Mental Illnesses

A Mental Battle

 

"I wish to speak to those who suffer from some form of mental illness or emotional disorder, whether those afflictions be slight or severe, of brief duration or persistent over a lifetime. We sense the complexity of such matters when we hear professionals speak of neuroses and psychoses, of genetic predispositions and chromosome defects, of bipolarity, paranoia, and schizophrenia. However bewildering this all may be, these afflictions are some of the realities of mortal life, and there should be no more shame in acknowledging them than in acknowledging a battle with high blood pressure or the sudden appearance of a malignant tumor". You can imagine that this caught a lot of people's attention when Elder Holland began his talk, in the most recent general conference, with this paragraph. I'd be lying if I said  that I didn't instantly put down my Ramen Noodles and sit up straight to listen.

 

As I sit here, trying to think of what to write for this post, I can't help but think it would be better to just post Elder Holland's whole talk on here then call it quits. The spirit was so strong as he connected to millions of viewers around the world who knew the exact feelings he was talking about. We've all at some point either experienced, or known someone close who has suffered from, a mental illness. In this world today, it's not uncommon for someone to tell you they have depression. I've struggled with it throughout my life and I know that many of my friends and family have as well. 

"I have seen it come to an absolutely angelic man when his beloved spouse of 50 years passed away. I have seen it in new mothers with what is euphemistically labeled “after-baby blues.” I have seen it strike anxious students, military veterans, and grandmothers worried about the well-being of their grown children. And I have seen it in young fathers trying to provide for their families. In that regard I once terrifyingly saw it in myself."

1. Never lose faith in your Heavenly Father who loves you more than you can comprehend.
2. Faithfully pursue the time-tested devotional practices that bring the spirit of the Lord into your life.
3. Seek the counsel of those that hold keys for your spiritual well-being.
4. Ask for and cherish priesthood blessings.
5. Take the sacrament every week, and hold fast to the perfecting promises of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

6. Believe in miracles.
7. Remember the Savior’s own anguished example: if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in happier days ahead.
8. Watch for stress indicators, and when required TAKE A BREAK! Slow down and remember that fatigue is the common enemy of us all.
9. If things continue to be debilitating, seek the advice of reputable people with certified training, professional skills, and good values.
10. Remember to PRAY to your Father in Heaven. He listens.

"We are infinitely more than our limitations or our afflictions!" Holland says. I know that for sure. Depression can debilitate us at the most important times. I know that Heavenly Father knows when we are feeling this way. Christ suffered for not only our sins but all our sadness as well! Never think that you are alone in this world. You WILL get better if you turn to the Lord. That is a promise he has given us. Remember that depression, or any other mental illness does not define you. It shows that God believes you are strong enough to get through this trial. You can do it. Keep yourself busy in the service of the Lord and never give up home. The light will break through!


Elder Holland's Talk
http://bcove.me/z72c8hkc

Here's a link to a Mormon who struggles with a mental illness. Read her story!
http://mormon.org/me/9YMW/Krista

Other Depression/Mental Illness Links
http://www.lds.org/topics/disability/list/mental-illness
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng&query=depression




 

Why Do I Need to be Batized With Proper Authority?

Baptism: Proper Authority

"But I've already been baptized. Are you saying my baptism wasn't good enough?" Kevin says.
"No, no that wasn't what I was trying to say!" I quickly say. "We are just offering you the chance to be baptized by someone holding the authority of God."  Have you ever had this conversation with a Mormon missionary before? Have you ever wondered why they are asking you if you want to be baptized AGAIN? Why are they saying that your previous baptism wasn't of God? Why would they think that? Well, let's take a little stroll through the foggy streets of London (I wish) and we'll talk about it, shall we?


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored by the prophet Joseph Smith in 1830. This was quite a bit of time after Christ walked the earth. When Christ was on the earth, he gave the priesthood authority to baptize to a select few.
"In 1829 Joseph Smith received the priesthood authority to organize Christ’s Church from Heavenly Messengers who had held this authority anciently including the prophet John the Baptist and apostles Peter, James, and John. In 1830 the same Church of Jesus Christ that existed centuries ago was organized and restored to the earth." (Mormon.org)

After the last apostle died, God's authority was taken from the earth. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a ^afamine of bread, nor a ^bthirst for water, but of hearing the ^cwords of the Lord." Amos 8:11

Through out time, we have seen the gospel be restored to the earth through different prophets. When the people are wicked, God takes his power off the earth so that it doesn't get misused. This is what we believe the previous scripture is speaking about. If God's power was taken off the earth, then it needed to be restored to the earth. When Joseph Smith restored Christ's church back to the earth, he was given the authority to baptize "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." This authority is so important to have. Not everyone is able to receive it because it is so precious. You must be worthy.

