Here are the correct answers:

1) In the preexistence Satan was an angel of God who was in authority.  – TRUE. In graduate school I was taught to always start with an easy question.

2) Satan was “cast out” in the preexistence. Where did he go? – EARTH Yep. He’s right here with us! Right now!

3) Satan and his angels remember me from the preexistence and know my personal weaknesses? – TRUE. Definitely unfair for Satan to remember and I can’t.  🙁

4) Satan has appeared several times to church leaders as “the devil” – red, with horns, cloven foot, and pointed tail. – FALSE. Please tell me you didn’t answer this one “True”?

5) Satan’s number one goal is to destroy … – AGENCY. That’s it. He gets that all the rest fails.

6) Satan is unable to perform a miracle. – Definitely FALSE. He can also appear as an “Angel of Light.”

7) Satan can read my thoughts in my mind before I even speak them. – I’m not sure why he can’t but the answer is FALSE.

8) Satan can put thoughts into my mind. – Way unfair in my opinion but TRUE

9) Which group of people are immune from being tempted by Satan? – THOSE UNDER 8 YEARS OLD- What a blessing.

10) God “will not suffer you to be tempted by Satan above that ye are able… to bear…” 1 Cor. 10:13 – Yea I know it’s a trick question. But as written it is definitely FALSE.

YOUR SCORE:

100% – You are prepared and should not fear 🙂

80%-90% – Not bad. You know Satan pretty well!

60%-70% – About average. Although you have some learning to do.

0%-50% – You are toast. Satan is pleased with your ignorance. You better hit the books- like Book of Mormon. 😣

DETAILED ANSWERS:

You’ll have to wait. I’ll put detailed answers with scriptural references in a future blog.

Right now I’ve got work to do. A Sexual Behavioral Risk Assessment to complete on an 18 year old-wanting to go on his mission.  A Mental State Evaluation on an Elder’s quorum member sitting in jail to determine what he was thinking at the time he shot the other guy in the back…. and so forth and so on.

Just another day at work.

dr rick

You may say something like,

“Well from time-to-time I act like they’re real.  But in the back of my mind I know these personatlities really have no great influence on my personal life. Santa really doesn’t bring toys on Christmas Eve; Superman really doesn’t fly around rescuing people; and Satan really doesn’t know who I am and has no personal interest in me. Bottom line- NONE of these are a big deal.”

It’s been my experience that many live as if “Satan” is in the same category as superheroes like Superman and folklore like Santa Claus.    

SANTA DOESN’T EXIST BUT WE LIVE AS HE DOES.

I’m afraid most children and grandchildren-and some adults-know more about Santa, than Satan   🙁

Every year we seem to remind our children about “Santa Claus.”

We talk about Santa starting as early as July.  We see movies and pictures featuring Santa.  We can go to the mall and meet him.  We send letters to Santa via the United States Post Office-and he gets them! On December 24 we track him on our phone app flying around the world and we tell our children to go to bed early because Santa is coming. The next morning dozens of new presents arrive under our tree from guess who? Santa.

We know Santa lives in the “North Pole;” Gets around on a “magical sleigh;” Is “jolly;” Keeps a list of who is “naughty or nice;” etc etc

Nevertheless, the truth:

 There is no Santa!

SATAN DOES EXIST BUT WE LIVE LIKE HE DOESN’T.

How much do you know about Satan? How often do you talk about Satan with your children and grandchildren? What is Satan’s personality like? Most of us know virtually nothing about Satan. We rarely talk about him. Many have no clue what he actually looks like; Where he lives;  Where do we go to meet him; What he actually does for a living; etc etc

Nevertheless, the truth:

There is a Satan!

Unlike Santa, Satan  does a fine job in staying below the radar.

“… Satan telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—” 2 Nephi 28:22

And we believe him!

For being “REAL”  Satan is far more successful  in being “FAKE”  than Santa Claus,  who is “FAKE” but is far more successful in being “REAL.”

Why do we know so little about someone, who has so much influence in our daily lives? 

It’s part of God’s Plan  of Happiness to allow Satan the opportunity to deceive us.

Since the beginning of time, Satan, with his hosts … have waged relentless war … Those who teach that there is no devil or who declare him to be a figment of the imagination used only to frighten people are either ignorant of the facts or they themselves are deceived. (Elray L. Christiansen, Power Over Satan, General Conference Oct 1974).

Satan’s influence increases over us as we remain ignorant of him and his war strategies. Some of Satan’s most powerful devices require him to remain hidden and appear powerless.

SATAN HAS MARVELOUS POWERS

Satan is a spirit son of God who was once an angel

“in authority in the presence of God”

(D&C 76:25; Isaiah 14:12; D&C 76:26–27).

Notice how Joseph Smith talks about Satan’s power:

“I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. . . . Not to an imaginary ruin but [by] the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being.“ Joseph Smith 1:16

You think Santa has the edge by magically coming down the chimney, think of this: Satan persuaded “a third part of the hosts of heaven” to turn away from God. (D&C 29:36) … while in the very presence of God the Father and Jesus!

How powerful is that?

