Riley in Recovery
On June 22, 2025, a fireside featured a speaker named Riley.
He delivered an inspiring talk about his recovery journey.
I recommend listening to his talk here.
Riley in Recovery
On June 22, 2025, a fireside featured a speaker named Riley.
He delivered an inspiring talk about his recovery journey.
I recommend listening to his talk here.
In studying "Come Follow Me" this week, I came across the video "The Mediator."
It hit home!
I, and we, all need the Savior to atone for our addictions.
But first we must give them up --- and then turn them over to the Savior.
We must really give them up and really turn them over --- one last time!!!
We can't keep taking them back -- it doesn't work that way.
Before showering, person #1 would text a friend (person #2) with, “I’m going to take a shower.” Understanding the meaning behind the message, person #2 would offer a prayer. After successfully completing the shower, person #1 would follow up with, “I’m done with my shower and I’m clean!”
I sent and received many of these text messages. Over time, they became much less frequent, until they stopped entirely. They did their job!
I feel prompted to share with you one decision I made early on in my recovery path that has blessed my life and hopefully blessed the lives of others.
I have consistently attended weekly ARP meetings since that first night in 2013 when I fearfully attended my first meeting.
Soon after beginning the program, I came to the conclusion that I could not do this alone. I needed help--lots of help! So in each meeting, I started collecting the cell phone numbers of others who were attending the meeting.
Then during the week, I would make an effort to send
out text messages complimenting them on a particular share they had
given or giving them encouragement. I also asked specific individuals to
pray for me when I was struggling.
I found that most everyone was receptive to receiving a text message and at the same time they were very willing to provide support.
Early on in this process, I also felt prompted to begin this
blog and to share this blog with others in my group. With that goal in mind, I printed up small business-size cards with my first name, my blog address, and my phone number and invited
my new friends to check out my blog and to call or text me at any time.
Hello, My name is Xxxxxxxx Please check
out my blog: My number is 999-999-9999 Feel free to call or text me at any time |
Then each week as new participants joined our group, I handed them my card. As a result of my collecting phone numbers and passing out my cards, I have been blessed with some of the greatest friendships of my life. And I can honestly say that these men who attend ARP meetings are some of the greatest men I have known in this life!!!
To this day* I both receive and send text messages every week to many of these wonderful sons of God, who are doing their best to stay in recovery and keep the commandments.
They do not judge me, and
I do not judge them. But together we lift
each other up.
“When you reach out to another person you bless TWO lives!”
This one decision, to both offer support to others and request support from others has been one of the greatest blessings in my recovery.
Of course, the real source of recovery comes from the Savior. But many times He sends His angels with flesh and bones to help us. And these friends have been my angels.
*NOTE: This post was first published several years ago. However, I still communicate with friends from my original groups.
A few year's ago I was sitting in an ARP 12 Step Meeting and it was sharing time. Each of the participants was given the opportunity to share about their own recovery.
There was a new guy attending out group for the first time. His name was Doug.
I remember his share as if it was yesterday. He said:
My name is Doug. I tried working Doug's plan. But Doug's plan did not work!
I then tried to follow Doug's plan mixed with the Lord's plan. And that did't work.
I am now following the Lord's plan and it's working!
He was referring to the complete Addiction Recovery Program, including:
Doug was now doing all of that.
If you, like Doug, are trying to do "your" plan and it's not working, consider being willing to do the Lord's plan. Attend weekly meetings. Get contact information for those attending your group and reach out to them during the week. And actually work the steps.
If you don't know what step you're on, you are on Step 1. Start there!
If you are hesitant to attend an ARP meeting, like I was, check out this short video.
If you have never attended an ARP meeting. Go to one.
You will find that you are not alone. No one there will ever judge you. And you will meet some of the greatest people in this world in those meetings. I promise!
We are asked to liken the scriptures to ourselves in our personal situations (1 Nephi 19:23).
Here is a thought shared by John Bytheway regarding how God might react to our actions towards our wives or girlfriends when they call us to repentance.
John suggests that we take 1 Nephi 1:24-27 and change the gender from male to female; and here is how it reads:
"Rebel no more against your wife/girlfriend, whose views have been glorious, and who hath kept the commandments....
I exceedingly fear and tremble because of you, ... for behold, ye have accused her that she sought power and authority over you; but I know that she hath not sought for power nor authority over you, but she hath sought the glory of God, and your own eternal welfare.
And ye have murmured because she hath been plain unto you. Ye say that she hath used sharpness; ye say that she hath been angry with you; but behold, her sharpness was the sharpness of the power of the word of God, which was in her; and that which ye call anger was the truth, according to that which is in God, which she could not restrain, manifesting boldly concerning your iniquities.
And it must needs be that the power of God must be with her, even unto her commanding you that ye must obey. But behold, it was not she, but it was the Spirit of the Lord which was in her, which opened her mouth to utterance that she could not shut it."
Perhaps we might ask ourselves, does that scripture ring true for me in my current situation?
Prophetic
Promises Concerning the Book of Mormon
·
“The Book of Mormon is filled with truth. If you read it daily,
you will have more truth and power in your life…. if
you will feast on the words of Christ found throughout the Book of Mormon, I promise that you will have greater power to resist temptation,
increased ability to receive revelation, and greater capacity to deal with the
challenges of life” (President Russell
M. Nelson, Facebook, August 4, 2019
·
“I promise that as you
prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what
you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to
your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself
in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized
against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions” (President
Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like Without
It?” Ensign, November 2017).
·
“When
I think of the Book of Mormon, I think of the word power. The truths of the
Book of Mormon have the power to heal, comfort, restore, succor, strengthen,
console, and cheer souls” (President Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon:
What Would Your Life Be Like Without It?” Ensign, November 2017).
·
“I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents
will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves
and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate
our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase;
mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of
contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and
wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their
parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of
Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy,
and happiness” (President Marion G. Romney, “The Book of Mormon,” Ensign, May
1980, 67).
·
President
Gordon B. Hinckley promised that as we read the Book of Mormon, there
are great “daily promises.” He said, “there will come into your lives
and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened
resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger
testimony of the living reality of the Son of God” (President Gordon B.
Hinckley, “A Testimony Vibrant and True,” Ensign, August 2005).
·
“There
is a power in the [Book of Mormon] which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious
study of the book. You will find greater
power to resist temptation. You will
find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait
and narrow path...When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you
will find life in greater and greater abundance.” (Ezra Taft Benson, The
Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1989], 54).
In overcoming an addiction, some things work well and some things just don't.