knew it was the right answer, but I was so scared and so sad to hurt this boy who had been so good to me. I was scared but obeyed anyway. That didn't mean I didn't mourn the loss afterwards. And it didn't mean Satan had control of my mind. It just meant I was a human being having an honest emotional reaction to a difficult scenario. Or perhaps it's something we didn't want to hear or weren't prepared to hear. $100 bucks Nephi felt some anxiety right before he chopped off Laban's head. $200 bucks he said, "OMG! I can't believe I just did that!" right afterwards. Like he saw that answer coming. And there is no way Abraham didn't feel some sadness while walking that long road to the potential execution of his son. Sweetie, these emotions are not good or bad. They just happen because we are human. Try not to assign such judgments to them. They are part of the process of learning to align with God. OK? We can feel the peace, assurances, and influences of holy spirit AND have an emotional reaction to them. This isn't because Satan has a hold on us. It is because we are in process and we have to feel uncomfortable in order to exercise faith. It's part of the opposition in all things. It's part of the human condition. Edited September 25, 2013 by Misshalfway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy3818 Posted September 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 Well what I am trying to figure out is why I am getting contradicting answers. I've been dating my boyfriend for six months now and everything is going great. He has helped me through everything and is still with me. I can tell him everything and talk to him about anything. Problem is my anxiety continues to get in the way (I suffer from anxiety and use to have extreme anxiety attacks before I became medicated). I know God brought him into my life for a reason. I get the feeling that he is the one, but then a thought comes every now and then piercing my thoughts and saying "Dump him he's not the one." Problem is that would make no sense. Why wouldn't he be? He can take me at my worst and comfort me. he knows everything and our standards align. We have great communication and can work out any issues in my life. So what's the issue? I am confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakumi Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 Well what I am trying to figure out is why I am getting contradicting answers. I've been dating my boyfriend for six months now and everything is going great. He has helped me through everything and is still with me. I can tell him everything and talk to him about anything. Problem is my anxiety continues to get in the way (I suffer from anxiety and use to have extreme anxiety attacks before I became medicated). I know God brought him into my life for a reason. I get the feeling that he is the one, but then a thought comes every now and then piercing my thoughts and saying "Dump him he's not the one." Problem is that would make no sense. Why wouldn't he be? He can take me at my worst and comfort me. he knows everything and our standards align. We have great communication and can work out any issues in my life. So what's the issue? I am confused.its called anxiety and general relationship issues.Doesn't sound like it has anything to do with religion, it sounds more like anxiety and such.As someone who deals with it, without medication, I know how nutty the mind can go sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarginOfError Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 I'll disagree with the majority. Asking if God's answers causes anxiety is kind of like asking if God's commandments can cause adversity--of course it does.Consider the following:4 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness. 5 And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord.1 Nephi 3:4-5Notice how Lehi didn't deny that God was asking Laman and Lemuel to do a "hard thing." From time to time, the Lord asks us to do things that aren't easy for us to do. If you're human, this is going to cause some level of anxiety. How much anxiety is dependent on the personality of the individual. Those with anxiety disorders are going to feel a lot more than those who handle stress very easily.I think the more important and pressing question is how do we distinguish anxiety over a hard decision or task from the "stupor of thought" that is, itself, an answer to prayer. I'm not sure I have a good answer to that. Being a person who doesn't suffer much anxiety, it's pretty easy to distinguish the two. The best advice I can give there is to try to divorce the anxiety of acting on an answer from the interpretation of the answer--that is, don't worry about the consequences of the answer until I've figured out what the answer is.As someone with anxiety issues, I'm not sure how easy that would be for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rameumptom Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 In Edward Kimball's biography of his father, Spencer W. Kimball, we read that when Spencer was called as an apostle, he went to the mountains and fretted for hours over it. It caused him so much stress and depression, he thought for a moment to jump off a cliff. So, yes, the Lord's commands can cause stress and distress. However, when we humbly turn ourselves over to His will (as did Spencer), the Lord can then fill us with the strength and joy we need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just_A_Guy Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 In Edward Kimball's biography of his father, Spencer W. Kimball, we read that when Spencer was called as an apostle, he went to the mountains and fretted for hours over it. It caused him so much stress and depression, he thought for a moment to jump off a cliff.And when David O. McKay received his mission call (which he hadn't applied for--he was courting his future wife pretty seriously at the time) he threw the paper on the kitchen table and remarked to a family member, "isn't that hell?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakumi Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 And when David O. McKay received his mission call (which he hadn't applied for--he was courting his future wife pretty seriously at the time) he threw the paper on the kitchen table and remarked to a family member, "isn't that hell?"I thought you had to apply for those, do they just send them out at random sometimes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy3818 Posted September 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 So how do you tell if the answer is form God or if the anxiety is just fear of moving forward and making the wrong decision when it could be the best decision you ever made? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarginOfError Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 If I had a good answer to that question, I'd be rich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dravin Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 (edited) I thought you had to apply for those, do they just send them out at random sometimes?David O. McKay was called on his mission in 1897, they handle things somewhat differently these days. Edited September 25, 2013 by Dravin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lakumi Posted September 25, 2013 Report Share Posted September 25, 2013 David O. McKay was called on his mission in 1897, they handle things somewhat differently these days.oh well that's good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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