The following statement is “True” – In the preexistence Satan was an angel of God who was in authority. At one point Satan was one of God’s finest!

See the quiz What is Your Satan IQ?

CONCLUSION

“Satan has had great success with this gullible generation. As a consequence, literally hosts of people have been victimized by him and his angels.“ James E. Faust, The Great Imitator, Ensign, Nov. 1987

From time-to-time as Satan sits back and observes his success in reigning with “blood and horror” during these last days- If I pause for a moment, I imagine him saying:

“Ho Ho Ho jokes on you.“ See Moses 7:26

   Learning about Satan generates a soberness of thought.

dr rick

Do you think…

PORNOGRAPHY IS POISON. Pornography, with its sleazy filth, sweeps over the earth like a horrible, engulfing tide. It is poison. Do not watch it or read it. It will destroy you if you do. It will take from you your self-respect. It will rob you of a sense of the beauties of life. It will tear you down and pull you into a slough of evil thoughts and possibly of evil actions. Stay away from it. Shun it as you would a foul disease, for it is just as deadly” (Gordon B. Hinckley, “Some Thoughts on Temples, Retention of Converts, and Missionary Service,” Ensign, Nov. 1997, 51).

(I realize this particular quote is about pornography… but let’s not forget pornography is about sex.)

Or how about this one:

UNCHASTITY NEXT TO MURDER. In the category of sins, the Book of Mormon places unchastity next to murder. (See Alma 39:5.) As Alma states, “Now … I would that ye should repent and forsake your sins, and go no more after the lusts of your eyes, … for except ye do this ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.” (Alma 39:9.) (Cleansing the Inner Vessel, Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, May 1986)

Or this one:

INTENTIONAL CONTACT FORBIDDEN BY GOD. Any sexual intimacy outside of the bonds of marriage—I mean any intentional contact with the sacred, private parts of another’s body, with or without clothing—is a sin and is forbidden by God” (Richard G. Scott, in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 51; or Ensign, Making the Right Choices, Nov. 1994, 38).

Or this one from the For The Strength of Youth:

DO NOT AROUSE SEXUAL FEELINGS. Never do anything that could lead to sexual transgression. … Before marriage, do not participate in passionate kissing, lie on top of another person, or touch the private, sacred parts of another person’s body, with or without clothing. Do not do anything else that arouses sexual feelings. Do not arouse those emotions in your own body. (Sexual Purity, For The Strength of Youth)

Of course, these statements are 100% true.

It’s no wonder many of us view

SEXUAL RELATIONS as BAD, DIRTY, OR EVIL.

There is eternal harm to teenagers (and adults) walking around with boiling hormones believing:

The problem still exists in 2013. This “illiteracy,” includes not only what they don’t know, but also what they have learned or come to believe about sex.

The Problem: “SEXUAL FRAGMENTATION” –Satan’s tool

“The spirit and the body are the soul of man” (D&C 88:15); hence there are spiritual and physical aspects of sexuality. Remember “Wherefore, verily I say unto you that ALL THINGS unto me are spiritual…”  (D&C 29:34) that include sexual relations.

There is a spiritual aspect of sexual relations—

Note: “Fragmentation”- dividing, separating, breaking up of – the spiritual and physical aspects of sexual relations.

Talking about the danger of “fragmentation” of sexual relations Jeffrey Holland warns us,

“…and to give only part (the physical part) of that which cannot be followed with the gift of your whole heart and your whole life and your whole self  (the spiritual part) is its own form of emotional Russian roulette. If you persist in sharing part without the whole, …, in giving parts and pieces and inflamed fragments only, you run the terrible risk of such spiritual, psychic damage that you may undermine both your physical intimacy and your wholehearted devotion to a truer, later love. ” (Of Souls, Symbols and Sacraments, Jeffrey R. Holland, BYU Devotional 1988)

As a psychologist who specializes in sex (That sounds weird when I see it written) a red flag suggesting a need for “sex-specific treatment” is – casual sex, sex without a relationship-the spirit (mind and heart) is not involved. (This can be a problem even with couples “happily” married in the temple!)

This Mormon Channel interview What’s the biggest difference between what the world teaches and what the gospel teaches about sexuality? explains more about sexual fragmentation. You only need to watch the first 3 minutes…. it’s worth it.

Sample physical aphrodisiacs might inlude: “Believe you are suppose to have a sex drive. Sex was created for you to feel great physically. And you’re suppose to feel aroused!”

Sample spiritual aphrodisiacs might include: “a long conversation” or “prayer” before sex!

When we combine the physical with the spiritual, sex is stupendous, because it encompasses all that God has created it to be.

Expanding the concept of the physical aspect of sex David Bednar explains:

Sexual relations are in mortality one of the ultimate expressions of our divine nature and potential and a way of strengthening emotional and spiritual bonds between husband and wife. (We Believe in Being Chaste, Ensign, May 2013)

Perhaps Spencer W. Kimball says it best:

“The love of which the Lord speaks is not only physical attraction but spiritual attraction as well.” (Faith Precedes the Miracle, 130–31).

