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Transcript

As I look back now, I recognize that his first disclosure to me--I was in shock. I was so confused. And I felt like I couldn't even feel the ground underneath me. I was immediately just ashamed and angry. I was mad and sad and every emotion you can literally think of except for the good ones like happy and smiling. But it was very difficult. And I remember, just that night, not knowing what to do. Not knowing if I should change in front of him, if I should sleep in the same bed as him, if I should--what I should do. I remember I just went out in the car and sobbed. [MUSIC PLAYING] Finding a problem like this in life, I think, probably we go through some of the same emotions that are now sort of famously described in the cycle of handling death. Well, first of all, we're stunned. We're shocked. We can hardly believe it. And then we're angry. And then we're confused. And then we doubt--whatever the cycle is. And it would probably vary. We have to work through things like we do in human loss and end up with hope, end up with faith, end up with progress that we're going to stay with this. And fortunately, in this case, it doesn't involve a death. We haven't lost somebody permanently. That's even more hopeful. That's even more joyful. But that is not to minimize, I think, these steps and feelings that we'll go through. And that's another area where I think we probably shouldn't be too hard on ourselves. If we're shocked or angry or confused or doubtful, let's be a little patient with ourselves and realize that that's probably going to happen, is happening, and we'll work through it. And people do work through it. Heaven helps, and Church leaders help, and friends help. And there's a lot of help available, and we can come out--we can come out whole on the other end. But it in no way minimizes, I think, the frustration and the anxiety and some devastation that comes in those steps and in that cycle. I think they're inevitable. Some of the feelings that hit us of betrayal and confusion and "less than" and maybe being forgotten by Heavenly Father--these are very common, common feelings. But to know for a surety that our Father in Heaven and our Savior know what we are going through, and They have a plan for our lives, and They have an escape. Our Savior can heal us like no other. And it does take tremendous effort on our part to exercise that great faith and to go to our Father in Heaven and to plead with Him and to reveal our hearts totally to Him and then to trust in Him, trust that He will help us. He will find ways. Doesn't always happen very fast at all. But He is building us and helping us to recover from the mistakes of others, the decisions of others. But we need to know that Heavenly Father knows that He will not abandon us. Our Savior will not abandon us. It's all part of mortality. It's all part of the mortal experience. We cannot say that "the Lord must not love me because I am experiencing this kind of pain." It may indeed be an expression of trust and confidence from our Heavenly Father. But it's the kind of thing the Lord has prepared us to experience and to stand up under because the Atonement of Jesus Christ reaches beyond suffering for our sins. It reaches to His experiencing of all of our afflictions so that He can succor us and raise us above. I just felt that I needed to totally give it to God. That was a blessing, to be able to turn that over to the power that I know can take care of me, take care of my husband, take care of my family. And from that point forward, it was a moment at a time, five minutes at a time, one day at a time. Miracles have not ceased.

One day at a time. Miracles have not ceased. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Respond to Strong Emotions

Description
A discussion around all the emotions that come when you find out a spouse struggles with pornography and how normal it is.
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