–

the Lord desires, through His Atonement and by the power of the Holy Ghost, to live in us—not only to direct us but also to empower us. -David A bednar

Nephi Testified of Jesus Christ -About 559–545 B.C.

Nephi’s words are true—They testify of Christ—Those who believe in Christ will believe Nephi’s words, which will stand as a witness before the judgment bar. About 559–545 B.C.

1 And now I, Nephi, cannot write all the things which were taught among my people; neither am I mighty in writing, like unto speaking; for when a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carrieth it unto the hearts of the children of men.
2 But behold, there are many that harden their hearts against the Holy Spirit, that it hath no place in them; wherefore, they cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught.
3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.
4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.
5 And it speaketh harshly against sin, according to the plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words which I have written save he shall be of the spirit of the devil.
6 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.
7 I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat.
8 I have charity for the Jew—I say Jew, because I mean them from whence I came.
9 I also have charity for the Gentiles. But behold, for none of these can I hope except they shall be reconciled unto Christ, and enter into the narrow gate, and walk in the strait path which leads to life, and continue in the path until the end of the day of probation.
10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.
11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.
12 And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom at that great and last day.
13 And now, my beloved brethren, all those who are of the house of Israel, and all ye ends of the earth, I speak unto you as the voice of one crying from the dust: Farewell until that great day shall come.

2 Nephi 33:1–13

Judgement

Imagine being judged for all your thoughts, words, and actions.
The prophet Alma testified, “Our words will condemn us, yea, all our works will condemn us; … and our thoughts will also condemn us” (Alma 12:14)
Gospel Principles Chapter 46

Is it true that our words, actions, and thoughts will be used to judge us?

The scriptures teach that all of us will be judged according to our works: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Revelation 20:12; see also D&C 76:111; 1 Nephi 15:32; Abraham 3:25–28). We will also be judged “according to the desire of [our] hearts” (D&C 137:9; see also Alma 41:3).
Alma taught that when we die our spirits are assigned to a state of happiness or of misery (see Alma 40:11–15). This is a judgment.
Chapter 46: The Final Judgment

According to Doctrine and Covenants 76:50–53, 62–70, what are the characteristics of a person who overcomes the world by faith and is valiant in the testimony of Jesus?
Chapter 46: The Final Judgment

In reality, every day is a day of judgment. We speak, think, and act according to celestial, terrestrial, or telestial law. Our faith in Jesus Christ, as shown by our daily actions, determines which kingdom we will inherit.
We have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness. The gospel is the law of the celestial kingdom. All the priesthood ordinances necessary for our progression have been revealed. We have entered the waters of baptism and have made a covenant to live Christlike lives. If we are faithful and keep the covenants we have made, the Lord has told us what our judgment will be. He will say unto us, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).
Chapter 46: The Final Judgment

Additional Scriptures

Romans 2:6–9; Revelation 20:12–13 (the Judgment)

Alma 11:41, 45; Mormon 7:6; 9:13–14 (we are judged in a resurrected state)

2 Nephi 29:11; 3 Nephi 27:23–26 (books used in the Judgment)

Alma 41:2–7 (our judgment is determined by our works, the desires of our hearts, repentance, enduring to the end)

Mormon 3:22 (repent and prepare to stand before the judgment seat)

Luke 12:47–48; D&C 82:3 (of whom much is given, much is required)

D&C 88:16–33 (we each receive that for which we are worthy)

Chapter 46: The Final Judgment

All May Know the Truth: Alma’s Experiment and Moroni’s Promise | Alma 32; Mormon 8–9; Moroni 1, 10

27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.
Alma 32:27

4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
Moroni 10:4-5

Step 1: A Story of Honesty

Feb 27th, 2021

I love the ARP videos. They remind me that others who struggle with addiction overcame it one step at a time through Jesus Christ and His infinite atonement which provides a way for healing, mercy, justice, and grace.

Somehow, I’m still here. Still struggling, yet, I believe I can be healed. Why? Because I’ve come so far. I’ve overcome so much. I make hundreds of mistakes each day, but I know as I’m honest to what I know is true and keep trying, keep believing, and keep repenting I will draw closer to the Savior and become who I truly desire to become, and it is through the enabling power of Jesus Christ’s atonement I will be able to withstand temptation for a minute longer. Even if it’s just for a second longer than before, I’ve progressed.

My Question about Doctrine and Covenants Answered 4 Years Later

[December 28, 2020, 7:06 AM]

While reading Come Follow Me this morning, I discovered the following question I had written next to verses 19-22 of section 1 in The Doctrine and Covenants on Jan 1, 2017 Sunday:

“Why did The Lord bring forth the doctrine and covenants?”