And when we “fragment” the physical pleasure from the spiritual bonding, we lower sexual relations from its rightful spot in the Celestial Kingdom.

CHALLENGE
If you’re married, have sex according to God’s Plan.
If you’re not married, wait.

dr rick

While teaching at BYU education week a mom told me “My 11 year old daughter and I were watching America’s Most Funniest Home Videos and a K-Y Jelly commercial comes on talking about ‘pleasuring one another.’ She asked me what does that mean? What do I tell her?”

“A youth boiling with hormones will wonder why he should not give full freedom to his sexual desires; and if he is unchecked by custom, morals, or laws, he may ruin his life before he matures sufficiently to understand that sex is a river of FIRE that must be banked and cooled by a hundred restraints if it is not to consume both the individual and the group.” (As quoted by Neil A. Maxwell “Behold, the Enemy Is Combined” (D&C 38:12), General Conference April 1993)

Each of these fires-the Holy Ghost and Puberty

AT WHAT AGE DO I HAVE THE “SEX TALK” WITH MY KIDS?
The parents asked.
I said, “You’re kidding me right?”
“Remember what I do for a living?”
I evaluate sex offenders-mostly juveniles. Just this week I’ve seen two 12 year boys for felony hands-on touching offenses (Both are active LDS and go to Church).  I’ve completed thousands of sexual evaluations. Tragically, there have been plenty of times where  I – “Dr. Rick” – was the first adult to have a frank and personal “sex talk” with that youth 🙁  At times, the young man has his Eagle Scout and president of the Teacher’s quorum, but a one-on-one with an adult was too embarrassed to say out loud the names for male and female private body parts…. etc etc

Simply said, if it was 1840 and you’re a pioneer coming across the plains maybe it was okay to have “A” sex talk with your kid when he was 13 or 14. It is now 2020 and you’re not a pioneer and IF you’re asking the question –

Don’t you get it?
Satan and his angels have been having the “sex talk” with (you,) your children and grandchildren for years –
– since they started watching TV,
– since they started listening to he radio,
– since they started going to a public school,
– since they started riding in a car on a freeway,
– since they started listening to music,
– since they started doing social media,
etc etc

Satan successfully influences us and our children everyday about “the power of procreation” – using his doctrine as the guide. (See: You Can’t Say That in a Chapel! and Satan Exposed.)

Never, Never, Never, …. miss an opportunity to talk to your children and grandchildren (or spouse for that matter) about sexual relations in God’s way – ideally EACH TIME a SEXUAL CONVERSATION IS TRIGGERED by a song, by a billboard, by a commercial, by a public display of affection, etc etc-

If hamburger commercials can be this sexual, can you imagine what kind of addiction potential “real” porn has on young men and women?

CONCLUSION
A sexualized world including pornographic materials will continue to be readily accessible to our children and adolescents. Sexualized messaging influences the development of our children and adolescents, it affects how they think and behaves sexually.

WHAT CAN I DO
One might ask How do I help my children and grandchildren “develop a hundred restraints” to manage the “FIRE” associated with puberty?

“You should prepare your children for the changes that accompany puberty before these changes actually begin. (If it is too late have discussions with them anyway.) Puberty is the process by which hormones cause the body to change in ways that make procreation possible. These changes mark the passage from childhood to adulthood. The processes are clean, good, and divinely mandated. There is no certain schedule, but this process usually begins between ages eleven and thirteen …The changes of puberty permit us to experience remarkably heightened pleasures of touch and arousal. But we have the agency to control the emotions and behaviors leading up to intentional sexual arousal. “ (A Parent’s Guide Chapter 5: Teaching Adolescents: from Twelve to Eighteen Years)

Follow the baptismal pattern …. missionaries, home teachers and/or parents take time -often several lessons- to teach about baptism and the holy ghost before the first fire-and the Gift of the Holy Ghost is given.

Talk openly about normal processes of puberty like menstruation for girls and nocturnal emissions or “wet dreams” for boys. Use the correct language for body parts. Never use slang.

If you have trouble using these words with your children or grandchildren – get over it. (Watch: What if talking about sexual intimacy makes me uncomfortable?)

If your child is already pubescent read this chapter out loud together.

If your child is prepubescent you and your spouse read this chapter and decide how to proceed.

(I mean really, how “Sexy” could it be – it’s on LDS.org and an official Church Guidebook?)

Follow up with ongoing brief discussions as they are triggered in your day -to-day living.
Teaching them along the way

dr rick

SEX INSTINCT
Our physical bodies have several natural instincts like hunger, thirst, fatigue and of course Sexual Desire. In the animal kingdom, we refer to it as an instinct to mate.

“The sex instinct is not something which we need to fear or be ashamed of. It is God-given and has a high and holy purpose.”  (You and Your Marriage, Hugh B. Brown, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1960  p. 73)

“There is in your body (Not in your spirit) the SUPERNAL power to create life. …” (Boyd K. Packer, Ye Are the Temple of God, Ensign, Nov 2000)

These and other similar references clearly suggest the sexual desires and behaviors have their origin in our PHYSICAL BODY particularly in the “Feeling Brain.”  The love and sexual arousal responses are caused by a series of neurotransmitters and hormones in our three-pound brain.

