Depression And The Holy Ghost

[Tacenda]

If one is planning on getting married, one better be ready to live with the person they've married for the rest of their lives and not some image of what might be.  Change may occur, but unless the person is already committed to working together with one, that change is just as likely to be worse than better.

 

Wlaking on eggshells, he will wear himself out emotionally and make himself sick or depressed himself.

 

If he thinks the girl needs protection and he is going to be the white knight to save her, it may be hard to get him to see that he is not helping her.  If there has been no positive change in her behaviour over their dating time, then marriage isn't going to change that.

 

Is he wanting or willing to be father and mother to their children?  And does he really want to set things up from such a difficult position from the beginning for his children?  Speaking as a mother who has suffered from many problems including depression and having a mother who had health issues all of her life, I would encourage any person to marry someone who is working hard at being healthy, mentally, physically and emotionally and spiritually if that is important to you...if not for your own sake, than your children's.  

 

All families have dysfunctional members, the question is whether or not the parent lets the depression control them or they control the depression...it sounds to me she is not aware or doesn't care how it is impacting her life and letting it determine it for her.  That might be by choice but also might be just the level of depression she has where she can't help herself.  In order to provide a healthy home life for your children (if they decide to have any and if they don't, will he resent it later or will she blame him because he wasn't willing to put a child at risk in their home...a child with a suicidal parent...it is heartbreaking to see what they go through if the attempts aren't successful and the guilt and blame that if only they were better children she might have survived, etc.

 

Not too clear tonight as already too sleep meds....will reread tomorrow hopefully and make more sense.

 

I would insist he goes to counseling a few months before any decision to make the relationship longterm so he can be told what to expect of himself and her and if it iwll be worth it.

 

He needs to find out how long she has been depressed and what drugs she takes and how good she is at taking them and how effective they are.  He could be going into a hell of a life for himself and everyone around him, however if she is actively working to get better, has good doctors, there could be a lot of happy times a head for him.  He needs to understand himself and not just think well, if it is important I will find the strength.  if it goes on day after day, month after month, endurance can be destroyed if he is the only one trying.

I don't know if she's able to have children, she suffers from endometriosis. Probably the reason I empathize so much. But tonight when my son said she never really apologizes and it's always seems to be him that tries to make up, it made me wonder if she can love him. Does she love herself, or has she been doing this most of her life. I think I need to do some detective work. And definitely think my son needs to see a counselor. Like Bobbieaware mentioned, he may have some issues himself. Btw, I was hoping you would chime in!

[Calm]

Since she is only 19, there may be a chance in the future for her to have kids even if she can't have them now.  I have a sister in law that ended up with 4 kids that was supposedly wasn't going to have any, but medical science advanced enough.

 

Anyone seriously dating my daughter is going to get a strong lecture about what it will be like and that up and downess of her life may never change, most info will be from her but some from me and her dad as well. We don't want her to be burdened by thinking she has destroyed someone's life because they made a decision to be with her and then come out with "but I didn't really know what I was getting into".

Edited June 3, 2015 by calmoriah

[Avatar4321]

It was the spirit that helped me overcome my depression. It was not easy. But it was a choice I made when I was suffering the depression to use these opportunities to exercise faith more that made all the difference imho. When that happened I had a greater portion of the spirit.

Fasting and prayer helped too.

[Avatar4321]

Funny/interesting......my depression decreased exponentially after I left the LDS faith.

By leaving the church did you just go inactive or did you have the covenants nullified through name removal or excommunication?

[Avatar4321]

I've suffered from bad depression and anxiety for over a decade now, so I hope the Holy Ghost feelings of warmth are still there.

Have you been talking with the Lord about it?

[Avatar4321]

My son has been dating someone with depression. She's on meds, and sees a therapist. He bends over backwards to keep her happy, but she'll blow up over minor things and rush out the door. He can't win. She tried to commit suicide early in their dating life. So just today they were driving along and saw some kid skateboarding doing some crazy stuff, my son said "that kid's gonna kill himself". She got mad at him for saying that, something about killing themself. And she wouldn't talk to him from then on. He buys her flowers, let's her take his Visa and go shopping. When she is with the family, she'll all the sudden go quiet and won't look at anyone. You never know what will set her off. I believe he feels beholden to her. Maybe they'd be married by now, if it weren't for how she treats him. He's 22, she's 19. Everyone wishes he'd date others and find someone who treats him better. He has broke down and bawled twice this week, it's built up to this. Does anyone have some advice? I don't think this is regular depression if you can define it that way. It seems like he's the one that's always apologizing, she doesn't reciprocate. I've been trying to give her the benefit of the doubt but had a long talk with my son, and I think he's worried she'll try to take her life again, and worries he'll set that off. Any advice on how he should break up, or words for him that will help him see what he may be getting into? He needs some tools, it seems there are several of you that could help.

Yikes.

I actually have a friend like that. They were going to get married and he ended it because he couldn't take it anymore.

If they aren't married there is no reason he should feel guilty if he ends the relationship, no matter what she does or threatens to do. He has to do what's best for him and his future family.

[Judd]

My son has been dating someone with depression. She's on meds, and sees a therapist. He bends over backwards to keep her happy, but she'll blow up over minor things and rush out the door. He can't win. She tried to commit suicide early in their dating life. So just today they were driving along and saw some kid skateboarding doing some crazy stuff, my son said "that kid's gonna kill himself". She got mad at him for saying that, something about killing themself. And she wouldn't talk to him from then on. He buys her flowers, let's her take his Visa and go shopping. When she is with the family, she'll all the sudden go quiet and won't look at anyone. You never know what will set her off. I believe he feels beholden to her. Maybe they'd be married by now, if it weren't for how she treats him. He's 22, she's 19. Everyone wishes he'd date others and find someone who treats him better. He has broke down and bawled twice this week, it's built up to this. Does anyone have some advice? I don't think this is regular depression if you can define it that way. It seems like he's the one that's always apologizing, she doesn't reciprocate. I've been trying to give her the benefit of the doubt but had a long talk with my son, and I think he's worried she'll try to take her life again, and worries he'll set that off. Any advice on how he should break up, or words for him that will help him see what he may be getting into? He needs some tools, it seems there are several of you that could help.

You're right. Sounds like borderline personality disorder. You could offer him to look up info about that as a type of full disclosure.

[Tacenda]

You're right. Sounds like borderline personality disorder. You could offer him to look up info about that as a type of full disclosure.

Thank you, I was reading up on several types, from narcissism to bipolarism. She didn't fit into those. I forgot about this one.

[Tacenda]

For three years I was unable to feel the Spirit. I trusted based on past experience that it was there and attempting to communicate with me so I looked around and slowly developed other ways of communication, many listening to what others were saying much more carefully. A few days after going off an anti depressant for misdiagnosed chronic depression (actually slep deprivation for those who have heard my saga for the hundredth time) it was as if a literal weight/pressure was removed from the back of my brain and the Spirit along with some other mental and emotional sensations were restored. A very great relief.

It taught me to accept that there are those who without fault who cannot utilised the Spirit whether it is limitations of their physical body interfering with communication or expression or understanding or their lives' circumstances having never given them a chance to develop that gift sufficiently to recognise the nuances. And since we are all limited in some way, I have come to the position it will be the rare person (if any) who experiences their 'full chance' to accept or reject the Gospel in this life. It makes much more sense to me that we are really all on the same playing field because the play goes far beyond the few acts taken at this dark and pitted area of the arena that we are currently stumbling around. The finish of our race will be in a brightly lit smoothly paved path where we can push ourselves to our ultimate limits unhindered by the temporary burdens we are now carrying to build up our muscles, develop better balance and pump up our motivation to seek out God, who is both our partner in the race and the end goal.

Cal, sorry to dredge up this old thread but noticed this post after searching on the board.

Recently I was put on a generic form of Zoloft. I'm new to antidepressants and it helped with some things, calmed me down a bit but now I feel like I'm blah.

The doctor told me to give them atleast 6 months before quitting them. I recently called him and spoke to the nurse and she encouraged me to keep taking it.

Wondered what you thought, I've been on them for only a couple of weeks. Did you have side affects from stopping the medication? Or is their harm to just take it every now and again?

Also, I'm sleep deprived, even with taking generic Ambien. So pretty sure that may be part of my problem. Just not feeling very happy, calm but just not myself.

[jkwilliams]

My son has been dating someone with depression. She's on meds, and sees a therapist. He bends over backwards to keep her happy, but she'll blow up over minor things and rush out the door. He can't win. She tried to commit suicide early in their dating life. So just today they were driving along and saw some kid skateboarding doing some crazy stuff, my son said "that kid's gonna kill himself". She got mad at him for saying that, something about killing themself. And she wouldn't talk to him from then on. He buys her flowers, let's her take his Visa and go shopping. When she is with the family, she'll all the sudden go quiet and won't look at anyone. You never know what will set her off. I believe he feels beholden to her. Maybe they'd be married by now, if it weren't for how she treats him. He's 22, she's 19. Everyone wishes he'd date others and find someone who treats him better. He has broke down and bawled twice this week, it's built up to this. Does anyone have some advice? I don't think this is regular depression if you can define it that way. It seems like he's the one that's always apologizing, she doesn't reciprocate. I've been trying to give her the benefit of the doubt but had a long talk with my son, and I think he's worried she'll try to take her life again, and worries he'll set that off. Any advice on how he should break up, or words for him that will help him see what he may be getting into? He needs some tools, it seems there are several of you that could help.

 

Here's the thing: he's not responsible for her happiness, and he can bend over backwards all he wants, but she is in charge of her happiness. I don't mean to sound judgmental, but it sounds like the problem is that he thinks he can and should be the one to make her happy. It's going to make him crazy. 

[jkwilliams]

Cal, sorry to dredge up this old thread but noticed this post after searching on the board.

Recently I was put on a generic form of Zoloft. I'm new to antidepressants and it helped with some things, calmed me down a bit but now I feel like I'm blah.

The doctor told me to give them atleast 6 months before quitting them. I recently called him and spoke to the nurse and she encouraged me to keep taking it.

Wondered what you thought, I've been on them for only a couple of weeks. Did you have side affects from stopping the medication? Or is their harm to just take it every now and again?

Also, I'm sleep deprived, even with taking generic Ambien. So pretty sure that may be part of my problem. Just not feeling very happy, calm but just not myself.

 

It doesn't take 6 months to see that the drug isn't right for you, so you're within your rights to ask your doctor to try something different. Most people have to try different combinations and dosages before they find what works for them.

[Tacenda]

Here's the thing: he's not responsible for her happiness, and he can bend over backwards all he wants, but she is in charge of her happiness. I don't mean to sound judgmental, but it sounds like the problem is that he thinks he can and should be the one to make her happy. It's going to make him crazy.

Thanks for responding JK. This is an old post, but my son is still with her and she has him wrapped around her little finger. I wish he'd never met her. He's not the same guy. Very negative too.

Also, about the medication. I just want to quit taking anything. But will try the doc again.

[jkwilliams]

Thanks for responding JK. This is an old post, but my son is still with her and she has him wrapped around her little finger. I wish he'd never met her. He's not the same guy. Very negative too.

Also, about the medication. I just want to quit taking anything. But will try the doc again.

 

It took me quite a while to get on the right combination of meds, but it's now been 8 years with only minor adjustments and no recurrence of major depression. Just the usual ups and downs of normal life.

 

His girlfriend sounds like she has NPD or maybe borderline personality. She sounds like my mother-in-law, who was certifiably bonkers.

[Calm]

Cal, sorry to dredge up this old thread but noticed this post after searching on the board.

Recently I was put on a generic form of Zoloft. I'm new to antidepressants and it helped with some things, calmed me down a bit but now I feel like I'm blah.

The doctor told me to give them atleast 6 months before quitting them. I recently called him and spoke to the nurse and she encouraged me to keep taking it.

Wondered what you thought, I've been on them for only a couple of weeks. Did you have side affects from stopping the medication? Or is their harm to just take it every now and again?

Also, I'm sleep deprived, even with taking generic Ambien. So pretty sure that may be part of my problem. Just not feeling very happy, calm but just not myself.

No, I did not have side effects but others have so be careful. A few weeks probably won't cause problems though. Taking antidepressants every now and then won't likely help as they generally need to build up in the system and keep at a steady level to help.

I would give something six weeks to 2 months and if there is no significant change, insist on trying something new. It is ridiculous imo to wait for six months. It would take forever to find something that works. With my daughter, her psychiatrist first scheduled us at six weeks and once she reached a drug that worked and a level that seemed acceptable, every three months. If the calm is not enough, if you are still feeling depressed after six weeks, ask to try something else or an additional drug. There are a number ofslightly different drugs or combinations, one of which may work much better for you.

Prozac cut out the highs and the lows for me, so yeah, blah is a good way to describe it. I never was on anything else long enough to matter, always caused real bad reactions except for one, Wellbutrin, which was recommended because it did not make rls worse...but it had no effect on mood for me.

Thankfully, getting on the right drug for rls removed my need for an antidepressant...sleep is a great healer, even the low quality I am getting.

If you are taking Ambien, be aware that may cause depression. I actually got suicidal on it after being on it for a number of months, then not being able to take it due to it not being available up in Canada and then having a bad reaction when I was able to getsome again a few months later. Took over ten years for my body to be ableto use it again without going into depression. I try to take frequent drug holidays from it to make sure that doesn't happen again as it is the only sleeping pill that works and allows me to function the next day.

If your doctor isn't willing to explore other options, see what psychiatrists your insurance will cover and go with one. They are generally more comfortable with exploring and combining than a regular physician (I am assuming it is a regular).

Long term sleep deprivation is going to depress you pretty much every time, just like chronic pain and illness. You need to address that as well. Have you had a sleep study done? If not, push for one. Ambien is not really meant for long term use and can be highly addictive and a hell to get off for some. It is a lifesaver for me, but I am only taking it after expolring everything else available as far as I and my doctors know.

[Freedom]

Depression, like blindness and cancer, is something some of us are burdened with. I do not suffer from depression, however the medication that most effectively combats my own mental disorder causes anxiety and let me tell you, it was terrifying. I prefer my own madness to that one. Other medication causes dry mouth and others impotence. Sometimes the cure is worse then the disease. What the Holy Ghost gives me is comfort to know that I am still loved, that there is nothing wrong with me and that God is on the sidelines cheering me on. 

 

The tragedy is when people fumble through life suffering failure after failure not realizing that the cause of their struggle is a mental illness or a learning disability. They think they are failing because they are not working hard enough, or because they lack discipline. And people around them consider them loosers because they can't seem to keep down a job, or they go from relationship to relationship train wreck.

 

I have ADHD and a learning output disorder which includes dysgraphia and inattention. People on this board often poke fun of my poor spelling but the fact is, I lack the capacity to remember names, numbers, or proper spellings of words. I know two phone numbers and I have to review them every few days. For every other number I just rely on my smart phone. Despite this, with great effort and personal sacrifice I have a university degree and 6 professional designations. It took me longer than most people to attain them, but like the turtle, I got it done.

 

I credit membership in the church to keeping me away from harmful addictive substances.  I credit temple attendance to calming my soul and giving me purpose. I was at a site conference today with 6 professionals including an engineer, a developer, reps from the city's fire department, and people in suites who had lots of money. My job was to bring them together to get a consensus. I had no idea what their names were no matter how many times they told me so I had a cheat sheet that I referenced with their names and titles. As I secretly fought my own mental demons, the show had to go on. They had no idea what I was going through and I have no doubt that at least one of them had an equally debilitating handicap was being hidden through determination and fakery.  

 

The Holy Ghost does not cure me, it comforts me and leads me to the best treatment and coping mechanisms. 

[Calm]

"credit membership in the church to keeping me away from harmful addictive substances"

Me too.

[Tacenda]

No, I did not have side effects but others have so be careful. A few weeks probably won't cause problems though. Taking antidepressants every now and then won't likely help as they generally need to build up in the system and keep at a steady level to help.

I would give something six weeks to 2 months and if there is no significant change, insist on trying something new. It is ridiculous imo to wait for six months. It would take forever to find something that works. With my daughter, her psychiatrist first scheduled us at six weeks and once she reached a drug that worked and a level that seemed acceptable, every three months. If the calm is not enough, if you are still feeling depressed after six weeks, ask to try something else or an additional drug. There are a number ofslightly different drugs or combinations, one of which may work much better for you.

Prozac cut out the highs and the lows for me, so yeah, blah is a good way to describe it. I never was on anything else long enough to matter, always caused real bad reactions except for one, Wellbutrin, which was recommended because it did not make rls worse...but it had no effect on mood for me.

Thankfully, getting on the right drug for rls removed my need for an antidepressant...sleep is a great healer, even the low quality I am getting.

If you are taking Ambien, be aware that may cause depression. I actually got suicidal on it after being on it for a number of months, then not being able to take it due to it not being available up in Canada and then having a bad reaction when I was able to getsome again a few months later. Took over ten years for my body to be ableto use it again without going into depression. I try to take frequent drug holidays from it to make sure that doesn't happen again as it is the only sleeping pill that works and allows me to function the next day.

If your doctor isn't willing to explore other options, see what psychiatrists your insurance will cover and go with one. They are generally more comfortable with exploring and combining than a regular physician (I am assuming it is a regular).

Long term sleep deprivation is going to depress you pretty much every time, just like chronic pain and illness. You need to address that as well. Have you had a sleep study done? If not, push for one. Ambien is not really meant for long term use and can be highly addictive and a hell to get off for some. It is a lifesaver for me, but I am only taking it after expolring everything else available as far as I and my doctors know.