"We are baptized by someone who has God’s priesthood authority for the remission of sins. (Acts

2:38, Acts 22:16). We are also baptized to become members of the Church of Jesus Christ, and to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).
Through the ordinance of baptism, we make a promise, called a covenant, with God. We promise to accept Christ, to become His followers, and to keep His commandments to the end of our lives. In return, our Heavenly Father promises to forgive our sins and let us return to live with Him, provided we keep our covenants."

A very smart man once explained the concept of "proper authority" to me in terms I can understand. In other words, he dumbed it down to a food story. That gets Sister V.'s attention. "So you're speeding down the road, going 30 miles over. All of the sudden you see lights behind you! But it isn't the flashing red, white, and blue lights; it's an ice cream truck! You pull over wondering what all of this is about. The ice cream man walks over to you and very kindly hands you a $200 ticket for speeding, then walks away. You sit there dumbstruck. He can't give you a ticket! He's an ice cream man! He doesn't have the authority to do something like that!"
Well see, my good friends, authority matters. God's authority ESPECIALLY matters. When He gave Joseph Smith the authority to baptize in His name, He made sure that they knew authority was given by God and not by going to church school or other things.

 "He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto ^aJohn’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of ^arepentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.When they heard this, they were ^abaptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with ^atongues, and prophesied." Acts 19: 2-6

 

After baptism by the proper authority, someone holding the priesthood of God will lay their hands upon you and give you the gift of the Holy Ghost. Baptism is not complete without it as we learn in the scriptures. With this incredible gift, as long as you remain worthy you will always have the spirit with you. You will be able to discern right from wrong, and you will be told truths by the Holy Ghost. It is a wonderful gift that has helped me remain safe and worthy countless times. I'm so grateful that this gift was part of my baptism.

So you've come to know that the Book of Mormon is a true book of God; another testament of Jesus Christ. You want to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! The missionaries have set a baptism date for you. You've already been baptized! Your previous baptism was not of correct authority, but your heart was in the right place. That's why we want to give you a chance to be baptized by someone holding the power of God! Isn't that amazing? I can testify that my baptism was one of the most amazing steps toward God and eternal salvation. I'm so grateful that I was baptized by my dad who worthily held the priesthood of God and baptized me with proper authority.

Motherhood: A Career

A Fulfilling Career: Motherhood

I can picture myself right now crossing my arms and squirming angrily as I sit through yet another lesson about my role as a woman during church meetings. After church, I stomp into the house in a huff while my mom is humming a hymn and making lunch. "Did you have a hard day at church?" she asks. I then go on a rant about how women should be able to have careers and that I'm not going to "just" be a stay-at-home mom when I grow up.


Wow. If I could go back to those times and put myself in timeout, I would. I can't imagine how much it hurt my mother to be so against being "just" (big quotation marks) a homemaker. She quietly took my criticism of the whole thing and continued loving me. She probably knew that one day the Lord would smack some sense into me.

I was raised in the most wonderful parental situation possible for me. My dad worked and my mom
stayed at home with us. But did I appreciate her? Not hardly enough. Mom cooked, cleaned, taxied, and cuddled. She phoned, shopped, weeded, and washed. She edited my English papers, helped with science projects, decorated the home, helped my brother learn Chinese, and sewed Halloween costumes. And even now, I'm 1600 miles away and she sends me letters, packages, and most importantly prayers. Now who said being a stay-at-home mom wasn't a career? Well despite my own mom working 9 bazillion hours at home, I had convinced myself I wanted a "real career",    whatever that was.


"Beware of the subtle ways Satan employs to take you from the plan of God and true happiness. One of Satan's most effective approaches is to demean the role of wife and mother in the home. This is an attack at the very heart of God's plan to foster love between husband and wife and to nurture children in an atmosphere of understanding, peace, appreciation, and support. Much of the violence that is rampant in the world today is the harvest of weakened homes. Government and social plans will not effectively correct that, nor can the best efforts of schools and churches fully compensate for the absence of the tender care of a compassionate mother and wife in the home." -Richard G. Scott

D. Todd Christofferson hit the nail on the head concerning this area during this last session of General Conference. He focused on motherhood and how the woman's influence is most greatly felt in the home. And if women want to change the world and impact it, the place you could leave the most lasting effect and impression is in your home.

