Elder M. Russell Ballard: "I have seen the marvelous blessing of recovery that can set one free from the chains of addiction. The Lord is our Shepherd, and we shall not want as we trust in the power of the Atonement. I know the Lord can and will free the addicted from their bondage, for as the Apostle Paul proclaimed, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me’ (Philippians 4:13)” (“O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One,” Oct. 2010 general conference).
AGENCY VS. ADDICTION
Addiction is a persistent dependence on a harmful behavior or substance. It can disrupt the ability to listen to the Spirit and limit the use of agency. Many who struggle with an addiction suffer from shame and may feel that recovery is not possible. Yet with God, nothing is impossible (see Luke 1:37). All can be healed, restored, and protected through Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
Addictions can include the use or abuse of substances such as tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, and prescription drugs, as well as behaviors such as pornography use, food disorders, compulsive spending, and gambling. Not every relationship someone has with such a substance is severe enough to be called an addiction, but these behaviors can grow into addictive behavior. Dependence upon or misuse of such things can become debilitating to daily life and must be taken seriously. These trials may feel overwhelming and take time to overcome, but if individuals are accountable, have faith in Jesus Christ, and receive loving support from others, they can change.
“Addiction has the capacity to disconnect the human will and nullify moral agency” (Boyd K. Packer, “Revelation in a Changing World,” Oct. 1989 general conference).
Elder Russell M. Ballard: "The battle over man’s God-given agency continues today. Satan and his minions have their lures all around us, hoping that we will falter and take his flies so he can reel us in with counterfeit means. He uses addiction to steal away agency. 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.
"Researchers tell us there is a mechanism in our brain called the pleasure center. When activated by certain drugs or behaviors, it overpowers the part of our brain that governs our willpower, judgment, logic, and morality. This leads the addict to abandon what he or she knows is right. And when that happens, the hook is set and Lucifer takes control.
"Satan knows how to exploit and ensnare us with artificial substances and behaviors of temporary pleasure. I have observed the impact when one struggles to win back control, to become free from destructive abuse and addiction, and to regain self-esteem and independence.
"Some of the most addictive drugs that, if abused, can hijack the brain and take away one’s agency include nicotine; opiates—heroin, morphine, and other painkillers; tranquilizers; cocaine; alcohol; marijuana; and methamphetamines." October 2010 General Conference
WORDS MATTER
In his article “Recovering from the Trap of Pornography” (pages 32–38), President Oaks discussed different levels of pornography use and ways to respond to each level of involvement:
"It is helpful to focus on four different levels of involvement with pornography: (1) inadvertent exposure, (2) occasional use, (3) intensive use, and (4) compulsive use (addiction).
Inadvertent Exposure. I believe that everyone has been inadvertently exposed to pornography. There is no sin in this when we turn away and don’t pursue it. It is like a mistake, which calls for correction rather than repentance.
Occasional Use. This use of pornography may be occasional or even frequent, but it is always intentional, and that is its evil. Pornography stirs and magnifies powerful sexual feelings. The Creator gave us these feelings for His wise purposes, but He also gave commandments that limited their expression to a man and a woman who are married. Pornography debases appropriate sexual expression and encourages the expression of sexual feelings outside the boundaries of marriage. Those who use pornography are trifling with forces so powerful that they can create life or destroy it. Don’t go there! The danger with any intentional use of pornography, no matter how casual or infrequent, is that it always invites more frequent exposure, which will inevitably increase preoccupation with sexual feelings and behavior. Scientists have discovered that sexual images produce chemicals in the brain that reward sexual feelings, which then encourage more attention to sexual behavior. Immoral sexual behavior of any kind or degree produces feelings of shame, which, over time, can be entrenched within an individual.
Intensive Use. Repeated intentional use of pornography can make its use a habit, “a behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary.” With habitual use, individuals experience a need for more stimulus to have the same reaction in order to be satisfied.
Compulsive Use (Addiction). A person’s behavior is addictive when it forms a “dependency” (a medical term applied to the use of drugs, alcohol, compulsive gambling, etc.) amounting to an “irresistible compulsion” that “takes priority over almost everything else in life.”
ADDICTIONS USUALLY START EARLY...
The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
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.
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.®
Can I be freed?
What verses might describe addiction?
What verses might describe healing from addiction?
Where is the turning point in this chapter?
How does this chapter relate to the 12 Steps listed above?
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