So let me start off my second posting my possibly offending the world.   My most hated sayings of all time.  These are sayings that are heard in testimony meetings all the time, thrown out as some lackluster attempt at comfort, an attempt at showing some type of false humility (think New Testament Pharisees) or some attempts at showing some self-aggrandizing intellectual, theoretical, or whatever to look or feel smart.

Yes, these are heavily despised by me.  So, here are my top three hated sayings (from horrible to horrific):

3- There is always someone who has worse – How I want to slap every person who has ever said that to me.  My typical answer: “I don’t care!”  That pretty much cements any disdain they had for me.  We all have struggles and trials.  I believe that our trials are especially suited for our own individual progression.  So if I sit here having struggles as a drug addict, an alcoholic, and a sex and porn addict I really don’t care about that other person who has no arms, legs, half a brain, etc.  They have their struggle that, as is promised, they do their best to overcome, then they get qualify for the prize.  It’s no different for me.  I have my struggles and trials that are monumental to me.  I work on these as best I can, learning an attitude of repentance and submissiveness to the Lord’s will, then I to will qualify for the prize.  In the meantime, please, stop comparing me to someone else.

2- If I can do it, you can do it to – What always comes to mind is “well, I’ve been able to drink a full pint of whiskey and not get hung over, well, so can you!”  Seriously, I’m genetically programmed to never get hung over so for me so I’ve done it.  In any case, I don’t care who you are, we’ve been sent here with gifts and talent in various combinations.  Please, understand that I am not you and you are not me.  You have had things happen to you that would devastate and ruin me and vice-versa.  Whenever I speak about my experiences, trials and rehabilitation, I always say that I share this “as a matter of this is what I’ve been through so I understand what you’re going through so decide what the worth is of what I say and do accordingly with it.”  And if you decide to dismiss it all, then you will not offend me one bit because I don’t know your whole story.  Only you do.

1- I feel so sad that I contributed to Christ’s pain at the Garden of Gethsemane – Holy Cow, this is just insane.  This is where some member truly shows how much they don’t understand about the Plan of Salvation.  If you didn’t want to cause so much pain, then you should have decided back in the pre-earth life to go with the other guy.  You decided wisely back then and Christ wants us to accept His give with joy and gladness, not bemoaning reluctance and grief.  Quite frankly, I’ve had such pain and sorrow that when it was lifted from me, I was full of joy and gratitude.  This is what we’re supposed to feel, so get over it and learn.  Just go and read Alma 19: 11-14.  I do believe that King Lamoni was not depressed for all the sins he dumped on the Savior.  Neither was Alma, St. Peter, people who have repented, addicts who through the grace and love of God got a handle on their addictions, Ect, Ect, Ect.

So before you go up to a person who is struggling and tell them they don’t have it so bad, stop, put your hand on their shoulder and say “I love you, we love you, we care about you.”  Before you go off and self loath about you adding to the Saviors suffering, just be filled with joy and give Him and Heavenly Father the one thing they cannot take from you; put on the alter your free will, trust and be obedient to the commandments of God.

I guarantee you will find joy.