Walk Into the Light

To the People at LDS Freedom Forum:

I'm not eric.  I'm not Legion.  I'm schizophrenic, but we're fine now.

I am new to these forums; but, I know from personal experience of what I speak.

Note:  Satirical writers are often known to use a pen-name or pseudonym.  I'm not worried about people figuring out who I am.  People who know me will recognize me.  But, having a pen-name fits with the satirical style.  My primary weakness, though, is that I can't always maintain the ruse (hypocrisy, deception, play-acting, or role-play) associated with satire; and, I sometimes turn serious.  Nevertheless, while I now turn serious, I hope some of you will find it humorous that I choose to remain anonymous while at the same time encouraging each one of you to walk in the light.

I have already been called to repentance by many on this forum (LDS Freedom Forum). Thank you. You have no idea how much I have needed such a call during the past decades of my life.

I was born into the covenant, and I have always been a member of the LDS Church. I went on an LDS Mission. But, then I also spent a couple of decades picking and choosing from the teachings of the LDS Apostles and General Authorities, rejecting some of them and selectively accepting others. Many times I rejected the teachings of the Brethren, all the way from the local Bishops all the way up to the Prophets of the Church themselves. I considered myself a justifiable exception.

I committed many grievous errors, and even a couple of serious sins that some would metaphorically call nigh-unto-murder. I never went to Church for over ten years of my life. I thought I knew better. I thought I was a special case, an exception to the rule.

What did it get me? I nearly died, both physically and spiritually. In fact, I did die spiritually. I had to be reborn and start over.

What did it get me? It got me decades of separation from God's Anointed! It got me decades of lost opportunities and lost blessings. It got me decades of lost associations that I might have had with truly great men. It got me a loss of my Temple Recommend. I lost some of my children. I almost lost my marriage. I picked up a few addictions. I was never excommunicated, but I probably should have been. I simply did not matter.

If you don't like the direction that you are headed, sometimes the best thing you can do is to turn around and go the other direction. One day after I had hit rock bottom, I decided to turn around and go the other direction. Instead of walking into the darkness, I decided to turn around and walk into the light. Instead, of running away from God and the Lord's Anointed, I decided to run to them. I started going back to church, and I was lucky enough to land in a High Priest's quorum where they accepted me and loved me, and encouraged me to become one of them. The High Priest Group leader took me under his wings and made me his home-teaching companion. I broke my addictions, decided to abandon my sins. I decided to repent and change.

My life slowly began to change for the better. After being sober and a home teacher for over a year, my testimony started to come back. They started to have me be one of the instructors in the High Priest's Group, even though I am not a High Priest. My eyes started to open, and I started to see. Life started to be good again, and the years of depression started to go way. I started to feel moments of joy and happiness once again. I started to be changed and influenced by the Lord's Anointed. My family is happier with me and seem to like me more.

Repentance is Christ's greatest gift to us. It's the Pearl of Great Price, even if it means humbling ourselves and choosing to accept the Lord's Anointed. What has it gotten me? It has gotten me association with the Lord's Anointed. There are now men (and women) in this world that I am truly eager to see and meet each Sunday. My favorite Gospel Doctrine teacher was a woman. Oh, how I have needed that Gospel Doctrine class. My eyes have started to open. I'm back. I have had some truly wonderful home-teaching companions and families. I finally have a place where I fit in this world. I no longer want to die or kill myself. I say there has been some progress. And, it all started by making a decision or a choice to go and find the Lord's Anointed. I didn't like the direction I was headed. I spent decades walking into the dark, and I found it. I decided to turn around and walk the other direction instead, into the light.

I have gained a testimony of how important it is to seek the Lord's Anointed, to find them, to associate with them, and to try to become one of them. It took years or decades for me to walk into the dark, so it might take me decades to climb out of the pit and walk into the light; but, I intend to do so. Now that I have had a glimpse of the light, I really have no desire to go back to where I was before.

Seek the Lord's Anointed Ones, and walk into the light.

Remember, our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is the Light and the Life of the world.  He came that we might have life and light more abundantly.  Jesus Christ is THE ANOINTED ONE.  He burns with the light and glory of God.

Read "The Hope of God's Light":

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/the-hope-of-gods-light?lang=eng