Recovery — A “Gift of God”

Dear Reader,

In preparation for this Sunday’s Elders Forum, we were invited to study a talk by Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (April 2025 General Conference). Elder Kearon reminds us that we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father—heirs to every good gift He offers.

He explains that every true gift has three sacred parts:

1. Giving – The giver prepares and offers the gift with love.

2. Accepting and Opening – The receiver willingly unwraps and explores what has been given.

3. Receiving – The most important part. Truly receiving means valuing the gift, using it, and remembering the giver with gratitude.

The Gift of Recovery

As I pondered Elder Kearon’s message, I thought of recovery itself as one of God’s greatest gifts.

Every newcomer or returning member is offered a place in a fellowship of sober, loving people—companions who extend a hand and say, “Keep coming back.” This invitation, like a divine gift, is given with genuine love and hope.

To accept and open this gift requires willingness—the humble readiness to trust a God of our understanding, a sponsor, and a fellowship where grace can have its perfect work. In the Twelve Steps we learn to surrender, to open our hearts and souls to healing, and to let the miracle unfold. Many of us find ourselves “amazed before we are halfway through.”

Finally, the truest part of receiving this gift is to live it and share it—to apply the principles of recovery in all our affairs and to pass it on to others still suffering. Gratitude becomes the natural expression of a soul that has received a divine gift and is determined to honor the Giver.

The Greatest Giver

Though Elder Kearon spoke of spiritual gifts, I have found that my recovery is one of the greatest spiritual gifts Heavenly Father has given me. I cherish it daily by practicing gratitude, service, and humility. Through this daily devotion, my relationship with Him grows stronger.

As Elder Kearon teaches:

“Heavenly Father is the greatest giver. Every good thing comes from Him—light, truth, and blessings of all kinds. But none of these gifts would be possible without His greatest gift: His Son, Jesus Christ. Through Christ’s Atonement and Resurrection, every other blessing becomes possible.”

When we stay connected to our Higher Power, we begin to see that we do not have to earn His love—it is already ours. We must only believe it and let it in. The past, no matter how heavy, cannot outweigh His mercy. None of us are perfect, but it is in the striving that grace and peace find us.

A Changed Life

As we receive this truth deep within our hearts, everything changes. We see ourselves and others differently. We recognize God’s love more clearly. Our relationship with the Savior deepens, and our lives fill with peace, beauty, and purpose.

Keep coming back. Amen.

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Key Scripture Connections:

• James 1:17 — “Every good gift… is from above.”

• Moses 1:39 — “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”

• Moroni 10:8, 30 — “Deny not the gifts of God… come unto Christ.”