"A pernicious philosophy that undermines women’s moral influence is the devaluation of marriage and of motherhood and homemaking as a career. Some view homemaking with outright contempt, arguing it demeans women and that the relentless demands of raising children are a form of exploitation. They ridicule what they call “the mommy track” as a career. This is not fair or right. We do not diminish the value of what women or men achieve in any worthy endeavor or career—we all benefit from those achievements—but we still recognize there is not a higher good than motherhood and fatherhood in marriage. There is no superior career, and no amount of money, authority, or public acclaim can exceed the ultimate rewards of family. Whatever else a woman may accomplish, her moral influence is no more optimally employed than here."

Mommies, mommas, moms, mums, mommasitas, and all other mother figures around; listen up. God has put you on this earth to raise the next generation of righteous, healthy, and kind leaders in the world and church. This is our most important and fulfilling job. So don't you ever feel degraded by the title "homemaker." That should be a compliment! It means that you spend 24/7 devoted to your family and that you are using everything you've learned, daily in your career of raising little ones. An overwhelming job, yes. But one with the most incredible and long lasting results. As long as you have the Lord with you, you will make miracles!

I love my mom so incredibly much. She's the one that gets me through every day, even when I'm away from her. I'm so grateful that she's given her whole life to us and that she was there every day when I got home from school, with open arms and a loving smile. Even when she got out the "black bag" and threw away stuff that I left out.... (thanks a lot mom) I loved her for caring about me and wanting to teach me. I know that she was able to do everything in our family because she put the Lord first. Thank you mom, for raising me with the gospel. I love you till the numbers stop.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/print/2013/10/the-moral-force-of-women?lang=eng

Family History

What's YOUR Story?

 



I know every single one of you remembers claiming bragging rights to someone "famous" you are related to, at some point in your life. I remember my grandpa telling me one day "your relatives come from Sicily Italy! You have Mafia blood in you! I thought that was the coolest thing. I didn't exactly understand what the mafia was... but it sounded awesome when telling my friends!

"The family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally." This is in the "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" written by the apostles and prophets of the LDS church. Family isn't just a huge part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It IS the gospel of Jesus Christ. Family history is becoming "one of the most widespread hobbies in the world", especially in the Mormon church.

Have you ever wondered who and where you came from? We're in the year 2013! As much as we like to think the world started with us, there have been billions of people before us. They each had their own individual story and many paved miraculous roads for their future family. Have you ever been interested in finding out more about your own "kin" as Kentuckians call them?

I've never met people more devoted to family history than Donna and Danny. We went over to their house for dinner one day and I asked how their day had been. They explained they had been cemetery hopping, and taking pictures of grave stones for "find-a-grave." Did I know there was such a thing? No sir. But these two people devote their days to helping others do their family history work. They know all the cemeteries in Logan County and the surrounding ones like the back of their hand. They've brought so many blessings to their home by being able to do temple work for their family that has passed on, and learning new stories about their heritage! They've found living kin that they didn't know were relatives and formed lasting friendships. It really got me interested in doing some of my own family research. In comes the wonderful website the church created!

Familysearch.org    This website is incredible. Not only is it eye-catchingly colorful, but it's actually helpful! I was supposed to write my post for the week on Thursday because today is General Conference (it's been incredible, go watch it), but I got completely distracted by how cool this website was. I literally found ancestors all the way back to the 300's! I recognized names that my family had talked about and found some new places that I didn't know I was from! It was the so interesting, I couldn't stop. As I was doing this, I felt so close to these people. I wanted to sit down with each one of them and hear their story. I know that because of the gospel, I can actually do that someday. This website is free and so helpful, but if you find that you are having a hard time finding your ancestors, there's another very helpful resource the LDS church provides. Many LDS meeting houses around the world have "Family History Centers" within them. There, a member will work one-on-one with you to help find your family. This is also free and you can usually walk into the church building during the day and ask for assistance.

"Members and nonmember of the LDS church can and should research their family history! It brings so many blessings to your life and gives you a new sense of "family pride". First, family history builds bridges between the generations of our families. Bridges between generations are not built by accident. Each member of this Church has the personal responsibility to be an eternal architect of this bridge for his or her own family."  -Dennis B. Neuenschwander
 
 Not only have members of the LDS church have been counseled to make family history a priority in their lives, but nonmembers alike! It truly is a way to bring your family (living or deceased) closer together. It's fun too! Searching for each family member is an adventure and a new story to learn. I encourage you to get on this website today and play around with it! I know that you will enjoy it just as much as I have.

https://familysearch.org/

http://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation