Post 101: Turning Our Hearts

I am happy to announce that this is officially the 101st post on this blog! Exciting, I know. To celebrate, I've decided to title this post "Turning Our Hearts" as an encapsulation of one of the great purposes of our existence. Let's start in 2 Nephi:

“And now that my soul might have joy in you, and that my heart might have gladness because of you, that I might not be brought down with grief and sorrow to the grave, arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity;

“…Awake my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust."

2 Nephi 1: 22, 24 (emphasis added)

The Prophet Lehi here talks about a piece of what it means to be a true man, being "united in all things." We know from the scriptures that unity is equated with godliness, and that through unity we may become worthy to be claimed by the Savior (see D & C 38:21, among others).

Quite possibly the most important type of unity comes through turning our hearts to generations past, present, and future, through often diverse efforts. For those in the present, we improve our links through family prayer and scripture study, activities, projects, and other often grueling efforts [just ask Barack Obama what it's like to unify a people!]. For our sons and daughters yet to come, the best way to link ourselves to them is through building a foundation of righteousness, which in my opinion involves a scrupulous inward look at character flaws, and effectively turning our hearts over to the Savior in love and hope that we may be cleansed in time. For our ancestors, we must needs develop the Spirit of Elijah, taking advantage of the sealing power given to and subsequently delegated by a prophet of God. Near the end of the Old Testament we read:

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers,
lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. --Malachi 4: 5-6

This "turning" of which Malachi prophesies happens in the temples of God, where the sealing power may be used to perform sacred ordinances for those who've passed on without having received them. The prophet Joseph Smith shed some light on this scripture:

“…It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other…For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect…for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fullness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time.” --D& C 128: 18

This welding between the fathers and children across all generations of time is achieved only through the active use of the sealing power, that is, the power of the Priesthood to perform vicarious ordinances for those who have passed on without having received the opportunity to accept these ordinances in mortality. These vicarious ordinances are realized only in the holy temples, sacred house of God set apart for this purpose.

No one understood the importance of welding together generations in this vein than father Lehi, who in a parting blessing to his son, Joseph, gave what in my opinion is one of the most poetic passages in the Book of Mormon. In this blessing (found in 2 Nephi 3) Lehi compares Joseph of Egypt to his son, who also was a righteous youth who received harsh treatment from his older brothers. Lehi then quotes Joseph of Egypt, who prophesied of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon by the hand of Joseph Smith, who would be a great prophet "like unto Moses."

I testify that Joseph Smith was and is a great prophet of God, and that by and through him the fullness of the Everlasting Gospel was restored. It is through that Restoration that we know of the welding work that we must perform while here on the earth, striving to turn our hearts for generations to come. Let us all work to be a little more like the Savior, doing for others what they cannot do for themselves, being a healing influence in the lives of all whom we meet.

Have a great week!

Mental Health and the Gospel, Part II--Answering the Unasked Questions

As the time has passed, my posts have turned more into "monthly" conceptualizations; nevertheless, it is still a treat to share when I get the chance. Today I'm happy to share the second half of my conceptualization of the connection between mental health and the Gospel. We'll start today with a scripture chain, and use logic and the Spirit to deduce their in importance in this specific context.

FREE ACCORDING TO THE FLESH

Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
--2 Nephi 2: 27

We know that all good things come from God, and that which is from God entices us to do good continually (see Moroni 7: 12-13). Assuming that "liberty and eternal life" are both good things, captivity must not be good, and therefore of the adversary. This coincides with the second portion of the above scripture that states that captivity and death are wrought upon us by the power of the adversary, and that these two things make us miserable.


TO WHOM ARE WE BOUND?

