I have been asked to present a fireside for the Single Adults in my stake next month and chose to speak on Guilt, Shame & the Atonement. I'm still in the "seek diligently/preparation" phase of my preparation and wanted to know if anyone had any talks, scripture verses, insights or stories about the topic that they would care to share.
The first thing that comes to mind is Alma 36--the story of Alma the Younger. I'll think about and look around and see if I come up with anything else.
ReplyDeleteHow about this talk: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2001/04/the-touch-of-the-masters-hand?lang=eng ?
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to check it out! I actually had thought of that poem a few weeks ago when pondering different directions to take, so I look forward to reading the talk.
DeleteThis quote makes an interesting distinction between shame and guilt: "You must develop empathy for yourself. Has it ever occurred to you that good people repent because they have made a mistake? Yes, they feel guilty because they have violated a standard that is important. GUILT can be healthy if it helps us change our behavior. But if we use SHAME instead of guilt to see ourselves as bad people, we may change our behavior—but does the change of behavior matter if we still feel bad, shamed at the core? When you repent it is important to get in touch with the inherent goodness inside of you—that child of God in you seeking for more attention." --James M. Harper, BYU Devotional
ReplyDeleteI love Jim! I haven't read that talk...yet. But I will now! And I actually have a book that he wrote about shame and have looked at a lecture he gave on shame and pornography addiction. He knows his stuff!
DeleteIn this talk, Elder Oaks makes a good analogy: "A person who sins is like a tree that bends easily in the wind. . . . " (https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/dallin-h-oaks_sin-suffering/). He makes the point that it's important to experience some suffering during the repentance process to strengthen us and help us avoid future transgression.
ReplyDeleteThere's also an interesting use of SHAME in the story of the Fall. Adam and Eve are unashamed in Genesis 2:25, but just a few verses later--after they take the fruit--they experience fear (shame and guilt) and hide themselves from the Lord (Genesis 3:7-10).
ReplyDeleteLove this! I definitely want to use this. Thanks!
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