HIGH FEELINGS OF SELF WORTH

What is your main source for feelings of self worth? Are your sources from the temporal or spiritual world? Review the list below to see if you are using these sources for your feelings of self worth.

A. Performance:

1. I feel of greater worth when I:
-lost weight, keep the commandments, my children do well, my marriage is going well.

2. I fee somewhat worthless when I:
-I gain weight, break the commandments, my children get kicked out of school, or when my marriage is not doing well.

B. Possessions:

1. I feel of greater worth when my:
-Home & car is as good as my friends, my bills are being paid, my clothes are as nice if not better than others.

2. I feel of lesser value when my:
-Friends can pay their bills & live in a much better home, my car keeps breaking down, and my clothes are always the same.

C. Opinions:

1. I feel I have greater worth when:
-Others praise me, recognize what I do, like my new outfit, accept me just the way I am, appreciate the effort I am making.

2. I feels of lesser value when:
-No one recognizes what I do, as if I do not count nor exist. No one accepts my opinions, and everyone wants me to be different.

D. Honors:

1. I feel of greater worth when:
-I am called into leadership positions, I finish my degree(s) & people look up to my job.

2. I feel of lesser value because:
-I never finish my degree. They keep diving the ward, and I am never called to leadership positions. My occupation is not respected.

** ALL THE ABOVE SOURCES CREATE A DEPENDENCY UPON THE TEMPORAL WORLD FOR YOUR FEELINGS OF SELF WORTH, AND THUS CREATE LOW FEELINGS OF SELF WORTH**

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THE MAIN SOURCE FOR HIGH FEELINGS OF SELF WORTH COMES FROM THE SPIRITUAL WORLD, AND IS FOUNDED UPON TWO CONCEPTS

SPIRITUAL WORTH means for one to value himself as he is valued by his eternal parents and his Elder Brother, Jesus Christ.

(RSC 1980-1981, pg. 140)

SPIRITUAL PERFORMANCE occurs when one centers his heart & mind upon Heavenly Father & serves Him with all his soul.

One's performance determines which kingdom he will spend in eternity, and has nothing to do with his worth. Heavenly Father loves him with perfect love, it never varies. It is never based upon performance, for it is perfect love. One performs to glorify his Father in Heaven. One performs to qualify for His divine grace, his divine assistance. One performs to qualify for His Spirit, and for the riches of eternity. One never uses the good feelings of performance to honor oneself (glorify self). If he does, the Savior says, "you have your reward." When one performs out of the love he feels for Heavenly Father, the act is written in the book of life, if he is on the straight & narrow path. When one performs to create feelings of self worth, the act is not recorded in the book of life.

When a person gets good feelings or bad feelings from the temporal world (through performances, opinions of others, possessions, & from the honors of men) he never uses them to determine his worth. These feelings are conditional and if he uses them to create feelings of self worth, then he is choosing to accept the world's position on worth, that is conditional, and not choosing to accept Heavenly father's position on worth, that one's worth is unconditional.

Spiritual performance is essential for one to create high feelings of self worth, since this type of performance is necessary for one to have the Spirit. And the Holy Ghost is the source that witnesses to him of who he is and how God values him. One must be in the light in order to feel God's perfect love, & keeping the commandments is how one stays in the light.