Bernard Gui Posted February 20, 2014 Posted February 20, 2014 Here is a compilation of excerpts from October 2013 Conference talks that apply to LDS 12 Step Recovery Programs.Feel free to use them and to comment......If you are not familiar with the 12 Steps, take a look! October 2013 General Conference Talks and 12 Step Support Step l HONESTY Come to admit that we of ourselves are powerless over our loved ones and their addiction. As a result of our emotional responses towards our circumstances, our lives can become unmanageable. "God intended that men and women would be free to make choices between good and evil. When evil choices become the dominant characteristic of a culture or nation, there are serious consequences both in this life and the life to come. People can become enslaved or put themselves in bondage not only to harmful, addictive substances but also to harmful, addictive philosophies." (Elder Quentin Cook, "Lamentations of Jeremiah: Beware of Bondage") "When the pathway of life takes a cruel turn, there is the temptation to ask the question 'Why me?' At times there appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel, no sunrise to end the night’s darkness. We feel encompassed by the disappointment of shattered dreams and the despair of vanished hopes. We join in uttering the biblical plea, 'Is there no balm in Gilead?' We feel abandoned, heartbroken, alone. We are inclined to view our own personal misfortunes through the distorted prism of pessimism. We become impatient for a solution to our problems, forgetting that frequently the heavenly virtue of patience is required. "The difficulties which come to us present us with the real test of our ability to endure. A fundamental question remains to be answered by each of us: Shall I falter, or shall I finish? Some do falter as they find themselves unable to rise above their challenges. To finish involves enduring to the very end of life itself." (President Thomas Monson, “I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee”) "Bondage, subjugation, addictions, and servitude come in many forms. They can be literal physical enslavement but can also be loss or impairment of moral agency that can impede our progress. Jeremiah is clear that unrighteousness and rebellion were the main reasons for the destruction of Jerusalem and captivity in Babylon. "Other kinds of bondage are equally destructive of the human spirit. Moral agency can be abused in many ways. I will mention [two] that are particularly pernicious in today’s culture. "First, addictions that impair agency, contradict moral beliefs, and destroy good health cause bondage. The impact of drugs and alcohol, immorality, pornography, gambling, financial subjugation, and other afflictions imposes on those in bondage and on society a burden of such magnitude that it is almost impossible to quantify. "Second, some addictions or predilections, while not inherently evil, can use up our precious allotment of time which could otherwise be used to accomplish virtuous objectives. These can include excessive use of social media, video and digital games, sports, recreation, and many others." (Elder Quentin Cook, "Lamentations of Jeremiah: Beware of Bondage") Step 2 HOPECome to believe that the power of God can restore us to complete spiritual and emotional health. "Whenever we are inclined to feel burdened down with the blows of life, let us remember that others have passed the same way, have endured, and then have overcome." (President Thomas Monson, “I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee”) "Brethren, there may be times in our lives when rising up and continuing on may seem beyond our own ability. That day on a snow-covered slope, I learned something. Even when we think we cannot rise up, there is still hope. And sometimes we just need someone to look us in the eyes, take our hand, and say, 'You can do it now!'” (President Dieter Uchtdorf , "You Can Do It Now! ") "So how do you best respond when mental or emotional challenges confront you or those you love? Above all, never lose faith in your Father in Heaven, who loves you more than you can comprehend. As President Monson said to the Relief Society sisters so movingly … 'that love never changes. … It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve [it]. It is simply always there.' Never, ever doubt that, and never harden your heart. Faithfully pursue the time-tested devotional practices that bring the Spirit of the Lord into your life. Seek the counsel of those who hold keys for your spiritual well being. Ask for and cherish priesthood blessings. Take the sacrament every week, and hold fast to the perfecting promises of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Believe in miracles. I have seen so many of them come when every other indication would say that hope was lost. Hope is never lost. If those miracles do not come soon or fully or seemingly at all, remember the Savior’s own anguished example: if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong, trusting in happier days ahead." (Elder Jeffery Holland, "Like a Broken Vessel") "We live in perilous times; nevertheless, we can find hope and peace for ourselves and for our families. Those living in sorrow, despairing at the possibility of children being rescued from where the world has taken them, must never give up. 