LDS Freedom Forum

A while ago ( already have stopped) I viewed pornography sent nudes of myself and participated in talking immorally to multiple people. I already have forsaken it but I feel bad and plead with god that I’m sorry it happened about 3 years ago. Do I need to talk to my bishop?

I would.

Confession is part of repentance. Some confession is done to the Lord and more serious stuff you go to the bishop. You should talk to the bishop. Sending nude pictures is pretty serious. Due to the fact that it's been 3 years I would be surprised if there was any discipline needed but just a necessary step that will allow you to move on and forget what happened. Don't carry it with you any more and trust me you will walk out of that meeting on a cloud.

Cuban234 wrote: ↑January 4th, 2018, 6:44 am A while ago ( already have stopped) I viewed pornography sent nudes of myself and participated in talking immorally to multiple people. I already have forsaken it but I feel bad and plead with god that I’m sorry it happened about 3 years ago. Do I need to talk to my bishop?

As 2nd Counselor of the Bishopric, this is what I think.

I think you should. Only because it's still bothering you. If it's been 3 yrs ago and you have forsaken/repented from your sins, then I think the problem has been solved through you and the Lord. But since it's still bothering you, then I think it would be a good idea to make it complete by talking to your bishop. I am sure he will agree what I am saying here.

LdsMarco wrote: ↑January 4th, 2018, 11:29 am

Cuban234 wrote: ↑January 4th, 2018, 6:44 am A while ago ( already have stopped) I viewed pornography sent nudes of myself and participated in talking immorally to multiple people. I already have forsaken it but I feel bad and plead with god that I’m sorry it happened about 3 years ago. Do I need to talk to my bishop?

As 2nd Counselor of the Bishopric, this is what I think.

I think you should. Only because it's still bothering you. If it's been 3 yrs ago and you have forsaken/repented from your sins, then I think the problem has been solved through you and the Lord. But since it's still bothering you, then I think it would be a good idea to make it complete by talking to your bishop. I am sure he will agree what I am saying here.

I agree with this. You haven't got over it by yourself in three years, so talking to someone might help you.

Confession is cleansing, the fact that you discussed it here tells me you need to talk with the Bishop, it will help you, he loves you and will give you good council and mercy.

Cuban234 wrote: ↑January 4th, 2018, 6:44 am A while ago ( already have stopped) I viewed pornography sent nudes of myself and participated in talking immorally to multiple people. I already have forsaken it but I feel bad and plead with god that I’m sorry it happened about 3 years ago. Do I need to talk to my bishop?

I agree mostly with the advice given here. Sending nude photos to another adult if neither of you are married, isn't all that serious. Although it's important to keep in mind that the internet is FOREVER. But it's tacky, and certainly NOT up the standards set for us as Christians.

If this is bothering you, then it's probably because God is dealing with you over some sort of unfinished business associated with it. Do you trust your bishop? Deep down do your instincts tell you that he would be the right man to confess this too? I'd trust my bishop with just about anything because he's just that kind of guy, but not all bishops are worthy of their calling.

Pray, and ask God to show you what all you need to do. If you fee the strong prompting to tell your bishop, then trust issues or not, it might be a good idea to tell him anyway. It's also possible that this is just a hangup of yours where you need to let go and forgive yourself.

You don't have to say, but just ponder this: Was there anything particularly bad, vile or heinous about sending the nudes? I mean are you married, or was it to a minor or anything? If so, then THAT issue, and not so much sending the pictures might be what's actually troubling you.

Cuban234 wrote: ↑January 4th, 2018, 6:44 am A while ago ( already have stopped) I viewed pornography sent nudes of myself and participated in talking immorally to multiple people. I already have forsaken it but I feel bad and plead with god that I’m sorry it happened about 3 years ago. Do I need to talk to my bishop?

I received an email by another individual and he wanted me to create a video. Hopefully this may help you

No.

Cuban234 wrote: ↑January 4th, 2018, 6:44 am A while ago ( already have stopped) I viewed pornography sent nudes of myself and participated in talking immorally to multiple people. I already have forsaken it but I feel bad and plead with god that I’m sorry it happened about 3 years ago. Do I need to talk to my bishop?

Well, you're a [*insert judgment and condemnation here]. Yeah. Better confess and and find a wife who enjoys your kinky sexual enjoyment. At that point it will be fine.

*Edited by IWS - Personal Foul - Unnecessary roughness. 10 yd penalty, 1st Down - Broncos.

If you need help repenting then get help. If you already stopped the sin and have sinned no more, that is the important point. My understanding, and maybe I am wrong; but I think your salvation isn't about confessing to more than God because it is God that forgives the sin. But the bishop can be an incredible support if you feel that distance from God. Even getting a blessing to remove any lingering devil's that might be lurking might be a good idea. The bishop can help facilitate that change of heart that sometimes still needs to happen even though you don't do it physically. So, if you need deliverance from sexual devient spirits that linger even though you don't act on them or if you struggle with demons that make you want to punish yourself or hurt and condemn you and block the ability for you to receive Jesus' eternal love and forgiveness, go get help from the bishop.

LdsMarco wrote: ↑January 20th, 2018, 8:20 am

Cuban234 wrote: ↑January 4th, 2018, 6:44 am A while ago ( already have stopped) I viewed pornography sent nudes of myself and participated in talking immorally to multiple people. I already have forsaken it but I feel bad and plead with god that I’m sorry it happened about 3 years ago. Do I need to talk to my bishop?

I received an email by another individual and he wanted me to create a video. Hopefully this may help you

Masterbation is like astral Tindr. You will attract unclean spirits to soak up your sexual energy you are spilling out. And they can get jealous and cause problems, even fertility problems down the road.

A man needs his sexual energy to build. As he practices self control, that energy comes through the head, down to the feet, and then builds back up. That energy can be used for strength every day and can continue to charge from the feet up to the heart and even the mind. If you can get it up to the heart you will live a love based life that will reap joy. Getting it up to the brain will make you spiritual but takes a lifetime for most people.

If you constantly spill out that energy you won't have the spiritual power you need, and at least the physical strength you need to power your creative ideas to make a living.

So many men walk around spiritually naked. Make sure to clothe yourself in your thoughts and cloth your loins so that you don't spill sexual energy to people you are not married to. Let that energy build and the strength you get from the self control will pay you back 100 fold.

Of course, what I am saying is on the philosophical side but it is just what has come to my mind as I have pondered and also have studied the book, "Don Juan and the art of Sexual Energy".

Some cultures have initiations to help the youth understand their sexuality so they can grow into it. I wish our culture had something like that.

When you are married, you give that energy to your wife who becomes a type of generator who can hold that energy and recycle it for you like a fountain.

Cuban234 wrote: ↑January 4th, 2018, 6:44 am A while ago ( already have stopped) I viewed pornography sent nudes of myself and participated in talking immorally to multiple people. I already have forsaken it but I feel bad and plead with god that I’m sorry it happened about 3 years ago. Do I need to talk to my bishop?

Continue pleading. Plead more and more. Plead until you feel as low as can be, and then keep going. Eventually you will begin to feel Gods presence. The Spirit will bring you lower, and will help you pray. Pray as long as it takes.Confess everything to God. Get everything off your chest. Repeat this every day, throughout the day think about it. You will become lowly of heart, broken hearted. This WILL inevitably lead to an experience, a miraculous event, I repeat EVENT, that will change your life. The event you see in Mosiah 4, 3 Nephi 19, Helaman 5, Moses 6.You will be visited with fire and cleansed, forever changed.

A bishops only job in this situation is to help you do the above ^^ the purpose of repentance is for the above to occur.

It’s a good thing that your sins are weighing you down , that they are on your mind. This brings you low, this brings you to have godly sorrow

I think you should know forgiveness is real and repentance is real. Repentance is there to not make us feel bad but to make us beautiful before God. The scriptures talk about putting on beautiful robes, and put on thy beauitufl garments daughter of Zion (can mean the 5 wise virgins, can mean the bride of the bridegroom (the church), not just for the sisters.)

For others, I think this poses a legitimate question that how do you deal with your body desires when you don't have a mate and won't be able to find them soon? The body will still have strong intense desires that can be hard to control even when you are keeping the law of chastity. A forum like this would help people talk about that without being singled out. Like ...you can't turn of your desires. You can try to control your thoughts but basically your body has those feelings and desires built in...so maybe we should talk about how you manage them without breaking the law of chastity and without feeling you've broken the commandments...this is hard to explain but even with trying to be as righteous as you can be those desires are fully on non-stop for most of your life.

So how do you deal with them righteously, in particular when you don't have an eternal companion yet?

gardener4life wrote: ↑May 15th, 2018, 1:18 am I think you should know forgiveness is real and repentance is real. Repentance is there to not make us feel bad but to make us beautiful before God. The scriptures talk about putting on beautiful robes, and put on thy beauitufl garments daughter of Zion (can mean the 5 wise virgins, can mean the bride of the bridegroom (the church), not just for the sisters.)

For others, I think this poses a legitimate question that how do you deal with your body desires when you don't have a mate and won't be able to find them soon? The body will still have strong intense desires that can be hard to control even when you are keeping the law of chastity. A forum like this would help people talk about that without being singled out. Like ...you can't turn of your desires. You can try to control your thoughts but basically your body has those feelings and desires built in...so maybe we should talk about how you manage them without breaking the law of chastity and without feeling you've broken the commandments...this is hard to explain but even with trying to be as righteous as you can be those desires are fully on non-stop for most of your life.

So how do you deal with them righteously, in particular when you don't have an eternal companion yet?

Trying to do this without the mighty change of heart will not be very successful . The mighty change of heart does this for you. Afterwards you will always have biological needs and weaknesses, but it will never be the same.

I have this same issue currently now I’ve been having temptations a whole lot as watched a bit as well and I want to confess to my bishop but I’m scared to I’ll say if you feel the need to confess to your bishop then do it

Nicolebennett083 wrote: ↑May 12th, 2020, 10:37 pm I have this same issue currently now I’ve been having temptations a whole lot as watched a bit as well and I want to confess to my bishop but I’m scared to I’ll say if you feel the need to confess to your bishop then do it

See the above comments in this thread by Zathura… the mighty change of heart needs to be had.

You don't NEED to see a Bishop for forgiveness, it's between you and God.

But doesn’t it depend on what the sin is like of it’s a serious sin

Nicolebennett083 wrote: ↑May 13th, 2020, 10:54 am But doesn’t it depend on what the sin is like of it’s a serious sin

No that's a false doctrine

You don't need to go through mortal men to obtain forgiveness from the Almighty

[quote=Cuban234 post_id=828378 time=1515073493 user_id=10900]
A while ago ( already have stopped) I viewed pornography sent nudes of myself and participated in talking immorally to multiple people. I already have forsaken it but I feel bad and plead with god that I’m sorry it happened about 3 years ago. Do I need to talk to my bishop?
[/quote]

Long version: At this point, since you have already asked forgiveness, any further confession is for YOU. It's called 'cathartic release' and is primarily to cleanse your psyche,. So if you're still letting your conscience 'rent space in your mind and then not pay the bill', telling someone, especially your Bishop, about it will do you a lot more good than it will do him. Plus, once you get completely cleansed of all your sins and transgressions, you can then make yourself useful by setting the standard for all of the rest of us who want to be perfect, too. Besides, what do Bishops charge? I'm a new Member and really want to know, because I might decide to start sinning someday.

Short version: Your Bishop doesn't give a rat's @#$ if you had a potty-mouth and saw a tit 3 years ago, but if it's still bothering you, you need to unburden yourself.