This brief video “Your Brain In Lust & In Love.” details the chemistry associated with the three stages in love: lust, attraction and attachment.

Here is a video displaying an LDS perspective from Dr. Hilton: “Why Pornography is so Addicting” and of course his book He Restoreth My Soul. And here is another great book by a couple of Christian MDs: Hooked on the same topic. There is plenty of research.

SO YES
– when you hug, view porn, focus on a sexy hamburger advertisement, flirt, etc etc you will “almost always” automatically trigger some of the love or sexual response chemicals in your physical body.
– when you physically touch another person you will “almost always” automatically trigger some of the bonding and attachment chemicals in your physical body.

Like every other son and daughter of Adam and Eve, you have this “power” within you– (If you do not, call me and we’ll begin therapy-so we can recondition the normal love and sexual responses in your physical body.) In part, this exists because of our “carnal, sensual and devilish” nature caused by the Fall of Adam and Eve.

In addition to being present in each physical body, these chemicals have the following characteristics:

“It was necessary that this power of creation have at least two dimensions: one, it must be strong; and two, it must be more or less constant…” (Boyd K Packer, “Why Stay Morally Clean,” Ensign, Jul 1972)

So don’t panic WHEN (not IF) YOU, your children and grandchildren show evidence of having “love or sexual response chemicals .”

Although love and sexual response chemicals are a human “instinct” they must be controlled by our “Thinking Brain”– judgment, reason, the knowledge of right and wrong and our SPIRIT.

If the spirit yields to the body, it becomes corrupt; but if the body yields to the spirit, it becomes pure and holy. (Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, 267.)

Do panic IF YOU, your children and grandchildren allow the “love and sexual response chemicals” to burn out of control- because of a lack of motivation or management skills.

Clearly one of the punishments-for Satan and his followers not receiving a body – is the inability to experience love and the sexual response….. How would you like that?  🙁

To better understand the relationship between the physical body, spirit body, and mind see The Anatomy of a Soul.

SUPERNAL POWER IS LIKE A FLAME UNQUENCHABLE
This SUPERNAL SEXUAL POWER is like a “Flame Unquenchable” (M. Russell Ballard, “Like a Flame Unquenchable,” Ensign, May 1999.) Unquenchable suggests it never ends it will keep on burning.- throughout eternity 🙂  and if left uncontrolled will burn the whole house down.

God’s Way
The pilot light gets lit in early adolescence during a process known as PUBERTY. The pilot light remains lit… at times even forgotten about by the owner.  The pilot light can warm an entire home when  “Kept within the bounds the Lord has set.”

Satan’s Way
The “unquenchable fire” if left uncontrolled by the owner will burn the house down.  Joe, our young teacher friend discussed above, allowed his “unquenchable fire” of pornography, masturbation, lust etc etc to burn uncontrollably.

Our greatest glory OR destruction comes from how successful we manage our love and sexual response chemicals – our unquenchable flame. Learning how to have our “Thinking Brain” control our “Feeling Brain” is an essential part of this process.

“It is difficult sometimes … to understand … because this God-given power of procreation carries with it a power of destruction. But it has, because of its life-giving nature, the possibilities of  THE greatest glory and joy that can come to a living soul.” (The Abundant Life, Hugh B. Brown, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965, 127)

REVIEW
1. Your physical body is the great prize of mortal life. To fill the measure of your creation you have to have one.
2. God placed “Love Chemicals” in your physical body.
3. Your physical body and your spirit body (and mind) make-up your soul. (See: The Anatomy of a Soul.”
4. When your physical body and spirit body are separated, you cannot have a fullness of joy- in part because of the love and sexual response chemicals are in the body not the spirit.
5. Your eternal happiness depends on your Spirit Body successfully overcoming the “desires, appetites and passions” of your physical body.

“GODLY GLUE”
I’ve pondered how these “Godly Love Chemicals” will be empowered during the resurrection -Especially for those married in a temple. Surely these chemicals in a perfected form will play a role in forming the “Godly Glue” keeping my wife and I “cleaving” to one another throughout eternity.

CHALLENGE
Take time and hug and kiss – “trigger” some of  God’s Love Chemicals – in someone you love.  See: Human Connections Start With A Friendly Touch . I like to use the 30 second touching rule- its plenty of time to trigger the “attachment and bonding” chemicals especially with grandkids 🙂

dr rick

Let’s take a look at the anatomy of your soul.

You need-to-know how your “Soul Systems” function BEFORE you can do things like: effectively break a bad habit, overcome depression, strengthen your testimony, or understand your responsibility in reaching the measure of your creation.

Soul Systems

Learn to identify the three major SOUL SYSTEMS and understand what each system does. The systems are Spirit Body, Mind, and Physical Body.

