What to Expect in a Meeting

If you or someone you know is thinking about attending an LDS 12-Step Addiction Recovery meeting, here are a few things to expect.  I’m writing about this because it can be intimidating to go somewhere out of your comfort zone, which is probably what thesemeetings are going to be for most people.

Meetings are held once a week throughout the year.  Typically, one step, or one chapter in the Addiction Recovery Manual is covered each week.  Meetings can run 60-90 minutes, depending on how many people attend that day and if there is a lot of discussion.

Meetings are confidential and special care is taken to protect and respect attendees desire for anonymity.  One might ask, how can it be anonymous when people can drive by the building and see my car parked outside?  The anonymity that is referred to is regarding the discussion and personal information and stories shared in the meetings.  With permission from the people I have attended meetings with, I may share a thing or two that has been discussed as I have found many things that have been said to be extremely profound and inspirational to me and my recovery process.

Meetings are usually run by volunteer missionaries, typically a husband and wife couple.  They start with a prayer, and continue by reading a mission statement declaring that the classes are to help people with addictions or family members of someone with an addiction to overcome addiction and grow closer to Jesus Christ.  Then, the 12 steps are recited and reviewed. 

The 12 steps have been adapted from the Alcoholic’s Anonymous World Services, Inc.  12-step program.  The verbage has been changed slightly (with permission from Alcoholic’s Anonymous World Services, Inc.) to reflect the church’s desire to include Jesus Christ’s Atonement throughout the recovery and healing processes.

Original steps:

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure
them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as
we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to
carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this
message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
                                                                                       Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc.®

LDS Recovery steps:

THE 12 STEPS
Step 1 - Honesty
Admit that you, of yourself, are powerless to overcome your addictions and that your life has
become unmanageable.
Step 2 - Hope
Come to believe that the power of God can restore you to complete spiritual health.
Step 3 - Trust in God
Decide to turn your will and your life over to the care of God the Eternal Father and His Son,
Jesus Christ.
Step 4 - Truth
Make a searching and fearless written moral inventory of yourself.
Step 5 - Confession
Admit to yourself, to your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to proper priesthood
authority, and to another person the exact nature of your wrongs.
Step 6 - Change of Heart
Become entirely ready to have God remove all your character weaknesses.
Step 7 - Humility
Humbly ask Heavenly Father to remove your shortcomings.
Step 8 - Seeking Forgiveness
Make a written list of all persons you have harmed and become willing to make
restitution to them.
Step 9 - Restitution and Reconciliation
Wherever possible, make direct restitution to all persons you have harmed.
Step 10 - Daily Accountability
Continue to take personal inventory, and when you are wrong promptly admit it.
Step 11 - Personal Revelation
Seek through prayer and meditation to know the Lord’s will and to have the power
to carry it out.
Step 12 - Service
Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, share this message
with others and practice these principles in all you do. 

As I stated earlier, one step or one chapter in the manual is covered.  When all 12 chapters are reviewed through 12 weeks, they start over again with step one, and repeat the chapters through the next 12 weeks.  They don’t start at step one when someone new comes to a meeting for the first time.  They stick to the schedule and cover each of the 12 steps in succession.

Someone attending a meeting for the first time might end up learning step 4, or step 9 as the first lesson they receive.  Don’t be alarmed, they will start over again with step one when all of the 12 steps have been covered.

Probably the hardest part in this entire process, is stepping through the door into your first meeting.  You need to let go of pride and humble yourself enough to just step through the door and accept that you are not alone and God doesn't want you to be alone.  I can tell you from experience that you will be greeted, not with judgement and criticism, but with love and fellowship.  The first time I walked through the doors, I was surprised and greeted by a friend who I have known for years.  The love that emanated through her arms when she hugged me was so welcoming and comforting, I knew I was in the right place at the right time for once in my life. 

I would encourage you to take that first step.  Not only will it help you get started on the path to addiction recovery and freedom, it will bring you closer to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, who will save us from our sins in this world.

Confessions...

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) are taught by leaders and modern-day prophets to follow the teaching of Jesus Christ in our day.

One of the principles that is frequently taught and talked about is what is called the Word of Wisdom.  The Word of Wisdom is "a law of health revealed by the Lord for the physical and spiritual benefit of His children." (Source: LDS.org).  The Word of Wisdom is a general guideline of healthy foods and substances, and unhealthy foods and substances to avoid that.  If we follow the guidelines set forth in the Word of Wisdom, we are promised health in our bodies and in our minds, protection, and wisdom.  The revelation was originally recorded in 1833, but the principles are still recommended and followed today.

The foods and substances that were originally named and cautioned to avoid are alcohol, coffee & tea, and tobacco.  In the last 183 years, many other harmful substances have been synthesized and cultivated that we (EVERYBODY! Not just member so the LDS church) are cautioned to avoid, such as recreational drugs whether legal or illegal (marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines), prescription drugs (when used illegally or inappropriately) and tobacco "alternatives" (e-cigarettes).  All of the substances that I have mentioned so far are highly addictive and harmful.

The LDS church also advises to avoid activities that can be harmful and addictive, such as gambling and pornography.  We have been advised for years and years to avoid these two activities, as they can be highly addictive, very costly (both monetarily and relationships), and very harmful to individuals and families.

People have said that they don't like the lifestyle of the LDS church because it is restrictive and doesn't allow freedom to explore, experiment, and be unique.  On the contrary, the recommendations to avoid substances and activities that are set in place because addiction is restrictive and dangerous.  A person who is addicted to something needs to plan their entire lives around the addiction.

I like the definition Elder M. Russel Ballard gave in a 2010 conference talk:

"According to the dictionary, addiction of any kind means to surrender to something, thus relinquishing agency and becoming dependent on some life-destroying substance or behavior."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has an Addiction Recovery Program that has been adapted from the Alcoholic's Anonymous 12-step program that has been used successfully for decades.  We hope to avoid addiction altogether, but sometimes people fall into addictive behaviors.  The 12-step addiction recovery program can help those suffering from addictions to feel comfort and guidance by using these steps and the atonement of Jesus Christ.

The Addiction Recovery website has this to say about people suffering from addiction:

It can disrupt the ability to listen to the Spirit and limit agency.  Many who struggle with an addiction suffer from shame or a sense that they are unlovable.  They may feel discouragement and despair that recovery is not possible.

In addition to this, some addictions can result in the loss of a temple recommend, church calling, and possibly even excommunication.  All of these consequences I just mentioned are, and should be, decided by church authorities through a very difficult and loving process.

So, why am I here?

I'm not addicted to drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or even caffeinated drinks.  My transgressions are not serious enough to have my temple recommend taken away.  Yet I have been going every week to the LDS addiction recovery classes for several weeks now.

I am not ready to fully disclose my addiction on this blog yet.  But I am ready to share what the program can offer and the help, love, and support that you can receive through the atonement of Jesus Christ.  I believe this program can be helpful for anybody.  Not just people who suffer from addiction.   It provides opportunities to grow as a person and as a disciple of Christ.  It can help heal broken relationships and increase confidence and self-worth.

Come Grow With Me.