Dear Reader,
During the past week I have been reflecting on the establishment of Zion in the Americas. In that process, I came across a concept that felt new and powerful to me: living with the Zion effect.
The Zion effect is one of belonging, unity, and real transformation. It is what happens when people come together in love, honesty, and service—becoming “of one heart and one mind” (Moses 7:18). In contrast, the addiction effect isolates us. It drives us into hiding and leads to destructive behaviors.
I know that effect well. There was a time when I was totally on my own, without family or friends. I stopped attending holidays, avoided calls, and cut off relationships so no one could see how I was living. Addiction numbed me, but it also severed me from the very connections that give life meaning.
Today, I choose differently. I choose the Zion effect. Zion is a place of God’s love and salvation, a land of promise and joy. It is where we lift and are lifted, where we help each other discover freedom and healing. In my recovery, I’ve learned that it is in serving others that I find my deepest purpose and meaning.
Dr. Carl Jung once wrote to Bill W., “Spiritus contra spiritum — the longing for wholeness expressed in destructive drinking can only be met by a spiritual awakening.” In recovery, that awakening often comes through community—through Zion-like belonging. Johann Hari’s insight echoes this: “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection.”
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland offered reassurance to all who struggle: “Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being merciful, nonjudgmental, and kind.” This is the Zion effect in action: mercy, kindness, and shared healing.
Step 12 in the AA program calls us to carry the message and serve others. In many ways, that is the invitation to build Zion—one act of service, one prayer, one honest conversation at a time. As Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught: “Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard.”
Each day we are faced with a choice: will we live in the addiction effect—isolated and numb—or embrace the Zion effect, where our struggles are brought into the light and met not with shame, but with love?
As William James reminded us, “The best use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.” The Zion effect is exactly that: spending our lives on connection, service, and faith—things that endure beyond us.
So today, I invite you: choose honesty, choose connection, choose service. Build your own land of Zion. Live in the effects of your recovery, and embrace your Zion effect.
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