Typically we view the “Soul” as only the “Spirit” and “Body.” (See: D & C 88:15). In addition, prophets have taught this simple doctrine. For example, David O. McKay said:

Certainly, we don’t know everything about our Spirit Body, Mind, and Physical Body. But, we do know some things. As a psychologist, I have an interest in learning how to change behavior. In particular, I’ve pondered how one soul system influences another. For example, how the Physical Body can limit the expression of our Mind and Spirit Body during earth life.

THE “MIND” IS PART OF THE “SPIRIT BODY”
When we hear about the Spirit body it represents both the Spirit and Mind. For our purposes we’re going to talk about them as separate systems. Therefore, when I hear the word “Spirit” (the Spirit which represents our “Spirit Body”) I think in my mind “Spirit and Mind”.

Spirit Body

Mind

Physical Body

SUMMARY

During earth life the spirit body, mind and physical body are so closely connected we can hardly tell them a part. They function like “one”, but they are not.

Now for the first principle associated with the Anatomy of a Soul –
By influencing one of these systems- the mind, the body, and the spirit – you can influence another —
Here are some brief examples:

Using physical body to improve the mind – “Retire to thy bed early, arise early that your bodies and minds may be invigorated.” (D&C 88:124)

A physical body addiction also addicts the spirit body – “Addiction to any substance enslaves not only the physical body but the spirit as well.”(Russell M. Nelson, Addiction or Freedom, Ensign, November 1988)

Using the mind to improve physical body – “the study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve (physical) behavior…” (Boyd K Packer “Little Children,” Ensign, Nov. 1986)

“The condition of the physical body can affect the spirit. That’s why the Lord gave us the Word of Wisdom. … Food can affect the mind, and deficiencies in certain elements in the body can promote mental depression.” (Ezra Taft Benson, Do Not Despair, Ensign, October 1986)

Conclusion:
“The spirit is influenced by the body and the body by the spirit.” (Brigham Young. Journal of Discourses, 2:255–56.)

I would add:

At times the “influence” of one system can “limit the capacity” of another.

CHALLENGE
Pause your handheld devices.
Sit.
Think of a specific example in your life, of how you can change the physical body (bad habit) by using each the spirit and the mind systems.


dr rick

One day … Joe staggered to Church.
Joe had been a client for several months. However, recently he had been homeless. His parents and siblings were active in the Church. They never missed a meeting and always sat on the front row. Joe began drinking in his early teens and began drifting away from the Church. By 17 he was addicted to cigarettes and alcohol.  Joe wanted nothing to do with the Church. He always smelled like cigarettes.  His parents like the parents of Alma, prayed for their son to return to church. Several years later, one Fast Sunday he came back. A younger sibling nudged dad to look at Joe who just walked into the back of the chapel. Dad and Mom smiled with contentment at one another. Later in the testimony meeting Joe began walking towards the pulpit. The parents noticed he was staggering. Their heart sunk in despair. He reached the pulpit. His slurred words ended as he passed out! He was drunk. He fell to the floor at the foot of the Bishop.

Joe’s sins stunk.

One day … Brigham drove his chopper to Church.

Brigham was a young adult I met while doing a Fireside on addiction up in the Tri-City area of Washington. He sat in the back. He stood out because of his long shoulder length hair- with a strand of purple. His ears were gauged and face had several piercings. And believe me, no one could miss his tattoos. Brigham’s dad was in the Stake Presidency.  After the fireside, I met Brigham in the parking lot. His forearm had a very noticeable tattoo of a naked lady. He expressed a desire to return to church activity. After we visited he put on his Nazi helmet and leathers and rode off on his chopper motorcycle.

Brigham’s sins were an eyesore.

One day … The Smith Family drove their Dodge Caravan to Church.

The two younger boys were dressed in suits and carried their personal triple combinations- interesting enough the youngest boy was obviously too young to even read. The two girls were beautifully dressed in homemade dresses and hair bows.  Mom looked like she stepped out of LDSModestDress.com (I made that up.) and Dad like he was ready to talk at General Conference. Surely the Smith Family kept all the commandments all the time. (Of course, there is no such family as the Smiths-I made them up too! But many Mormons really believe they exist, figure that out.)

Smith family had no sins.

WHAT’S YOUR LIMIT IN JUDGING ANOTHER’S “WORTH”?
At what behavior do you judge another?
Is it cigarettes, alcohol, tattoos, piercings, dropping the F-bomb, etc etc.
Could I wear, say or do something that could stop you from treating me with respect? Make you avoid me? Keep you from loving me?

The answer is probably YES.

What if like –they (the Joes and Brighams of the world) really did come back to church- as Thomas S. Monson has requested:

“Come back and feast at the table of the Lord, and taste again the sweet and satisfying fruits of fellowship with the Saints….“ (Looking Back and Moving Forward, Ensign, April 2008)

Let’s assume that once again
… Joe staggered
… Brigham rode his chopper
and
… The Smith Family drove their Dodge Caravan
to church.

And YOU happened to be ALONE in the foyer as they walked up the sidewalk to the church.  No one around. No one watching. (No one would know.) How would you feel? What would you do? How would you treat each of them? Would you treat them differently?