'Be not afraid, only believe.' Righteousness is more powerful than wickedness. "Children taught an understanding of the scriptures early in life will come to know the path they should walk and will be more inclined to remain on that path. Those who stray will have the ability to return and, with help, can find their way back." (Elder Boyd Packer, "The Key to Spiritual Protection') "A subtle but significant blessing we receive is the significant blessing we receive is the spiritual gift of gratitude that enables our appreciation for what we have to constrain desires for what we want. A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment (see Luke 12:15)." (President David Bednar, "The Windows of Heaven") Step 3 TRUST IN GODDecide to turn our will and our life over to the care of God the Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. "Just as chalk can be removed from a blackboard, with sincere repentance the effects of our transgression can be erased through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That promise applies in every case." (Elder Boyd Packer, "The Key to Spiritual Protection") "Sometimes we may ask God for success, and He gives us physical and mental stamina. We might plead for prosperity, and we receive enlarged perspective and increased patience, or we petition for growth and are blessed with the gift of grace. He may bestow upon us conviction and confidence as we strive to achieve worthy goals. And when we plead for relief from physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties, He may increase our resolve and resilience." (President David Bednar, "The Windows of Heaven") "A subtle but significant blessing we receive is the spiritual gift of gratitude that enables our appreciation for what we have to constrain desires for what we want. A grateful person is rich in contentment. An ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontentment (see Luke 12:15)". (President David Bednar, "The Windows of Heaven") "We acknowledge that your path will at times be difficult. But I give you this promise in the name of the Lord: rise up and follow in the footsteps of our Redeemer and Savior, and one day you will look back and be filled with eternal gratitude that you chose to trust the Atonement and its power to lift you up and give you strength." (President Dieter Uchtdorf, "You Can Do It Now!") "Life in families will test us. That is one of God’s purposes in giving us the gift of mortality—to strengthen us by passing through tests. That will be especially true in family life, where we will find great joy and great sorrow and challenges which may at times seem beyond our power to endure them. "President George Q. Cannon said this about how God has prepared you and me and our children for the tests we will face: 'there is not one of us but what God’s love has been expended upon. There is not one of us that He has not cared for and caressed. There is not one of us that He has not desired to save, and that He has not devised means to save. There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning. We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes, and in the eyes of others, but the truth remains that we are the children of God, and that He has actually given His angels—invisible beings of power and might—charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping.' "What President Cannon taught is true. You will need that assurance, as I have needed it and depended on it." (President Henry Eyring, "To My Grandchildren") "We can change our behavior. Our very desires can change. How? There is only one way. True change—permanent change—can come only through the healing, cleansing, and enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He loves you—each of you! He allows you to access His power as you keep His commandments, eagerly, earnestly, and exactly. It is that simple and certain. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of change!" (Elder Richard Scott, "Decisions for Eternity") Step 4 TRUTHMake a searching and fearless written moral inventory of ourselves. "Years ago there came to my office a young woman and her aging father. She had brought him several hundred miles to find a remedy for the guilt he felt. As a young man he had made a serious mistake, and in his old age the memory came back to him. He could not shake the feeling of guilt. He could not go back and undo the problem of his youth on his own, but he could start where he was and, with help, erase the guilt which had followed him all those years. "I was grateful that by teaching him principles from the Book of Mormon, it was as though a tremendous weight was lifted from his shoulders. When he and his daughter drove back home those many miles, the old man had left behind the guilt of the past transgression. "If you 'awake to a sense of your awful situation' and wish to return to full spiritual health, see your bishop. He holds the keys and can help you along the pathway of repentance." (Elder Boyd Packer, "The Key to Spiritual Protection") Step 5 CONFESSIONAdmit to ourselves, to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to proper priesthood authority if necessary, and to another person experienced in 12 Step recovery the exact nature of our wrongs. "Years ago there came to my office a young woman and her aging father. She had brought him several hundred miles to find a remedy for the guilt he felt. As a young man he had made a serious mistake, and in his old age the memory came back to him. He could not shake the feeling of guilt. He could not go back and undo the problem of his youth on his own, but he could start where he was and, with help, erase the guilt which had followed him all those years. "I was grateful that by teaching him principles from the Book of Mormon, it was as though a tremendous weight was lifted from his shoulders. When he and his daughter drove back home those many miles, the old man had left behind the guilt of the past transgression. "If you 'awake to a sense of your awful situation' and wish to return to full spiritual health, see your bishop. He holds the keys and can help you along the pathway of repentance." (Elder Boyd Packer, "The Key to Spiritual Protection") Step 6 CHANGE OF HEARTBecome entirely ready to have God take the lead in removing all our character weaknesses. "As we draw near to