Thanks for this!

 

I can't sleep with anything but Ambien, I've tried everything else, just makes me worse.  I'll try to cut down.  I use to take just 1/2 occasionally, now I'm up to 1/2 every night, then wake up and have to take another 1/2. 

 

I'm glad you're doing better now Cal, you sure have suffered. 

 

I'll stick it out with the meds for a couple of months. 

[Tacenda]

Depression, like blindness and cancer, is something some of us are burdened with. I do not suffer from depression, however the medication that most effectively combats my own mental disorder causes anxiety and let me tell you, it was terrifying. I prefer my own madness to that one. Other medication causes dry mouth and others impotence. Sometimes the cure is worse then the disease. What the Holy Ghost gives me is comfort to know that I am still loved, that there is nothing wrong with me and that God is on the sidelines cheering me on. 

 

The tragedy is when people fumble through life suffering failure after failure not realizing that the cause of their struggle is a mental illness or a learning disability. They think they are failing because they are not working hard enough, or because they lack discipline. And people around them consider them loosers because they can't seem to keep down a job, or they go from relationship to relationship train wreck.

 

I have ADHD and a learning output disorder which includes dysgraphia and inattention. People on this board often poke fun of my poor spelling but the fact is, I lack the capacity to remember names, numbers, or proper spellings of words. I know two phone numbers and I have to review them every few days. For every other number I just rely on my smart phone. Despite this, with great effort and personal sacrifice I have a university degree and 6 professional designations. It took me longer than most people to attain them, but like the turtle, I got it done.

 

I credit membership in the church to keeping me away from harmful addictive substances.  I credit temple attendance to calming my soul and giving me purpose. I was at a site conference today with 6 professionals including an engineer, a developer, reps from the city's fire department, and people in suites who had lots of money. My job was to bring them together to get a consensus. I had no idea what their names were no matter how many times they told me so I had a cheat sheet that I referenced with their names and titles. As I secretly fought my own mental demons, the show had to go on. They had no idea what I was going through and I have no doubt that at least one of them had an equally debilitating handicap was being hidden through determination and fakery.  

 

The Holy Ghost does not cure me, it comforts me and leads me to the best treatment and coping mechanisms. 

I'm so happy you have the church Freedom!  My sis-in-law was abused by her father, both physically and sexually and she credits the church for her not repeating the cycle.   

[MDalby]

I know there are many factors that impact depression.  Chemical imbalances, stress of life, trials and afflictions of life, etc...  But sometimes we have self inflicted depression.

 

 22  If ye have no hope you are in despair.  Despair cometh because of iniquity.

(Moroni 10:22)

 

 

It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is.  It all works out.  Don't worry.  I say that to myself every morning.  It will all work out.  If you do your best, it will all work out.  Put your trust in God and move forward with faith and confidence in the future.  The Lord will not forsake us.  He will not forsake us, . . . if we will put our trust in Him, if we will pray to Him, if we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers.

(Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Feb 2006)

 

Edited July 31, 2015 by MDalby

[MDalby]

Sometimes we bring depression due to not understanding adversity.

 

 

 

When I was a stake president, the event occurred that I want to use as the keynote to my remarks, I was sitting on the stand at a combined meeting of the stake Primary board and stake Young Women’s board where they were jointly inducting from the Primary into the Young Women’s organization the eleven-year-old girls who that year had made the big step. They had a lovely program. It was one of those fantastic, beautiful presentations—based on the Wizard of Oz, or a take-off on the Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy, an eleven-year-old girl, was coming down the yellow brick road together with the tin woodman, the cowardly lion, and the scarecrow. They were singing altered lyrics about the gospel. And Oz, which was one wall of the cultural hall, looked very much like the Los Angeles Temple. They really took off down that road. There were no weeds on that road; there were no Munchkins; there were no misplaced tiles; there was no Wicked Witch of the West. That was one antiseptic yellow brick road, and it was very, very clear that once they got to Oz, they had it made. It was all sewed up. 

 

Following that beautiful presentation with all the snappy tunes and skipping and so on, came a sister who I swear was sent over from Hollywood central casting. (I do not believe she was in my stake; I never saw her before in my life.) She looked as if she had come right off the cover of a fashion magazine—every hair in place, with a photogenic returned missionary husband who looked like he came out of central casting and two or three, or heaven knows how many, photogenic children all of whom came out of central casting or Kleenex ads or whatever. She enthused over her temple marriage and how wonderful Life was with her charming husband and her perfect children and that the young women too could look like her and have a husband like him and children like them if they would stick to the yellow brick road and live in Oz. It was a lovely, sort of tear-jerking, event. 