It was neat to come across the following passage as I supplemented my study with Come Follow Me this morning.

“In November 1831, the restored Church of Jesus Christ was just a year and a half old. Though growing, it was still an obscure group of believers living in a sparsely settled frontier, led by a prophet in his mid-twenties. But God considered these believers to be His servants and His messengers, and He wanted the revelations He had given them to be published to the world…”
“It is a ‘voice of warning’ for all ‘the inhabitants of the earth,’ teaching them to repent and establish God’s ‘everlasting covenant’ (verses 4, 8, 22)”
December 28–January 3. Doctrine and Covenants 1: “Hearken, O Ye People”

Step 4 – Truth

May 31st 2020

KEY PRINCIPLE: Make a searching and fearless

written moral inventory of yourself.

Little Children Don’t Always Tattle-Tale

I can trace my first experience with secrecy to when I was about 5 years old. A neighbor boy I didn’t know too well wanted to play a “game,” and he told me not to tell anyone about the game. It’s the same game played by many regardless of age. It’s basically an attempt to explore the sacred physical aspects of our bodies in a degrading manner. The game didn’t last long, but I must have felt confused and conflicted with what just happened.

He was around age 8. I didn’t tell anyone what happened, and I’m not sure why. I may have been afraid of what my mom would do because she said, “Don’t ever let someone touch your private parts.” I may have thought it was my fault. Maybe I thought he’d get in trouble, and I didn’t want to get him into trouble. I still don’t understand what happened there, but I wasn’t the kind of child to ask questions or talk about things.

When I came across pornography at age 8, the friend I was with told her mom, and her mom called my mom. I remember my mom walking into my room while I played with my little ponies, and she mentioned something about getting a phone call from my friend’s mom and asked if there was anything I wanted to talk about. I didn’t make eye-contact with her, I remember that. I must have said “no” then she closed the door behind her. After that I felt like I had this “dark secret,” and I felt I had two dark secrets I couldn’t tell anyone. Looking back, I understand these are common experiences just in talking with friends and family, unfortunately, but I was always scared to talk to anyone about what I went through.

Grade School to High School

I would mark that I did my school reading every day, so I could watch TV or earn a pizza. I cheated on a test in second grade because I wanted to get the answer right. I lied about eating my brothers sugar-crystal science project because I didn’t want to get in trouble. These are common feelings! We all have pride and we’re all selfish. It’s just part of the natural man.

Eventually, these lies lead me to change my behaviors and habits. I wanted some type of approval from my family and friends. It seemed that many people around me obsessed over relationships. Whenever I’d see a certain family member, they’d ask me how all of my boyfriends were doing. I would always blush because I didn’t understand why I didn’t have any boyfriends.

From my perspective, as a fourth and fifth grader, the boys liked the girls who weren’t so tall and awkward. They liked the girls who were more “girly,” and I dressed like a boy sometimes. I liked wearing baggy jeans and a plain white Tee or add a button up shirt, and leave all the buttons undone, like my brothers and many other who followed the 90’s grunge trend.

All of my friends seemed to have their own boyfriends, and on TV, it seemed that by having a boyfriend, I would gain approval, friendship, and popularity. I made this promise to myself that I would become popular no matter what it took to get “revenge” on my friends for abandoning me in fifth grade. Maybe I got this idea from films like Never Been Kissed, Clueless, She’s all That, Miss Congeneality, or the Princess Diaries. I’m still not sure where it came from, but I pursued it.

I began cursing, piereced my navel, changed the way I dressed. I “went out” with boys in middle school just to have a boyfriend, and I continued this pattern through my sophmore year. I began drinking at age 15 and experimenting with others substances until age 17. My mom pulled me out of high school which was one of the best decisions she could have made to help me.

I didn’t go to Senior Graduation, but I graduated high school. I remember on the day of graduation, I had one friend message me. Out of the people I considered my friends, I had one person message me. I remember feeling shocked and empty, but at the same time grateful for this one friend. In my experience, it’s rare to find a genuine friend whoe is honest and has integrity during high school – I know I didn’t possess these qualities.

College

I still kept in touch with my high school friends. At age 18, I went to a party where my friends were going to college. I wasn’t going to drink that night, but I had one or two beers. The police showed up, and I hid from them. They found me and questioned me. They asked if I had anything to drink, and something inside of me knew I could lie and get away with saying, “No.” But for some reason, I chose to be honest. I went to the local correcitonal facility and spent the night there. I remember the song “A Child’s Prayer” coming to my mind. I sang it, and clung tight to my knees in a sitting fetal position on the cold cement bench inside the cild narrow holding cell.