Him, we realize that mortality is meant to be difficult and that 'opposition in all things' (2 Nephi 2:11) is not a flaw in the plan of salvation. Opposition, rather, is the indispensable element of mortality and strengthens our will and refines our choices. The vicissitudes of life help us fashion an eternal relationship with God--and engrave His image upon our countenance as we yield our hearts to Him (see Alma 5:19)." (Elder Timothy Dyches , "Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?") "When we make mistakes, when we sin and fall, let us think of what it means to truly repent. It means turning our heart and will to God and giving up sin. True heartfelt repentance brings with it the heavenly assurance that 'we can do it now.'” (President Dieter Uchtdorf, "You Can Do It Now!") "Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass. We know that there are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits. However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were--better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before. "This should be our purpose--to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow. Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress toward our goal of eternal life. The poet expressed much the same thought in these words: "Good timber does not grow with ease, The stronger wind, the stronger trees. The further sky, the greater length. The more the storm, the more the strength. By sun and cold, by rain and snow, In trees and men good timbers grow." (President Thomas Monson, "I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Forsake Thee”) "If you feel unclean, unloved, unhappy, unworthy, or unwhole, remember 'all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.' Have faith and patience in the Savior’s timing and purposes for you. 'Be not afraid, only believe' (Mark 5:36). Be assured the Savior still seeks to mend our souls and heal our hearts. He waits at the door and knocks. Let us answer by beginning again to pray, repent, forgive, and forget. Let us love God and serve our neighbor and stand in holy places with a life made clean. ... 'Wilt thou be made whole?' Rise and walk. His 'grace is sufficient' (2 Corinthians 12:9), and you will not walk alone." (Elder Timothy Dyches, "Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?" Step 7 HUMILITYHumbly ask Heavenly Father to help us remove our shortcomings. "When we stray--when we fall or depart from the way of our Heavenly Father--the words of the prophets tell us how to rise up and get back on track. "Of all the principles taught by prophets over the centuries, one that has been emphasized over and over again is the hopeful and heartwarming message that mankind can repent, change course, and get back on the true path of discipleship. That does not mean that we should be comfortable with our weaknesses, mistakes, or sins. But there is an important difference between the sorrow for sin that leads to repentance and the sorrow that leads to despair. "The Apostle Paul taught that 'godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation … but the sorrow of the world worketh death.' Godly sorrow inspires change and hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Worldly sorrow pulls us down, extinguishes hope, and persuades us to give in to further temptation. "Godly sorrow leads to conversion4 and a change of heart. It causes us to hate sin and love goodness. It encourages us to stand up and walk in the light of Christ’s love. True repentance is about transformation, not torture or torment. Yes, heartfelt regret and true remorse for disobedience are often painful and very important steps in the sacred process of repentance. But when guilt leads to self-loathing or prevents us from rising up again, it is impeding rather than promoting our repentance." (President Dieter Uchtdorf, "You Can Do It Now!") "I believe, brothers and sisters, that only those who are humble are able to acknowledge and understand the Lord’s answers to their prayers. The humble are teachable, recognizing how dependent they are on God and desiring to be subject to His will. The humble are meek and have the ability to influence others to be the same. God’s promise to the humble is that He will lead them by the hand. I truly believe that we will avoid detours and sadness in our lives as long as we walk hand in hand with the Lord." (Elder Ulisses Soares, "Be Meek and Lowly of Heart") "Many of the challenges we face in life can be solved and overcome; however, others may be difficult to understand and impossible to overcome and will be with us until we pass on to the next life. As we temporarily endure the challenges we can solve and as we continue to endure the challenges we cannot solve, it is important to remember that the spiritual strength we develop will help us successfully endure all the challenges we face in life." (Elder Richard Scott, "Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ") Step 8 SEEKING FORGIVENESSMake a written list of all persons we have Harmed and become willing to make amends to them all. "Corrie ten Boom, a devout Dutch Christian woman, found such healing despite having been interned in concentration camps during World War II. She suffered greatly, but unlike her beloved sister Betsie, who perished in one of the camps, Corrie survived. "After the war she often spoke publicly of her experiences and of healing and forgiveness. On one occasion a former Nazi guard who had been part of Corrie’s own grievous confinement in Ravensbrück, Germany, approached her, rejoicing at her message of Christ’s forgiveness and love. “‘How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein,’ he said. ‘To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!’ "His hand was thrust out to shake mine,” Corrie recalled. “And I, who had preached so often … the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side. "Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. … Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. "I tried to smile, [and] I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me your forgiveness. "As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me. "And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.” "Corrie ten Boom was made whole." (Elder Timothy Dyches, "Wilt Thou be Made Whole?" Step 9 RESTITUTION AND RECONCILIATIONMake direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. "Years ago there came to my office a young woman and her aging father. She had brought him several hundred miles to find a remedy for the guilt he felt. As a young man he had made a serious mistake, and in his old age the memory came back to him. He could not shake the feeling of guilt. He could not go back and undo the problem of his youth on his own, but he could start where he was and, with help, erase the guilt that had followed him all those years. "I was grateful that by teaching him principles from the Book of Mormon, it was as though a tremendous weight was lifted from his shoulders. When he and his daughter drove back home those many miles, the old man had left behind the guilt of the past transgression." (Elder Boyd Packer, "The Key to Spiritual Protection") Step 10 DAILY ACCOUNTABILITYContinue to take personal inventory, and when we are wrong promptly admit it. "Many of the challenges we face in life can be solved and overcome; however, others may be difficult to understand and impossible to overcome and will be with us until we pass on to the next life. As we temporarily endure the challenges we can solve and as we continue to endure the challenges we cannot solve, it is important to remember that the spiritual strength we develop will help us successfully endure all the challenges we face in life." (Elder Richard Maynes, "The Strength to Endure") Step 11 PERSONAL REVELATIONSeek through prayer and meditation to know the Lord's will and to have the power to carry it out. "We need the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through that ordinance, we can have access to the constant companionship of the Spirit. President Wilford Woodruff taught: 'Every man or woman that has ever entered into the church of God and been baptized for the remission of sins has a right to revelation, a right to the Spirit of God, to assist them in their labors, in their administrations to their children, in counseling their children and those over whom they are called upon to preside. The Holy Ghost is not restricted to men, nor to apostles or prophets; it belongs to every faithful man and woman, and to every child who is old enough to receive the gospel of Christ.'" (Sister Carole Stephens, "Do We Know What We Have?") "I believe, brothers and sisters, that only those who are humble are able to acknowledge and understand the Lord’s answers to their prayers. The humble are teachable, recognizing how dependent they are on God and desiring to be subject to His will. The humble are meek and have the ability to influence others to be the same. God’s promise to the humble is that He will lead them by the hand. I truly believe that we will avoid detours and sadness in our lives as long as we walk hand in hand with the Lord." (Elder Ulisses Soares, "Be Meek and Lowly of Heart") "After teaching and ministering to the people at the temple in Bountiful, the Savior entreated the people, 'Go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again.' We accept the Savior’s invitation when we ponder and pray to understand what we have been taught and then go forward and do His will." (Elder Robert Hales, "Strengthening Faith and Testimony") Step 12 SERVICEHaving had a spiritual awakening as a result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we share this message of hope and healing with others and practice these principles in all we do. "President Thomas S. Monson has invited us all to go forth and rescue our brothers and sisters. He said: 'the world is in need of your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.' "I testify that many of those who need our help are there waiting for us. They are ready for their valiant brothers and sisters to reach out to them and rescue them through small and simple means. ...Let us reach out to others with faith and with love. Let us remember the promise of the Lord: "'And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! 'And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!'" (D&C 18:15–16). (Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela, "Small and Simple Things") "During His earthly ministry, Jesus was an example of one who went far beyond the simple obligation of hospitality and tolerance. Those who were excluded from society, those who were rejected and considered to be impure by the self-righteous, were given His compassion and respect. They received an equal part of His teachings and ministry. "For example, the Savior went against the established customs of His time to address the woman of Samaria, asking her for some water. He sat down to eat with publicans and tax collectors. He didn’t hesitate to approach the leper, to touch him and heal him. Admiring the faith of the Roman centurion, He said to the crowd, 'Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.' "Jesus has asked us to observe the law of perfect love, which is a universal and unconditional gift. He said: 'For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.'" (Elder Gerald Causse, "Ye Are No More Strangers") "With the help of the Holy Ghost, all truths will be brought to our remembrance. We cannot force that on others, but we can let them see it in our lives." (President Henry Eyring, "To My Grandchildren") 3
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