Jesus Christ: A Ray of Hope in the Darkest of Nights
The gospel teaches that grace comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (see Ether 12:27 of the Book of Mormon). Grace is an enabling power that makes recovery possible. It is “divine means of help or strength” that helps us do good works we wouldn’t be able to do or maintain by ourselves.
Standards of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, such as the Word of Wisdom, keeps members safe from many addictive behaviors, but in a world where harmful influences are increasingly pervasive, addiction is a growing problem, even among Latter-day Saints. Addictions are not limited to substance abuse. They can include gambling, pornography, eating disorders, inappropriate sexual behavior, and overdependence on another person.
“If we will turn to the Lord and believe on His name, we can change. He will give us the power to change our lives, the power to put away bad thoughts and feelings from our hearts. We can be taken from ‘the darkest abyss’ to ‘behold the marvelous light of God’ (Mosiah 27:29). We can be forgiven. We can find peace.”
President James E. Faust (1920–2007), Second Counselor in the First Presidency, “The Power to Change,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2007, 123.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has set in place 12 steps to aid in addiction recovery. In this program, those who suffer from addiction learn through the atonement of Jesus Christ how to experience the miracle of living in recovery. The workbook guides readers toward recovery using 12 steps, each of which addresses an essential principle of recovery such as honesty, hope, or trust in God. Each step has a scripture study section with questions to ponder and space for writing.
The 12 Steps of the Addiction Recovery Program
1. Admit that you, of yourself, are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable.
2. Come to believe that the power of God can restore you to complete spiritual health.
3. Decide to turn your will and your life over to the care of God the Eternal Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
4. Make a searching and fearless written moral inventory of yourself.
5. Admit to yourself, to your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to proper priesthood authority, and to another person the exact nature of your wrongs.
6. Become entirely ready to have God remove all your character weaknesses.
7. Humbly ask Heavenly Father to remove your shortcomings.
8. Make a written list of persons you have harmed and become willing to make restitution to them.
9. Wherever possible, make direct restitution to all persons you have harmed.
10. Continue to take personal inventory, and when you are wrong, promptly admit it.
11. Seek through prayer and meditation to know the Lord’s will and to have the power to carry it out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, share this message with others and practice these principles in all that you do.
Grace, a power that comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, makes recovery possible. Through grace, participants in the recovery program regain the hope they have lost. Those who struggle with addiction aren’t the only ones who can experience a mighty change: loved ones find that as they apply the 12 steps to their own lives and attend recovery meetings, they can experience the blessings of the Atonement in regard to their own grief. In some areas the addiction recovery program provides support groups for family and friends, who discover that the Savior can heal them of the pain, anger, and guilt that loved ones sometimes feel.
Click here to access the entire PDF format of the LDS Family Services 12 Step Addiction Recovery Program Workbook: A Guide to Addiction Recovery and Healing.
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I like that you incorporated the gospel into the post! a great talk and great inspiration!
I really enjoyed reading this post, keep up writing such exciting posts!