Dear reader,
Over the past few days, I’ve found myself reflecting deeply on the 12th Step of Alcoholics Anonymous:
“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.”
What does it mean—for me—to have a spiritual awakening?
In this prayerful line of reflection, I came across a powerful address by President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, titled “Choices for Eternity.” It’s a beautiful message—well worth reading in full—but one part in particular stood out: a framework he offered for spiritual clarity and purpose.
President Nelson outlines three eternal truths for spiritual beings like you and me:
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Know the truth about who you are.
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Know the truth about what Heavenly Father and His Son have offered you.
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Know the truth related to your own conversion.
These truths gave me new language to understand what a spiritual awakening looks like in practice:
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I must strive to live as a beloved child of a loving God.
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I must trust that Jehovah's work in creation “was good.”
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I must express my conversion not only in belief but in action—by carrying the message of healing and hope.
Of course, none of us lives these ideals perfectly. As Vince Lombardi reminds us:
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”
Albert Einstein echoed something similar in spirit:
“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.”
The key, then, is to keep choosing the path of faith, kindness, and love—one day at a time. As Robert Frost wrote:
“Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Many paths in life may seem exciting or worthy. Interests come and go. But not all roads are created equal. When any path replaces your deepest spiritual identity—your relationship with God and your commitment to live in His love—the result can be suffocating, even dangerous. For me, it can mean spiritual drift and relapse.
So I return, once again, to what I wrote exactly one year ago:
June 16, 2024 — Be the Difference
“The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”
— Bob Marley
“The chief difference between words and deeds is that words are always intended for men for their approbation, but deeds can be done only for God.”
— Leo Tolstoy
“To desire and expect nothing for oneself and to have profound sympathy for others is genuine holiness.”
— Ivan Turgenev
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:7
“And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just… Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.”
— Alma 31:5
Amen.
Let us walk this path together, in truth and love—carrying the message forward, not perfectly, but faithfully.
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