Showing posts with label addiction recovery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label addiction recovery. Show all posts
Video 1: I Choose to Believe
Members of our stake explain why they choose to believe as they go through challenges and trials of life. Video 1 of 2.
I Choose to Believe in the Power of Christ's Atonement
Women's Conference Talk by Miriam Franson
I sat at a lunch recently with some dear friends who shared their discouragement with their college-age daughters’ struggles to find men to date who do not or have not had issues with pornography. They just don't want their daughters to have to deal with that! I am sure we all can relate to deep feelings of concern for how battles with addiction today affect not only now, but the marriages and families of our children and grandchildren.
As I sat at that lunch and in other circumstances where the question, “Can people really change? Truly overcome and begin new?” is wrestled with, I’ve wished I knew how to share my own depth of belief in the power of the Savior’s Atonement to do just that. I’ve felt His power help me move past things in my own life, and have seen it transform the lives of people I dearly love.
I have come to believe that there are many more hopeful stories than we realize sitting all around us, but out of loyalty, self-preservation, and a desire not to have it be the headline of life moving forward, we don’t hear them.
When a single friend of mine moved here from out of state, I asked her if there was anything tough for her about the move to Utah. She said, “I don’t know if people here really believe that the Atonement works. They talk about it, but do they really believe that it can change lives?”
I sat at a lunch recently with some dear friends who shared their discouragement with their college-age daughters’ struggles to find men to date who do not or have not had issues with pornography. They just don't want their daughters to have to deal with that! I am sure we all can relate to deep feelings of concern for how battles with addiction today affect not only now, but the marriages and families of our children and grandchildren.
As I sat at that lunch and in other circumstances where the question, “Can people really change? Truly overcome and begin new?” is wrestled with, I’ve wished I knew how to share my own depth of belief in the power of the Savior’s Atonement to do just that. I’ve felt His power help me move past things in my own life, and have seen it transform the lives of people I dearly love.
I have come to believe that there are many more hopeful stories than we realize sitting all around us, but out of loyalty, self-preservation, and a desire not to have it be the headline of life moving forward, we don’t hear them.
When a single friend of mine moved here from out of state, I asked her if there was anything tough for her about the move to Utah. She said, “I don’t know if people here really believe that the Atonement works. They talk about it, but do they really believe that it can change lives?”
Addiction, Forgiveness, and the Atonement
Name Withheld
When my husband and I were dating, he decided he had to tell me about his addiction to pornography. He was clearly embarrassed and repentant, and had been "sober" for some time. I was surprised but felt honored that he trusted me with this secret. If anything, I loved him more after that. This was a battle we were going to fight together. It was his past and we'd have to fight it, but we'd be fine. I wasn't so naive to think that it wouldn't cause strain in our relationship, but I didn't anticipate the heartache, anger, self doubt, and betrayal.
His sobriety lasted through our dating, engagement, and first three months or so of marriage. When he then admitted he had viewed pornography, I was felt so stupid. How did I not know what was happening in my own home? Was I not enough? I plunged into feelings of worthlessness.
I remember thinking, "He's such a good man. How can he do such a disgusting thing? He loves me. How can he do something so hurtful? Does he really love me?" I felt very alone. I respected the fact this was his secret to keep or share, but that left me with nobody to talk to. I was so hurt that I used anger to cope with the sorrow.
All of those feelings were mixed up with gratitude that he came to me with the truth and that he knew he was wrong. I was heartbroken that right when I needed comfort the most, I couldn't ask the man who stood at my side for a blessing of comfort. He was not worthy to use the Lord's priesthood. He knew it, and I could see how ashamed and sorrowful he was.
When my husband and I were dating, he decided he had to tell me about his addiction to pornography. He was clearly embarrassed and repentant, and had been "sober" for some time. I was surprised but felt honored that he trusted me with this secret. If anything, I loved him more after that. This was a battle we were going to fight together. It was his past and we'd have to fight it, but we'd be fine. I wasn't so naive to think that it wouldn't cause strain in our relationship, but I didn't anticipate the heartache, anger, self doubt, and betrayal.
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| From MormonWoman.org |
I remember thinking, "He's such a good man. How can he do such a disgusting thing? He loves me. How can he do something so hurtful? Does he really love me?" I felt very alone. I respected the fact this was his secret to keep or share, but that left me with nobody to talk to. I was so hurt that I used anger to cope with the sorrow.
All of those feelings were mixed up with gratitude that he came to me with the truth and that he knew he was wrong. I was heartbroken that right when I needed comfort the most, I couldn't ask the man who stood at my side for a blessing of comfort. He was not worthy to use the Lord's priesthood. He knew it, and I could see how ashamed and sorrowful he was.
Don't Ever Give Up Hope
Labels:
addiction recovery,
faith,
family,
hope,
parenthood,
stories of faith,
temple,
wayward children
by Bonni Jensen
I am responding to the story "Faith for the Prodigal Child."
I was raised by an amazing mother who has been an active member of the Church her whole entire life. She always went to the temple, and we always went to church. Even if we were camping, I always remember her driving until we found a LDS church to go to--I even remember going in pants.
She has always paid a full tithing, and we blessed our food at every meal, and did family prayers every night before going to bed. She held many callings in young women and also Relief Society. She never raised her voice, nor ever hit or spanked us, and we always had wonderful home-cooked meals, fresh baked bread, and desserts.
But then, just like your worst nightmare, I wandered away from the Church. When I was nine years old, we moved to a new house they had built, and it put us in a new ward in a different building, and for some reason the kids in the new ward did not like me, or seem to like me.
Every kid needs friends, so I picked up some friends in my new school who did not do such nice things; therefore, I picked up their bad habits such as smoking cigarettes, and then came the alcohol, and by high school came the drugs. After a couple years, I had a bad reaction to the drugs, and of course, that just caused my mother more heartache. I did shy away from the drugs from that point on, but I did continue to smoke and drink.
My mother was always praying for me and putting my name on the temple prayer roll. And finally in 2008, my mother's prayers were finally answered, when some missionaries came walking by my house.
I am responding to the story "Faith for the Prodigal Child."I was raised by an amazing mother who has been an active member of the Church her whole entire life. She always went to the temple, and we always went to church. Even if we were camping, I always remember her driving until we found a LDS church to go to--I even remember going in pants.
She has always paid a full tithing, and we blessed our food at every meal, and did family prayers every night before going to bed. She held many callings in young women and also Relief Society. She never raised her voice, nor ever hit or spanked us, and we always had wonderful home-cooked meals, fresh baked bread, and desserts.
But then, just like your worst nightmare, I wandered away from the Church. When I was nine years old, we moved to a new house they had built, and it put us in a new ward in a different building, and for some reason the kids in the new ward did not like me, or seem to like me.
Every kid needs friends, so I picked up some friends in my new school who did not do such nice things; therefore, I picked up their bad habits such as smoking cigarettes, and then came the alcohol, and by high school came the drugs. After a couple years, I had a bad reaction to the drugs, and of course, that just caused my mother more heartache. I did shy away from the drugs from that point on, but I did continue to smoke and drink.
My mother was always praying for me and putting my name on the temple prayer roll. And finally in 2008, my mother's prayers were finally answered, when some missionaries came walking by my house.
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