Addicts must eventually come to the realization that they are powerless over their addictions. Unfortunately, this realization often is accompanied by a feeling of hopelessness – that either God was too disappointed to help or that all avenues of help had been exhausted. The key principle of Step 2 – Hope is to “come to believe that the power of God can restore you to complete spiritual health.” Those suffering from addiction must be presented with an answer that they never considered or have discarded – turn to God and find hope in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
In Alma Chapter 32, Alma teaches us that to begin to have hope, or to exercise faith, we need only have a sincere desire and believe enough to give place to the word. He uses “word” to mean the word of God or the beauty of His gospel of redemption and atonement and compares the word to a seed. We are all God’s children, regardless of our circumstances. His light illuminates every soul. His spirit invites all to come unto Him and enjoy the blessings of the gospel. As the word of God takes root in an addict’s heart, it can begin to grow until it fills that heart with redemptive love. In answering the questions of the people concerning what to do because they were “afflicted and cast out”, Alma comforted them with these words:“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
Just as a seed takes time to swell, sprout and emerges as a living plant, we must have patience and allow the word of God to grow in our heart and nourish its progress through faith and prayer. We must be sure our heart is right, humble and filled with hope in the atonement of Christ, so that we can nurture the word.
As I have said above, addicts may feel that God is too disappointed in them to help. We see in the scriptures many examples of the love and compassion that Jesus had for the sick, the sinners and the persecuted. Many times he went to and healed the sick that others refused to visit. In other occasions, he demonstrated charity and love to those who had committed serious sins.
The story of the woman taken in adultery is an example that can give hope to the sinner. See John 8:3-11. Early one morning as Jesus came to the temple courtyard, a group of scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They asked Jesus if the woman should be stoned to death. Jesus stooped and with His finger wrote something on the ground. When they pressed Him for an answer, He said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” One by one her accusers left, “being convicted by their own conscience,” until Jesus was alone with the woman. Jesus stood, looked around, and turned to the woman. “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?” “She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her. Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”Jesus did not condone the woman’s sin, but neither did He condemn her. He did not judge her to be an evil person, nor did He wish to impose a sentence upon her. The Master calls to each of us to “go and sin no more.” With these simple words, Christ’s benevolence and mercy are revealed. I am so thankful for the law of repentance. I bear you my testimony that by way of the atonement of Jesus Christ, our sins will be pardoned if we truly repent and fill our hearts with the love of God.
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