Beccabee2

I love this so much! I needed to hear it. I also want to pass it along to a few other friends who struggle making their own decisions and want the Lord to do that for them. Thanks for this!

How nice to know I'm not the only person who struggles with knowing if my feelings of anxiety are from the Spirit or just my anxiety. Like the previous post, I know this is old, but if anyone else is reading this who can relate, I'll just share my small pieces of information that I've learned while dealing with this. There's a list of two different kinds of feelings: ones from God, and ones from Satan. God stills, reassures, leads, enlightens, forgives, calms, encourages, and comforts you. On the other hand, Satan rushes, frightens, pushes, confuses, condemns, stresses, discourages, and worries you. Almost 100% of the time, my feelings of anxiety are related to the feelings that are listed under Satan. That has helped me remember if these feelings are from the Spirit, or from Satan.

I was doing my best to communicate these points but I wish I could have spoken them as eloquently as you did! What a concise explanation. Thanks!

I'm not really sure what you mean by this. I posted this because I was curious as to the thoughts of others on how they would respond to my non-LDS friend. In context of the subject matter being discussed, the article was necessary to post.

Alright so....I came across this article from a non-LDS friend who posted it on Facebook. I've already begun to explain to my non-LDS friend, who can't fathom why someone would be "kicked out of their Church for loving someone", about God's commandments and the principle of obedience. But I would like to hear what anyone else has to say in regards to this young man's letter to his bishop about this issue. For previous background: This individual received a letter from his bishop in which it was stated that disciplinary action was being considered due to his conduct that is unbecoming of a member.

Talk with a professional psychologist about what you're observing. That way you can get a somewhat more credible opinion about what's going on and the steps you should take to ensure both of their safety and health.

There are many LDS blog posts about the famous saying, "The Lord will not give you more than you can handle" and comparing it to the scriptural references that this saying was taken from. Trying to redirect our understanding of what exactly what the scripture in 1 Corinthians 10:13 was really saying. So in line with this....where does this saying, "Be in the world but not of the world" come from? Are there any scriptural references to this statement that is pretty common in the LDS culture? Are there any conference talks that relate to this similar saying? I'm always curious as to where some of these sayings come from and whether or not we've misconstrued them or that they're just simplifying doctrine into layman's terms. Just my curious thoughts late at night...

Yeah me either! I got a good laugh out of it.

I lived by the standard rule that you always say yes to a first date. And then as I got older and realized if I was saying yes to a guy I honestly was not interested in, I was wasting my time and his (and money as stated before). I think I've only said no to few guys (few meaning less than 3) and they were not "excuses". They were flat out, honest and sincere answers of "I really appreciate you taking a chance and asking me out on a date. Thank you for asking! I will be honest and say that I'm not interested in a date but I would still like to be friends and hang out at church and activities" or along the lines of a reply in this manner. Out of the few that I've said no to, only one has been kind about my "no" response. One outwardly called me an unkind name--feel free to use your imagination (and yes, he was an LDS member). The other ranted on to me about my duty as a woman to say yes to every worthy LDS man who asks me out on a date. So there's a downside to either way that you reject a date. But there's also downsides to saying yes, knowing that you are not interested. Dating can be difficult!! But as others have said, it requires a lot of patience and continually picking yourself back up after rejection (which we all deal with). As a side note, I have done my fair share of asking guys out on dates (because the ones I'm surrounded by lack the ability to ask girls out on dates) and I too have been rejected by the "lame" excuses and the honest ones. Either way they are not easy to hear! But I say it just makes you better at the dating game. You gain experience! And now know that you can check that person off the list of potential spouses

