Comments on: Fear

By: Stephen Marsh

Stephen Marsh — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:38:04 +0000

Wow, I’m glad you are finding peace.

By: Ray

Ray — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:15:20 +0000

#11 – Wow. Thanks for sharing that. I don’t know if there could be a better example.

Truly, THANKS!

By: Points of Interest, #23 « Mind, Soul, and Body

Points of Interest, #23 « Mind, Soul, and Body — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:35:39 +0000

[...] to the bloggernacle as Bored in Vernal, leaves the confines of her solo blog, Hieing to Kolob, and examines spiritual fear and why it is contrasted by power, love and a sound mind in one of my all time favorite [...]

By: I am soooo not going to give you my name

I am soooo not going to give you my name — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:39:17 +0000

Given my family history I came to the point where I loath the mere thought of marriage. I wanted the “fun” part and I did not mind the commitment I just did not want the marriage word. WORSE: being married in the church to a priesthood holder. Thinking of it made me physically sick.
as long as I was outside the church I was fine but the problem is that if I come back this kind of feeling is not compatible with the spirit I want to be in.
I am fine with the priesthood now but I quickly realized that the fear was still here. I would cry again in a panic attack when thinking of it. I quickly put God through a test. The fear was only “coming back” it was not fully there yet so I just tried to pray to Him to remove this fear because I kow how, although logical, my fear was a stumbling block in the way of my own happiness and I am not just talking about spiritual stuuf. I mean to start crying out of control just when thinking about getting married is insane.
It worked.
Not that I am on a husband hunt now but I am fine whether I get married or not. My marriage won’t be what my mother or my grand mother or my great grand mother have been through. I am not going to marry a man who will rape my kids and then just have some more (thank you great grand ma). I am not going to marry a man for selfish purpose and then cheat on him because the other man can remain aroused as long as I need it (love you grand ma). I am not going to hate men and get married to a pervert for selfish reasons pretending it is because I have a testimony (great lesson mom). I am not going to go through this or even close to it because I have learned from them which makes me different from them since none of them learned from the previous generation. I have learned from them not what I should not do or who I should marry but HOW I SHOULD think, look at life, what priorities should be etc….

I am just not affraid anymore because thinking that I am just going to add my stone to this sad family history is exactly the opposite to what God wants me to believe. It is the opposite to a healthy vision of life and if I should feel this fear again I will just turn again to God not because He has some magic power but because I need to trust him and to trust myself. Diverting my fear and focusing on him will help me to find my path to a balanced and happier life than what it wuold be by living and seeing things through this fear.

By: Arthur

Arthur — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 05:11:14 +0000

We must have served together then!

By: Cicero

Cicero — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:39:11 +0000

#1 Strange, I don’t remember any of those fears on my mission.

My fears were mainly along the lines of: What new disobedience is my companion going to try next? Will I be able to divert it without confrontation? If I do confront my companion, will I be able to avoid contention? Will the spirit of contention prevent us from having the spirit when we teach? But if I fail to oppose his disobedience won’t that also cause us to lose the spirit? What new rumor will he spread about me to members of the ward and the other missionaries? Does this pain in my stomach mean I’m getting ulcers?

Stuff like that.

By: Ray

Ray — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:12:23 +0000

Thanks, Hawk, for stealing my thunder.

It’s an interesting take on “power” to equate it with love and soundness of mind, and I would translate it as “clarity” – in Paul’s First Corinthians 13 context. Perfect love brings a perspective that provides clarity, which allows one to do things that have real and transformative effect in others’ lives – to be powerful in the truest sense of the word.

I’m going to do a Common Scriptures in Review post on this, so I’ll stop there – but I really like the idea of love being tied to clarity and power.

By: Bored in Vernal

Bored in Vernal — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:22:09 +0000

Hawkgrrrl #6, I think that is what I was trying to get at when considering the scripture–how power and perfect love are the opposites of fear and how that helps us understand it. When you have that missionary fear that Arthur mentioned, it is really a lack of power and an absence of perfect love. If your objective on a mission is love for the people and helping them to grow spiritually, if you are depending upon the power of the Spirit, as you go about doing what you can with a sound mind, it minimizes your obsession about not doing enough.

By: hawkgrrrl

hawkgrrrl — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 00:08:11 +0000

I think this is an interesting topic to consider when it comes to how many feel about being their authentic selves, sometimes especially in the church or in a missionary context. It’s tough to reveal your beliefs and doubts when you feel vulnerable to judgment, ridicule or misunderstanding. But perfect love casteth out that fear. So, if fear = pride (caring what people think of you), then perfect love = the antithesis of pride (caring for people openly and honestly, not just trying to fit in.)

By: Ray

Ray — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:55:20 +0000

I am in a rush right now, but I wanted to mention what a good post this is. “Perfect love casteth out all fear” is an interesting verse to consider with the one you quoted – especially in light of the “sound mind” statement. That fascinates me, and I’ll try to address it later.

By: John Hamer

John Hamer — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:43:15 +0000

By coincidence, we’re having a Hamer family reunion in Minnesota this week and most of the adults went to the amusement park last night, including me and my sisters, two of whom have Mormon blogs under the names Chanson and Apple Valley Mom. Like you, it was the first time I had been to an amusement park in years — for me, it had been about 12 years. I was shocked by the technology improvements on the first ride we went on. It was a kind of rollercoaster like ride that went back and forth, up into the air on a track shaped like a U. What was totally unexpected for me was the instant acceleration. I admit, that was scary! We had to ride it 5 more times!

I’m excited to see you at MormonMatters, Bored in Vernal.

By: hawkgrrrl

hawkgrrrl — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:35:05 +0000

Arthur – your examples really resonated. Thanks. I see the LDS connection better now.

By: hawkgrrrl

hawkgrrrl — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:00:13 +0000

I never really thought of that scripture being about spiritual fear. Interesting perspective. I think this is somewhat difficult to understand in a strictly LDS context (which sounds more like doubt to me), much easier to consider from a humanist perspective (which is like self-doubt or panic in the face of self-actualization). In Millman’s book The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, he talks about this a lot at various stages of self-awareness and self-acceptance.

By: Arthur

Arthur — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:57:01 +0000

Being on a mission teaches you spiritual fear.

Fear that you’re not doing enough. Fear that sleeping in 5 minutes late that morning will cost the Salvation of every person you talk to that day. Fear that you’re not saying it in the right way. Fear that you’re not supposed to be out there. Fear that the people you’re teaching just aren’t going to make the right decision (and this fear turns out to be true 99% of the time).

There are great joys in going on a mission, and I have a testimony that they are a true principle and created by God, but, for better or for worse, they teach you spiritual fear.