In the morning, my dad and uncle showed up. I had made a phone call to a friend when I first arrived to the facility, but I didn’t realize that at the beginning of the message when they answer the phone, something like “An inmate at ‘XYZ’ Corrctional Facility wants to speak with you.” She and her mom called my mom, which really hurt my mom that I wouldn’t call her. I just didn’t want her to know. I’m still not sure why, but whenever I did something wrong, I just didn’t want my mom to know. Maybe it’s because “she raised me better.”

I was fined $500 and had to enter into an addiciton recovery program. I also had to start seeing a psychologist. I can’t say the psychologist helped because I felt he was blaming my mom for my choices rather than helping me to see my own choices for what they were: rebellion, secrecy, and trying to self-medicate from school bullying. I had also developed an eating disorder around age 15, so I didn’t realize this may have influenced how I was processing and making my decisions too.

After the Addiction Recovery Program, I thought I was good. I wasn’t interested in drinking anymore. I moved out into my own apartment with a friend, but I was still dealing with my eating disorder (e.d). I would spend many nights up late exercising or tyring to purge the food I binge-ate. I would starve myself, and I would go on intense diets. I followed one diet when I learned my friend had lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks. We went on it together, and it required a 2-3 day binge then for 27 days we ate 500 calories. I lost 20 lbs, but less than two months later I had gained over 30 lbs. I continued to gain weight until I gained close to 55 lbs (and to think I just wanted to lose 10 lbs to begin with; 10 years later, my hair is still thin and brittle).
Ironically, during my time of extreme caloric restriction, I felt to quit my job at a restaurant I was working at. I didn’t follow this thought (which I now recognize as the Holy Ghost trying to guide me) because the thought didn’t make sense. “I have bills to pay! I can’t quit my job!” Several months later, I found myself in a room with my coworker, Tucker* and his friends, and they were doing drugs. I just wanted to leave, but apart of me wanted to stay. I had already put my two weeks notice in at this point at the restaurant, but at this point I had already met Tucker’s friend, Jake*, who got me a job where he was working.

From this point, I began waking up at 2:30am to exercise rigorously, so I could go to work by 4am, and do an online class through the summer. I was hardly sleeping or eating, and I was overexercising constantly. Towards the end of summer, I met a coworker, Dan* from my new job, who was also living at Jake’s home and who was also friends with Tucker. I eventually went back to drinking and began dating Dan on and off for close to 5 years.

To this day I can’t help but wonder, “What if I followed that prompting to quit my job at the restaurant?” Another thought that came was “What if I had chosen to live at home and go to school to save money?” I can’t say I felt super good about moving out because I was still struggling, but I never once prayed to know what was best for me. I just wanted to be independent. So, there is no “what if.” There’s only, “Now I know, I just need to remember to listen.”

Why Families?

Why is the adversary targeting the family?

How does the adversary target the family?

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf teaches, “Part of the reason for poor judgment comes from the tendency… to blur the line between belief and truth. We too often confuse belief with truth, thinking that because something makes sense or is convenient, it must be true. Conversely, we sometimes don’t believe truth or reject it—because it would require us to change or admit that we were wrong…When the opinions or ‘truths’ of others contradict our own, instead of considering the possibility that there could be information that might be helpful and augment or complement what we know, we often jump to conclusions or make assumptions that the other person is misinformed, mentally challenged, or even intentionally trying to deceive (What is Truth?).

What are the truths of the family?

Sister Julie B. Beck explained the doctrine of the family in her address, Teaching the Doctrine of the Family

“In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have a theology of the family that is based on the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement. The Creation of the earth provided a place where families could live. God created a man and a woman who were the two essential halves of a family. It was part of Heavenly Father’s plan that Adam and Eve be sealed and form an eternal family.

The Fall provided a way for the family to grow. Adam and Eve were family leaders who chose to have a mortal experience. The Fall made it possible for them to have sons and daughters.