And there are also secret combinations, even as in times of old, according to the combinations of the devil, for he is the founder of all these things; yea, the founder of murder,
and works of darkness; yea, and he leadeth them by the neck with a flaxen cord, until he bindeth them with his strong cords forever.
-- 2 Nephi 26: 22

Efforts are constantly being made for our attention. There are two polarizing influences, both promising greater things upon our yielding to them. If we believe that good and evil, God and the devil are opposites, then we must also believe that the mechanisms by which they work are opposite. This must mean that if the devil works by "flaxen cords" then God must work subtly as well. Using the flaxen cords metaphor, we see that as the devil slowly influences us that we are less and less able to act for ourselves because we are "bound," the cords becoming stronger and stronger as they multiply. This acting for ourselves is also referred to as agency, and we loose agency as we choose the adversary, offering ourselves as captives.

THE "SO WHAT?" FACTOR

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord,
even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not.
--Mosiah 4:30

So what should we do about this knowledge? If we follow the admonition of King Benjamin, then we ought to "watch" ourselves, and our thoughts, and our words and deeds. This can be extremely difficult if we are bound by strong cords, and often is only made possible through the help of trained professionals. This scripture is justification that therapy is a tool of the Atonement, as far as it helps individuals to self-monitor with the end of unhooking individuals from those strong cords, giving them the agency to exercise moral agency.

THE UNASKED QUESTIONS

With that established, let's think about some questions that often go unanswered, often because it's not acceptable to ask them:

Q: Is it a sin to see a therapist?

A: In most cases, certainly not. A good therapist meets clients at their own beliefs, not trying to change religious belief systems. In fact, a good therapist will help the individual fulfill King Benjamin's admonition without even knowing it.

Q: When is it times to start seeing a therapist on top of meeting with the bishop?

A: This is something that should be felt out between every bishop and member, as the bishop acts as a common judge in Israel, helping the member access the gift of the Holy Ghost more effectively. Both parties involved should treat the situation with humility: the member should be humble enough to heed the counsel of the bishop to potentially seek professional help as revelation from God, and the bishop should express humility in recognizing that certain issues cannot handled by only his ecclesiastical counseling. Other questions to consider when deciding on adjunct therapy are 1) How long-standing is the issue at hand, 2) How much impairment does the issue cause and 3) How much and it what ways does the issue effect other people. As a clarification, impairment refers to the inability to make proper relationships and perform normal life activities like hold a job, support a family, or balance a budget.

Q: How can mental illness NOT be the fault of the individual suffering from it?

A: There are many instances in which the sins and misgivings of others (sometimes even generations prior) affect the lives of their posterity, which puts the child on an unequal playing field before even given the chance to account for him or herself. Examples of this include fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), some traumatic brain injuries, and notably borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Because we often do not know the extent to which individuals have suffered, it is important to treat mental illness with sensitivity, not first assuming that it was the fault of the individual suffering.

Q: How do I best help my friend or loved one with mental illness?

A: Before we go about helping others, it is important to follow the Spirit and ask for the Spirit as we decide to reach out. We are promised help as we serve others, and our efforts will be galvanized as we 'counsel with the Lord in all our doings.' (see Alma 37: 37) Here are some additional suggestions:

We should follow the counsel of the Savior to 'judge not, lest [we] be judged, (see Matthew 7:1)' for we are all broken in some ways.

We should strive to "look on the heart (Samuel 16:7)", and include for "outward appearance" such things as behaviors, words and deeds, as well as flawed perceptions of the character of that individual.

As everyone has the light of Christ or better, we should remember that there is core deep within everyone that is of God, and we should strive to locate and accentuate that godliness on others.

We should also seek the help of others in our helping efforts, lest we become burnt out, or lest we deprive others of the opportunity to serve.

But above all, we should lend a listening ear, willing to "mourn with those who mourn, and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. (Mosiah 18:9)"


It is my testimony that the Lord has placed us hear on this earth with talents that are meant to continually bless the lives of others, including our own. Let us be humble enough to seek proper help as the need arises, and let us be humble enough to follow the Spirit as we seek to be that blessing in the lives of others.

Have a great week!