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Sometimes we ought to see things just because they leave us speechless: My problems seem soooooo small. Mike from Milton.
Darnit Ray, there goes my mascara. Quote:And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40
I agree, and Amazing Video!
In a somewhat tangential topic, I read the following exchange in the comments section:
Quote:• God Bless all of you who are suffering with a sick or dying child.
lnxcthlc 5 months ago 2
It’s not suffering to love a child with a disability, it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world, to know that God trusted you with one of his mot special of angels, and you get the privilege to raise them into a good person.
Nerdhot in reply to lnxcthlc (Show the comment) 3 months ago
I am reminded that at times our sense of certainty in the afterlife, or the plan of salvation, or God’s purpose for our lives may be used to dismiss real feelings of pain in others. This phenomenon is in no way limited to the LDS – but sometimes it seems like we have it worse in a way.
You see, we are supposed to have such an advantage in understanding the mysteries of the universe that people with great sorrow and mourning are sometimes bludgeoned with that certainty. “Therefore, if rightly considered, instead of mourning we have reason to rejoice as they are delivered from evil, and we shall soon have them again. …” I believe strongly that those who are sorrowing do not need to be told how they should (and should not) be feeling.
Quote:I believe strongly that those who are sorrowing do not need to be told how they should (and should not) be feeling.
Amen – and there is no feeling / emotion (even hatred or despair) that is “bad” to experience,
in and of itself. Even Jesus is recorded as feeling despair, and some of his statements about hypocrites at least border on hatred. It’s the duration and the effect that can be bad, not the objective feeling / emotion.
Ray wrote: Quote:and there is no feeling / emotion (even hatred or despair) that is “bad” to experience, in and of itself.
I would argue that the degree to which we take our feeling or emotion (including hatred & depair) could be classified as “bad”.
That is probably why you used the classifier:
Quote:in and of itself
There was a period in my life where anger was my dominate emotion. I could justify revenge in retaliation for the wrongs I experienced.
On top of it all, when I prayed, I felt nothing but silence. I felt God was mocking me. I felt like a big cosmic practical joke.
It took along time (& work) to get through it. My emotions & feelings at the time, justified going to the outer extremes.
I could of justified murder as justifiable indignation.
Well that was a “downer”.
I’m convinced today, that emotional extremes of anything are bad.
Mike from Milton.
I agree, Mike. I should have added “degree” with “duration and effect”. That’s why it’s not good to wallow in Stage 4 bitterness for any longer than necessary. That “necessary” can differ in degree, duration and effect, but, at some point, Stage 4 is cancerous – which is why so many people flee from it back to Stage 3 (either the same manifestation of certainty that they had prior to their crisis or the opposite manifestation – rejection totally of the former extreme and adoption of the opposite extreme). As a final destination, the certainty of Stage 3 is FAR better than the bitterness of Stage 4.
To relate it directly to the video to which I linked, being able to sing that song with certainty is better than to scoff at it and be bitter that you used to feel that way. For the vast majority of people, there is a real power (a tangible “spirit”, if you will) in that type of certainty in the face of the unknown – and that certainty is just as necessary for many as is my need for open possibilities and room to explore my own unknown.
Old-Timer wrote:To relate it directly to the video to which I linked, being able to sing that song with certainty is better than to scoff at it and be bitter that you used to feel that way. For the vast majority of people, there is a real power (a tangible “spirit”, if you will) in that type of certainty in the face of the unknown – and that certainty is just as necessary for many as is my need for open possibilities and room to explore my own unknown.
Just to be clear – my comments were directed to some 3rd party comments in response to the song and not to the song itself. I have no objection to people being certain. I have no problem with people deriving comfort from that certainty. I have no problem with people sharing that certainty with others (hopefully in the context of, “this is a thought that has helped me”).
I only have problems with people saying essentially, “My experience is X and my feelings are X, so your Y experience and Y feelings are invalid.”
Mike wrote:I’m convinced today, that emotional extremes of anything are bad.
Good point Mike (and Ray). Opposition/moderation in all things.
I know, Roy, that you didn’t mean it that way – but it’s good sometimes to say it for new lurkers. 
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