The Atonement allows for the family to be sealed together eternally. It allows for families to have eternal growth and perfection. The plan of happiness, also called the plan of salvation, was a plan created for families. The rising generation need to understand that the main pillars of our theology are centered in the family”

Truths of the Family outlined in the Scriptures

Elder D. Todd Christofferson reminds us that “Prophets have revealed that we first existed as intelligences and that we were given form, or spirit bodies, by God, thus becoming His spirit children—sons and daughters of heavenly parents.³ There came a time in this premortal existence of spirits when, in furtherance of His desire that we “could have a privilege to advance like himself,”⁴ our Heavenly Father prepared an enabling plan. In the scriptures it is given various names, including “the plan of salvation,”⁵ “the great plan of happiness,”⁶ and “the plan of redemption.”⁷ The two principal purposes of the plan were explained to Abraham in these words:

“And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these [spirits] may dwell;

“And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;

“And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; … and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.”⁸(Christofferson, 2015)

President Hinckley believed “it should be the blessing of every child to be born into a home where that child is welcomed, nurtured, loved, and blessed with parents, a father and a mother, who live with loyalty to one another and to their children. I am sure that none of you younger women want less than this. Stand strong against the wiles of the world. The creators of our entertainment, the purveyors of much of our literature, would have you believe otherwise. The accumulated wisdom of centuries declares with clarity and certainty that the greater happiness, the greater security, the greater peace of mind, the deeper reservoirs of love are experienced only by those who walk according to time-tested standards of virtue before marriage and total fidelity within marriage” (Hinckley, 1995).

________________________________________

The family is ordained of God, and the world was created for families. We learn these truths from both ancient and modern day prophets. The spirit of the Lord will testify of these truths as we diligently seek to know the truth for ourselves (2 Nephi 31:18; Moroni 10:5; John 14:26; 2 Nephi 32:5; Enos 1:3; See 1 Corinthians 12:1–12 ; Moroni 10:8–18 ; D&C 46:11–33; Moroni 8:26; Moses 6:64–66; see Mosiah 4:1–3 ; 5:1–6).

References

Hinckley, G.B. (1995, November). Stand Strong against the Wiles of the World. Ensign, 25, p.102). Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1995/10/stand-strong-against-the-wiles-of-the-world?lang=eng

Christofferson, D.T. (2015, May). Why Marriage, Why Family. Ensign. Retrieved from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/04/why-marriage-why-family?lang=eng&_r=1

Step 1 – Honesty

May 10th 2020

I have been suffering from addiction for nearly 20 years. My addiction began out of curiosity and was fueled by secrecy, rebellion, and the high. In taking the first step to be honest, I had to be honest with the one person I’ve deceived the longest, myself.

Step 1 – HONESTY
KEY PRINCIPLE: Admit that you, of yourself, are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has become unmanageable

The ARP manual is located at the end of this post or available here.

I did not realize that my dishonesty with myself and others solidfied my addiction. I’ve not met a single person who didn’t first decieve themselves before becoming addicted to some substance or harmful habit later.

Overcoming Addiction One Step at a Time

Because I was addicted to multiple substances and harmful habits, I couldn’t see where I was or where I needed to go. I couldn’t see I was miserable. I couldn’t see my addiction lead my life and that I was no longer in control of my fate.

Russell M. Nelson of the [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] observed: “Addiction surrenders later freedom to choose. Through chemical means, one can literally become disconnected from his or her own will” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1988, 7; or Ensign, Nov. 1988, 7).

Once I began being honest with myself, I realized I wanted a family. I wanted to be with people I trusted, and I wanted to be trusted. I wanted a husband I knew was honest, and I wanted all of this for the children I would bring into this world too. It was a hard decision to disconnect from those tying me to my addiction, but to this day, I can’t believe where I am, and I know I didn’t get here on my own.

I chose to follow the ARP’s manual to my best ability, I attended meetings in person, and I listened to the videos and life stories of recovering addicts. After graduating with my Bachelors of Science in Marriage and Family Studies, I couldn’t help but thank the Lord for all he has done to help me get where I am today. As other’s congratulated me on my accomplishments, I would repeat this scripture because there is no way I could have done this without the good Lord.

“I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own
wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is
brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.
Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength
I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but
I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all
things.”
Ammon (see Alma 26:11–12).

I know that because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, I was able to be strengthened to choose to be honest with myself. Because I try to be honest with myself and rely on the Savior’s merits, mercy, and grace, I am here. I still make mistakes and there is still trial and hardship, but life is better. I have more peace, more joy, and more happiness living my life this way. Through Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice, I have been able to be honest, and that’s the first step to recovery.

_____________________________________________________________________________

I was first introduced to the Addiction Recovery Program (ARP) Manual at age 18. In the last 11 years, I’ve tried and failed many times to overcome multiple addictions, but “no failure ever need be final” (Thomas S. Monson). I began accomplishing more than I could imagine once I tried to learn true doctrine, true principle, and apply what I’ve learned in this manual. I have been able to abstain from multiple destructive behaviors for over 4 years and have experienced for myself and know that “The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. “ –Boyd K. Packer

Click to access ARPGuide_English_36764.pdf