I appreciate your response. No, I'll clarify because I didn't really go into depth about my explanation. My mistakes are my own. And I take full and complete responsibility (sometimes so much so that I am way too hard on myself) for the things that I do. I expect myself to be perfect, even when I know that's not possible, and when I make a mistake I know that it was 100% me who did it. And it was me who could have prevented it. With my growing and progressing within my weakness, I've found many ways to find strength in it (like is said in Ether 12:27). And when I think about the promises I have the opportunity to make in the Temple to stay even more firm in my conviction to be pure and chaste in my life, the garments feel like a physical symbol of that promise that I will wear every day that will be a constant reminder of my ability to be better each and every day. And you know maybe I am looking at the temple garments in the wrong way. But from the many experiences I've heard from other individuals feeling like their temple garments were a great reminder, in the midst of a choice for temptation, of what path they should choose. And while I feel like I have grown so much in being able to choose that path on my own (and fall short here and there in every aspect of life because I'm not perfect) I have felt a great calm and reassurance of the ability to have that physical garment to wear as a reminder of the promises that I will have made and a reminder of the person I want/can be. Hopefully if that makes sense. Obviously I would never want to go receive my endowments for the wrong reasons. And I appreciate all the responses I've received from everyone, but please understand that you've read only a few hundred words of my life. I didn't give you the full details of my testimony or understanding of this gospel or the details of my conversion and change of heart to turn to The Lord completely in all things. I haven't shared my full feelings of this experience so far about preparing for this next step in my life or the personal revelation I have received for it. So I know it's hard to get a full glimpse of "why" I want to go to the Temple, because you haven't seen who I am. Just read a few hundred words of the few things I've willingly shared. I have a very firm understanding of this gospel, including the aspects of repentance, the atonement, and forgiveness. So please know that this "worry" I am having about making a mistake after I receive my endowments is not from a place of wanting someone else or something else to take responsibility for my actions. It is and will always be MY choice to sin. This was more so my way of wanting to know if this idea in my head from hearing other experiences of temple garments being a protecting reminder of those promises, and a way to strengthen your Spirit, was along the right path. Not me seeing them as a way to take responsibility off of my shoulders for my own weakness. I hope that made sense. If not, then don't worry about it. These are my own worries that come from a lot of my own struggles with anxiety problems that I'm sure are manifesting themselves into this decision.

Thanks! I've done a lot of praying but I really haven't put any efforts towards truly fasting and showing the Lord my real desire to know the answer to this. I will definitely start relying on that :)

I really appreciate your input and what you have to say. I'll take some of that advice and apply it to my life, but I'm going to move forward with the impressions I've felt about preparing to enter the Temple. I've felt like there were firm spiritual impressions in the past that have pushed me towards preparing to receive my endowments. When that will happen, I do not know yet, but I do know that I'm supposed to be preparing for them. So I'lll take your advice into my preparation for that next step.

Maybe my way of writing is coming off wrong. I'm not looking to go to the Temple to be healed. Or changed. The changing experience I want to have is not that kind of change that comes from Christ. The changing experience I want to have is the greater understanding and knowledge of this gospel and it's pertinence to my eternal life. Although from most of the preparation I've done and the individuals I've talked to, none of the information in the temple will be "new" information per say, but more solidifying in what I've learned and how I'm growing spiritually to the daughter of God I want to be.

I think that's the whole reason I want to go receive my endowments. That my experience going through the temple is the changing experience I feel like I'm ready to make and want to have. I want that added measure of the Spirit in my life. I want to progress spiritually. In a year I will be graduating college and moving to graduate school, where I'll be in a city alone with no family anywhere close by. The step of receiving my endowments feels like the most comforting decision to make knowing that I'll be moving somewhere away from those I love and away from what I'm "used" to. It's hard for me to explain because I don't know how to put it in words. On the topic of your questions....I live about an hour away from the temple. I go when I have the opportunity to (usually with a group of single adults for an activity--since doing baptisms isn't as easy to do as going to do an endowment session), and I feel like my attendance at the temple is in accordance with my desire to be there. I don't ever, and will not ever, put a number on how many days I feel like I should be attending the temple. I believe it is a personal decision, between you and the Lord, of how often you go. The times I go to the temple are filled with immense spiritual comfort and a greater understanding of my purpose in life. As much as I love doing baptisms (and have ever since I was young enough to go) I want more out of my temple experience. I want deeply to understand more about the ordinances that happen there. To know more about my purpose and my relationship with God. And in answer to your question about my decision to not serve a mission, that was a very personal decision. One that was discovered through much prayer and pondering. In the end, I realized it was not even my decision. It was the Lord's. He wanted me elsewhere (elsewhere being school). And I've listened to the Spirit and done what He has guided me to do.

No there's no set age limit for receiving your endowments. I've spoken with my Bishop about it already and it's simply a choice between you and the Lord when you feel like it's the next step in your life, which I've had a few promptings about it. I'm fairly mature (emotionally and spiritually) for my age (21) and a mission is not for me, nor is marriage anywhere close in my future. But for some reason this step in my life has been at the helm of my gospel studying and what I have been focusing on recently. My worries about not being "ready" is more so about not wanting to make a mistake after I make such a commitment. But I've started to attribute those worries and anxieties (which I deal with a lot) to Satan trying to keep me from making that next step....I'm kind of talking out my own answer to my question, but I still like to hear from those who are endowed and their experience about the temple garments being a protective power from temptations/weaknesses.