DON’T CONFUSE “WORTH” WITH “WORTHINESS”
Well, the question of worthiness is easy… If we used the analogy “the price of gold” to represent worthiness the Smith Family would be worth $1400 an ounce! (Assuming they even existed.) On the other hand, Joe and Brigham’s worthiness would be much less – NO Temple Recommend for them! They need some serious repenting. Worthiness has to do with SIN. Worthiness is not a gift. We must earn it. Worthiness changes based on our behavior. If we are “good” we receive blessings; if we are not, we don’t.

Back to our church…
What are you thinking…as you smell Joe’s cigarettes and alcohol and see Brigham‘s piercings and naked lady tattoo– approach you? I’m not asking you to evaluate how many temple recommend questions they flunk… (There certainly is a time and place for the worthiness interview. But this isn’t it.)

I’m just asking how would you treat them?
(Hint: John 8:3-11; Matt 25:34-40)

WORTH
Ahhh, now we have to think… What is the worth of a soul? Any soul?

But what if their sins stink?

But what if their sins are an eyesore?

But Joe and Brigham are real losers!
The answer is the same for murders, bishops, rapists, relief society presidents, child molesters, prophets …Joe and Brigham and even the Smith Family.

There is no less worth of a soul-because of a tattoo, a body piercing, being drunk, having a temple recommend, etc etc.

“GOLD”
If we used the analogy of “gold“ again…
the Smith Family, Joe, and Brigham- each are 24 K gold. Worth is inherent in each of us – a gift- because we are a son or daughter of God with a “divine nature and identity.” (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).

Our worth –being 24 K gold –remains the same-
… Joe for example unprocessed 24 K gold,
… Brigham for example a 24 K gold nugget,
… and The Smith Family a 24 K gold coin.

To be Christ-like we must learn to see like Christ.

The Prophet Samuel choosing David to be king taught us- “The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:6-8. Jesus is capable of seeing the 24K Gold in each of us- regardless of our condition or worthiness.

Worth has to do with the SINNER. Though lives and circumstances may change, an individual’s worth CANNOT!

… You cannot sin enough to change your WORTH in the sight of God!

As Victor Hugo says in Les Miserables

Each of us are “children of God.” Each of us has some of that “Godly DNA” inside.

Sometimes, it is a challenge to see God’s face in some of His children.

CHALLENGE:
Learn the difference between acknowledging another’s worthiness and their worth.

“I have in my heart a love for all of God’s children. I have no ill feeling toward any human being. With you, I hate sin, but I love the sinner. We all have need to repent.” ( Ezra Taft Benson, “The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson” (1988), 75)

The truth shall make you free.

Read:  God Loves You THIS MUCH!

dr rick

While completing an IQ test Joe-as an older man- was asked: “If I cut an apple in half, how many pieces will I have?” He responded “Four.”  After a lifetime of temple service that was the best he could do. Joe still suffered from Down’s Syndrome and related mental retardation. Joe’s earthly physical body has limited the capacity of his spirit body and mind to express themselves.  To better understand The Spirit Body, The Physical Body, and The Mind – See: Anatomy of a Soul

SPIRIT BODY IS PERFECT
Joseph Fielding Smith explained that

“ALL spirits while in the pre-existence were perfect in form, having ALL their faculties and mental powers unimpaired. … Deformities are … physical.” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., 5 vols., Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979, 3:19.)

Check out this quote:

We, as Latter-day Saints, believe that the spirits that occupy these tabernacles have form and likeness similar to the human tabernacle. Of course there may be deformities existing in connection with the outward tabernacle which do not exist in connection with the spirit that inhabits it. These (physical)tabernacles become deformed by accident in various ways, sometimes at birth, but this may not altogether or in any degree deform the spirits that dwell within them, (Parley P. Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 15, pg. 243)

ALL DISABILITIES ARE TEMPORARY
Joe IS NOT HIS DOWN’S SYNDROME DISEASE NOR IS HE MENTALLY RETARDED.

ALL disabilities – mental illness, blindness, mental retardation, etc etc are temporary conditions.  (The Church provides a “General List of Disabilities‘ the physical body can experience.)

A physical disability can  ONLY EXIST while we are on earth in a physical body.  ALL physical disabilities DIE when our earthly physical body DIES. (Remember our physical body becomes perfect when it is resurrected. See Alma 40:23-26)

FREE ACCORDING
TO THE CAPACITY OF YOUR PHYSICAL BODY
While we are here on earth, our Spiritual Body and Mind  can be limited or restricted by our Physical Body.

“Wherefore, men (women, children, dogs, cats, etc etc) are free according to the flesh; (capacity of their phyiscal body & brain)“

2 Nephi 2:26­

Here are a few more quotes supporting this “Physical Body” doctrine:

“Freedom may be qualified or taken away by physical laws, including the physical limitations with which we are born…” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Free Agency and Freedom” Brigham Young University on 11 October 1987.)

“…the conditions of mortality can limit our freedom…” (Dallin H. Oaks, Same-Gender Attraction,” Ensign, Oct 1995)

AN EXAMPLE
Let’s take a look at the Physical Body. We’ll use a “house” to illustrate the Physical Body.

