40 Seconds
I listened as Gary’s father shared: Best Friends My son Gary was probably my best friend. We spent a lot of time together. When he was little he liked sports and I coached his baseball and basketball games. I loved watching him play. A little later, he learned to bowl and found he had a natural ability for the game. I always went with him to his tournaments and shared his happiness when he won. … He dropped out of school altogether at age 16. He had several jobs but they didn’t last long when he was about 20, Gary met and married a girl he loved a lot. For a while they were really happy he vowed to give up the things that were
Worrying Is A Sin
Are you a worrier? Do you sometimes lie awake at night worrying about what might happen to you or a loved one? Worrying is being concerned about things over which we have little or no control – like paying rent on a house you don’t own. Worrying can be a sin like lying, cheating or stealing and results in a lack of faith in God. Worry denies the power of God When we face difficult situations, do all we can, and then place our problems on an all-powerful Heavenly Father. When we cast our burdens on Him He will not fail us. (Matthew 11:28-30.) Worrying typically increases as faith in God decreases. When we worry we are saying, “God cannot handle this situation in my life. This is too
The Face of God
He Inviteth Them All Just outside the door, jail guards were going about their daily business. All that could be heard were muddled sounds of voices coming through the cinder block wall. Within minutes after the interview started, Mary in handcuffs and shackles, stood and shuffled to the partly cracked door. I observed as she pushed the door open with her hip. She positioned herself majestically in the doorway. In a voice of thunder she said, “Someone out here said the word ‘Gosh.’ You are offending the name of my Savior … You need to stop, this instant!” She returned to the chair. Looking me in the eye, this middle-aged, middle-class, attractive sister stated, “Someone needs to stand up for the Lord.” She sat in
Sadness … Depression
Sadness All of us experience sadness at some point in our lives. President Boyd K. Packer was talking about these normal experiences in an April 1978 conference address when he said, “It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal. Teach our members that if they have a good miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out. There is great purpose in our struggles in life” (Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord’s Own Way, Ensign, May 1978, page 91). There is a difference between clinical depression and the temporary emotional struggles everyone experiences as part of normal
Mental Illness: Misuse of Faith Healing
A 16-year-old boy in Oregon died of a treatable urinary tract condition after he refused medical help, believing prayer would heal his illness. (June 19, 2008; Finding Dulcinea) An 11-year-old girl died in Wisconsin from undiagnosed diabetes because the mother believed in praying instead of seeking medical attention. (Saturday, May 16, 2009; Associated Press). One myth associated with mental illness is believing “faith, prayer and blessings” alone is all that is required for complete recovery. Some believe the cure for serious mental illness is to simply pray harder, to attend church more regularly, and to study the scriptures with more intent. They assume the use of outside medical, professional and support resources are a sign of “weakness” and are not necessary. It’s been my experience,
Mental Illness: A Disease Like Any Other
The headline August 9, 2009 in the New Your Times read: “Mentally Ill Offenders Strain Juvenile System.” The article goes on to report “Two-thirds of the nation’s juvenile inmates have at least one mental illness, according to surveys.” I’ve worked in a community mental health center for over 30 years. Believe me, I’ve personally experienced “strain” in the system because of mental illness. I was just in the jail this week completing an evaluation on an inmate for about 3rd time in only a couple of years. He had another drug related felony. By the time I saw him he had already been through jail detox so the hallucinations and voices had lessened. But his mental illness, paranoid schizophrenia, was as evident as ever. During