 

After the event was nearly over, the stake Primary president, who was conducting, made a grave strategic error. She turned to me and, pro forma, said, “President Broderick, is there anything you would like to add to this lovely evening?” 

 

I said, “Yes, there is,” and I don’t think she has ever forgiven me. What I said was this, “Girls, this has been a beautiful program. I commend the gospel with all of its auxiliaries and the temple to you, but I do not want you to believe for one minute that if you keep all the commandments and live as close to the Lord as you can and do everything right and fight off the entire priests quorum one by one and wait chastely for your missionary to return and pay your tithing and attend your meetings, accept calls from the bishop, and have a temple marriage, I do not want you to believe that bad things will not happen to you. And when that happens, I do not want you to say that God was not true. Or, to say, ‘They promised me in Primary, they promised me when I was a Mia Maid, they promised me from the pulpit that if I were very, very good, I would be blessed. But the boy I want doesn’t know I exist, or the missionary I’ve waited for and kept chaste so we both could go to the temple turned out to be a flake,’ or far worse things than any of the above. Sad things— children who are sick or developmentally handicapped. Husbands who are not faithful, illnesses that can cripple, or violence, betrayals, hurts, deaths, losses—when those things happen, do not say God is not keeping his promises to me. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not insurance against pain. It is resource in event of pain, and when that pain comes (and it will come because we came here on earth to have pain among other things), when it comes, rejoice that you have a resource to deal with your pain.” 

(Carlfred Broderick, The Uses of Adversity)

 

Edited July 31, 2015 by MDalby

[Tacenda]

MDalby, did you stand up and say that or are you quoting someone who did? Either way, I stand all amazed aplauding!!!!!!

[Guest]

In reading this article it says

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865604105/Depression-More-than-a-bad-hair-day.html

 

 

"People with depression yearn for spiritual feelings and the warmth of God’s love, she said, but their symptoms often make it hard to sense and feel the Spirit’s positive comfort."

 

Which is true but also we read in the Doctrine and Covenants 14:2

 

"behold, I am God;Give heed to my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow: Therefore give heed to my word"

 

Shouldn't the Holy Ghost cut through the depression? why does it sound like depression is a Holy Ghost repellant, it's not like depressed people don't want the spirit or get revelation, it's  like if you have depression, then you are cut off and can't feel the spirit despite what the DC says. What say ye?

This would seem to suggest that those who experience depression are such sinners they cannot feel the Holy Ghost, nor are they worthy to have the Holy Ghost. Just not that simple.

[MDalby]

Tacenda,

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to indicate that was my experience.  I have edited to make it a quote.  It is from a GREAT little book, The Uses of Adversity.  I cannot recommend the book enough.  Carlfred Broderick goes through several experiences with Saints that had very severe trials and how we can learn from our own adversities.

 

MD

[Freedom]

I was at a work meeting last night where there were about 60 people present. One fellow who had a lot of good ideas appeared to me to be autistic. I am not an expert but I have a fair bit of experience with it. He would offer well throughout ideas but he seemed incapable of expressing them in a way that didn't come off as offensive. The board of people at the front would get frustrated and took offense and he would get agitated and start to pace and slam his fist in his hand, which would be misinterpreted as a physical threat. Fortunately there were two or three people who saw him for what he was and were able to de-escalate the situation and let him have his say.

 

This fellow called me three times today to, I think, defend himself. I hope that he now feels that he did nothing wrong. Although having a mental illness is not an excuse for bad behavior, I felt he handled himself extremely well considering the circumstances in which he thrust himself. He has all this knowledge, but he is not wired like some with eloquence of speech and social grace. He was just born this way and he has to learn to work within his limitations.

[rpn]

IME, it isn't that the Holy Ghost doesn't have power to cut through, it is that the numbness, fogginess, maybe even the distorted thinking involved, prevents access to it.  

 

I learned what the Holy Ghost actually does only after my excommunication.   Then I learned that Parley P. Pratt had put it into powerful words that describe it exactly, but that I had never felt or appreciated in a previous lifetime of experiencing the gift of the Holy Ghost as a member:

 

“The gift of the Holy Ghost...quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands, and purifies all the natural passions and affections, and adapts them, by the gift of wisdom, to their lawful use. It inspires, develops, cultivates, and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form, and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.”