There are two houses below-one a beat-up old shack and another a mansion.  The “old shack” has a floor plan equivalent to a physical body with Cerebral Palsy. The “mansion” has a floor plan equivalent to the Gold medalist Phelps.

At birth each perfect Spirit Body and Mind takes up residence in a particular “physical body” or “house“.

The pictures to the left illustrate how two perfect Spirit Bodies (of equal worth) are placed into two different Physical Bodies  (not of equal worth) create quite a contrast in earthly physical abilities.

Our Spirit Bodies and Minds have a capacity for emotions and intelligence in addition to physical. (Remember our personality and thoughts exist in the Spirit Body and Mind.) The neurotransmitters, hormones etc etc of the Physical Body limit or enhance our emotional and intellectual abilities.

It has been my experience to one degree or another, that our Spirit Body’s (and Mind’s)capacity to experience happiness, to pay attention, to think clearly, to form close relationships,  etc etc  can be restricted or enhanced by our Physical Body. (When the disabilities are significant we call them “mental illnesses.”)

Each Physical Body has some imperfections-some more noticeable than others. Disease, accidents, poor self-care etc etc can cause a perfectly healthy “mansion” to have problems-even burn a few rooms down or interfere with the plumbing etc etc.

Sometimes – Priesthood blessings, medications, counseling, exercise, nutrition etc etc can “repair the disabilities”  of a particular “floor plan” of a particular house, making it more livable for our Spirit Body and Mind. 

Sometimes – interventions do not work. For example, while Joe is in his earthly body he’ll never teach even 1st grade math.

THE “PHYSICAL BODY” DOCTRINE
The doctrine of the Physical Body limiting the freedom of The Spirit Body and Mind helps us understand homosexuality, addictions, mental illnesses, etc etc

“… some people seem to be unusually susceptible to particular actions, reactions, or addictions. Perhaps such susceptibilities are inborn or acquired without personal choice or fault, like the unnamed ailment the Apostle Paul called “a thorn in the flesh…” (2 Cor. 12:7). (Dallin H. Oaks, “Same-Gender Attraction,” Ensign, Oct 1995)

GOOD NEWS
DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY
If your house “floor plan” or the “floor plan” of a loved one isn’t the best and has some faulty wiring or plumbing here or there. It’s only temporary. Just do the best you can.

YOUR JOB is simple “Meet the measure of your creation– growing your Spirit Body and Mind to the highest capacity your physical body allows.”

My Friend Joe
I believe my friend Joe living in his “beat up old shack” is reaching the measure of his creation and after he is rid of the limitations of his physical body (Down’s Syndrome & Mental Retardation) he will most certainly be some fantastic engineer somewhere in a Galaxy Far Far Away  – helping God build a new Earth or something. 🙂

“There is little room for feelings of guilt in connection with handicaps (disabilities of the physical body). Some handicaps may result from carelessness or abuse, and some through addiction of parents. But most of them do not. Afflictions come to the innocent” (Boyd K. Packer “The Moving of the Water,” Ensign, May 1991).

BAD NEWS
You are still responsible for your thoughts, feelings and behavior. See “The Gift- Between God and I”  Remember the Physical Body has no living parts. The “breath of life“ resides in the Spirit Body and Mind. 

CHALLENGE
Ponder this thought:
Joseph F. Smith wrote, “Deformity will be removed; defects will be eliminated, and men and women shall attain to that perfection of their spirits, to the perfection that God designed in the beginning. (Our Indestructible Mortal Enemy, Improvement Era, June 1909, p. 592.)

Ponder this thought:
“If healing does not come in mortal life, it will come thereafter. Just as the gorgeous monarch butterfly emerges from a chrysalis, so will spirits emerge.” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Moving of the Water,” Ensign May 1991.)

For extra credit watch this video- My Brother Hyrum  🙂

dr rick

“This above all: to thine own self be true And it must follow, as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man…”

I’m going to share one of my most valuable clinical techniques in helping another person achieve “being true to themselves.” Unfortunately, it has been only the last few years that I discovered the importance of this particular psychological method. As clients struggle in life and come with their insurance and credit cards to my office they often are asking themselves similar questions. Although the specific problems may vary from addiction to depression from abuse to divorce, the core questions generally stay the same “What is the answer to my problem?” and “How can I know what to do?”

Discover And Use Your Personal Promptings
The psychological technique I’m referring to is discovering and using your personal “Promptings“. Promptings are a spiritual influence that comes from God into your mind as a thought or a feeling put into your heart. Promptings have in common the fact they come from a divine source, God. The “Light of Christ” and “Holy Ghost” are the specific social media platforms used by God to communicate Promptings to you.  At this point the difference between Light of Christ and Holy Ghost really don’t matter. What matters is learning to receive messages from this divine delivery system. As you develop your skill in using Promptings you will obtain impressions from God about what to do and what not to do in your life.

Not All Thoughts and Feelings Come From God
There are numerous causes for your thoughts and feelings. Your thoughts and feelings can be influenced by: your environment e.g. entertainment, pornography; your physical body e.g. nutrition, sleep, mental illness; your life experience e.g. abuse, abandonment; Satan e.g. temptations; and by God e.g. Promptings. As you learn to recognize the different sources of your various thoughts and feelings, your confidence in you and your future will change forever- you will have no fear!  (See Where Do Thoughts Come From?)

