Day 87 – Step Work
As you work through step 11, you will come to realize even more that through the Holy Ghost you will receive knowledge or revelation of the Father’s will for you. Through the Atonement, you will have the power (or grace) to carry out the will of the Father. You will know you are blessed and supported by three glorified, exalted individuals—God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost—who are united in power and purpose to bring to pass your immortality and eternal life.
Describe your understanding of each member of the Godhead and Their role in your life.
I understand that God is my Heavenly Father. He is the one I pray to. He is the one who sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins.
I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Under the direction of the Father, He created all things. It is through Him that I can receive forgiveness of my sins and misdeeds and be perfected through His Atonement. I don’t know what the best ways are for me to develop my relationship with the Savior since I pray to God. I will want to research this more.
I know that the Holy Ghost is a Spirit that guides and directs those who are worthy. I don’t know everything about the Holy Ghost or how it works completely. I’m not sure what kind of relationship I can develop with the Holy Ghost or how to feel Him in my life. I understand, somewhat, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and I know that I must be doing my best and seeking it to have its influence in my life.
Describe your feelings about God’s Plan of Happiness and Salvation for you.
The Plan of Happiness is why I’m here. Before I came to this earth, I chose to follow this plan. The plan is summarized in Moses 1:39: “Behold, this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
Heavenly Father created the plan of happiness and Jesus Christ and Adam helped bring it to pass through the creation. Christ played the most significant role in the plan by giving his life for all of us – paying for our sins, our mistakes, our pain, and our suffering.
I can use the plan of happiness every moment of every day as I turn my will to God’s, submit my will to Him, and strive to do what He’s asked.
The commandments are there to guide me and protect me from the opposite of the plan of happiness – Satan’s plan. Satan wants me to be miserable, like he is. Satan wants to control all my actions (like addiction). Satan wants me to blame and shame and be angry all the time. If I don’t follow the commandments, this is what will happen. I will be miserable.
We have the plan of happiness as a map to guide us through this life. Life isn’t easy; there are many choices we have to make – many of which are hard. But Heavenly Father has given us the guidelines.
I’m grateful for this understanding.
You will grow in your ability to resist temptation as you study the scriptures and pray and meditate about them. Learning to receive revelation takes practice and patience. You can prepare yourself by studying what has been said by prophets and apostles and by trying to live according to their teachings. You can prepare by being ready to receive, write down, think about, and follow the guidance you receive. When you express gratitude to the Lord for the blessings you have received, your capacity to receive guidance will increase.
How important are your obedience and worthiness in receiving personal revelation?
Obedience and worthiness are essential for me to receive personal revelation. I’ve gone for quite some time without receiving much guidance in my life due to my poor decisions. It feels awful. I don’t want to feel that anymore.
Today I feel so much closer to my Heavenly Father and the Spirit. I feel I get so much more personal revelation as I’m trying to do what’s right.
I’m grateful for this feeling today.
How has journaling been a blessing to your recovery? Will you continue to practice making the recording of thoughts, feelings, and impressions, an important part of your daily journal entries?
Journaling has been such a miracle. Especially during those times when I wasn’t sure what I was thinking or feeling. As I prayed and then sat and wrote out my thoughts, things became much more clear. The perfect example was when I woke up after Ty was born and was just angry. I didn’t know why. So I came to the computer and started writing. I discovered what was wrong. It was a miracle I feel. It was the same feelings I’d had in the past when I’d fallen into relapse after having a new child.
I’m grateful for journaling. I look forward to making this a life long pursuit.
Yes, I will continue to practice writing out my thoughts, feelings and impressions in my daily journal.
How has gratitude played a part in your new life? Will you continue to focus on being grateful and expressing thanks to your Heavenly Father and others on a daily basis, as part of practicing step 11?
I feel so grateful for where I am today and know I couldn’t have done any of this without the Savior and Atonement. Being grateful has helped me realize that it’s not me doing this – it’s Him.
Being grateful is the opposite of pride. Gratitude is humility.
Yesterday I had a grateful experience: I was at Home Depot picking stuff up to finish our bathroom downstairs and had purchased a mirror that was pretty big. I tried every which way to get it in my little Civic but to no avail. While I was doing this, a man and his wife were apparently watching from their truck. He came over to me, asked where I lived, and told me if I could wait for about 10 minutes, he would take the mirror for me in his pick up. I was so grateful for his willingness to help.
On my way home, as he followed me, I said a prayer to thank Heavenly Father for Danny and Karen, the people that were helping me. I don’t know if, in the past, I would have ever thought to do this. I was so grateful for that small tender mercy. I was even more grateful to recognize it.
Yes, I will continue to practice gratitude, both to Heavenly Father and to others.
As you keep yourself free from your addictions, you will be more able to receive the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve taught: “The Holy Ghost will protect us against being deceived, but to realize that wonderful blessing we must always do the things necessary to retain that Spirit. We must keep the commandments, pray for guidance, and attend church and partake of the sacrament each Sunday. And we must never do anything to drive away that Spirit. Specifically, we should avoid pornography, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, and always, always avoid violations of the law of chastity. We must never take things into our bodies or do things with our bodies that drive away the Spirit of the Lord and leave us without our spiritual protection against deception” (in Conference Report, Oct. 2004, 49; or Ensign, Nov. 2004, 46).
Do you need to be told to avoid these things?
It is always a good reminder, but today I feel far away from these temptations luckily.
What role has the Holy Ghost played in your sobriety?
A huge role. I feel that it’s the Holy Ghost that helps me recognize situations and then pray for help. I feel it’s the Holy Ghost that prompts me to go and say I’m sorry to Caleb when I’ve overreacted. It’s the Holy Ghost that has helped me listen to Becky in her tough times and not react or take offense or justify/blame/shame.
I’m so grateful to have the Holy Ghost there to help me and comfort me.
What role will the Holy Ghost play in your ongoing recovery and life?
He will do what he has been doing, and more, as I recognize His help and show gratitude for it. He will also do more as I follow his promptings and act on every impression to do good.
I’m grateful for this understanding of how he can help me.
Prayer and meditation are powerful antidotes to fear and depression. You “have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save” (2 Nephi 31:19). Only by coming to the Father through Jesus Christ, in His name, with His Spirit upon you, can you continue to progress and grow spiritually. Step 11 represents a commitment to improve your relationship with God through a lifetime practice of seeking guidance daily and obeying the commandments.
What does it mean to you to rely “wholly” upon the merits of Jesus Christ?
To put my focus and trust on Him. To rely on Him all the time. To submit my will to Him. And to trust that He will direct me for good.
Will you strive to rely wholly upon HIS merits, rather than on the arm of the flesh and the things of the world, one day at a time?
Yes, absolutely! I know this is the only way to lasting and true happiness. It’s also the only way I can stay in recovery and keep the things that are most precious to me – my family, my beliefs, and my life.
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