Trial And Error Learning
Yes, there will be a learning curve as you master recognizing and complying with your personal Promptings. It will take time and effort to learn. But hey- remember all those misspelled words on your spelling test and the calculation errors on your Algebra test? Be patient. God wants more than anything to talk to you. You will learn to check your Daily Promptings just like you learned to check your Facebook page, Instagram, or any other social networking platform.

Anatomy Of Your Soul
Let’s do a brief review of the anatomy of your soul. (See: The Anatomy of a Soul) Remember you are made up of a “Physical Body” and a “Spiritual Body”. Both have the capacity to learn. “Spiritual learning” comes from divine sources “Light of Christ” and the “Holy Ghost” talking to your spirit. “Temporal learning” comes from books, school, workshops, therapy, and life experience. Temporal learning teaches your brain which is part of your physical body. Learning to recognize and comply with your divine Promptings is the classroom where spiritual learning occurs. Unfortunately, I think we failed to teach anyone how to access divine Promptings and learn spiritually.

Promptings Never Exceed Your Capacity
Because Promptings have a divine source and messaged by an all-knowing God we can be confident they are based on truth. It’s been my experience that choices based on truth eventually work all the time and every time. A choice based on truth never fails!  Although it may be in the life here-after before we recognize it as the correct choice. When you identify and follow a Prompting it is always the right choice. Because God knows everything about you from beginning to end, you can be sure He would never give you a Prompting beyond your capacity to achieve it. It’s against the laws of Heaven for God to send you a Prompting that you do not have the capacity to achieve. It will not happen! Nevertheless, in the beginning, as you learn to trust your Promptings it is not unusual for you to believe “I could never achieve that.”

Let’s make a word change on the popular scripture in 1 Nephii 3:7 

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath impressed me to do, for I know that the Lord giveth no impressions unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the impression which he hath given them.

An Example
Here is a recent example. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are a middle-age couple. They’ve been married 25 years and active in their church. The wife was severely sexually abused as a child over 30 years ago by a family member. Most of her personal and married life has been impacted by her unresolved sexual abuse issues. Sister Smith has read books, attended classes, been to therapists, and visited with the clergy. She seems to have tried everything “on earth” that she and her husband can think of to find peace.  Yet, when I met her she continued to feel victimized by her negative self-talk, occasional dark thoughts, intrusive thoughts of earlier abuse, and frankly being confused on how to proceed with her life.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith have spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on earthly resources attempting to resolve “her sexual abuse problem” with very little success? And these guys are very intelligent professional people! I’m quite sure Sister Smith is more knowledgeable about sexual abuse and its effects then I am! If there was a class on abuse, she could teach it! Clearly the Smiths have learned about all they can “temporally” about sexual abuse.

This statement came to my mind: “Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Tim. 3:7 I think it is not by accident this scripture is in the chapter where Paul describes the apostasy and perilous times of the last days. Sister Smith had failed to access her most powerful resource- Promptings! No one has taught her the importance of and the “how to” to activate personal revelation for direction concerning her personal sexual abuse issues. She had diligently looked elsewhere to her husband, to her therapist(s), to her books, etc etc – but failed to look inside herself and trust her personal Promptings. She was unsure of what God would have her personally do.  When I asked Sister Smith to pause and look inside and ponder possible Promptings she was quite nervous and unsure of her ability to trust herself and her capacity to follow those Prompgtings. She had been learning about earthly knowledge, but as of yet not found “truth” for her own personal recovery. “Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Tim. 3:7

The way to receive Promptings is really quite simple. The process has been around for hundreds of years. With practice, I’m confident Sister Smith, And you if you decide will become “true to herself”  by learning “temporally” by her earthly resources and “spiritually” by her Promptings. 

dr rick

A Twinkie is nutritionally worthless yet irresistibly yummy.

PORN is
SYNTHETIC COUNTERFEIT PROCESSED SEX 
Porn has become an American past time, marketed as a “Adult entertainment  a harmless habit.” A person’s sexual brain chemicals result in “pleasure” any time the sexual response is triggered. However, the experience varies depending on what triggers the response. Unnatural stimulation of the sexual response results in a synthetic artificially modified sexual experience.  Today’s culture emphasizes the sexually pleasurable experience at the expense of a “real” relationship. Current research suggests pornography makes women into objects of desire rather than real people.  Pornography sabotages one’s ability to have intimacy with a partner. Another study concluded that prolonged exposure to pornography affects the user’s sexual and personal happiness. For instance, porn increases distrust and dissatisfaction with one’s partner; it increases acceptance of infidelity and male-dominated relationships, and it decreases the desire to marry or raise a family.  (See: Pornharms.org and Fightthenewdrug.org)  The sex industry discovered pornography with explicit sexual images – creates a huge dopamine rush to the brain. Enough to make us feel our body needs and wants more.

CHALLENGE