Dear Reader,
There are times when we accept the wording of a message without fully understanding what is being
offered.
It is a good thing that our life experiences allow us to shift from words on a page to a living revelation of what those words truly mean.
For example, I was raised with a belief in God and His Son, Jesus Christ. For much of my life, prayer
allowed me to believe I could be saved someday—in the eternities. Yet it was not until I found recovery
and a “God of my understanding” that I began to experience a way of living that offered salvation here
and now.
For many years, I simply accepted that Jesus Christ lived, was crucified, died for us, and ascended into
heaven. The words were in my head with little meaning in my heart.
It is beautiful how a small shift at the center of a circle creates a profound change at the outer edge.
As I reflect today, my understanding has deepened:
“The first principle isn’t just faith that Christ exists—it is faith that He is our Savior and Redeemer. That
He can save us from ourselves and our sins, and redeem and exalt us.”
Old Understanding:
I believed He lived.
I believed He taught.
I believed He was important.
New Understanding:
I believed He lived.
I believed He taught.
I believed He saves.
My journey in recovery, and now my life as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, has sharpened my focus.
As much as I would like to rely on my own thinking and will, I now see differently. I have found new
strength through Jesus Christ. This is a faith that Christ is an active companion—one who walks with
me and guides me.
I still recognize our Heavenly Father as the one and only God—and now I understand that I have an
Advocate with the Father on my behalf. This is a place of humility, coupled with joy.
Jesus Christ is not simply present—but powerful.
Not just a teacher—but a Savior.
Not just a guide—but a Redeemer.
In truth, the message of recovery and the message of the gospel began to sound very much the same.
You are not beyond help.
You are not meant to carry this alone.
There is a power greater than yourself that can restore you.
Here is the deeper understanding: that power greater than myself is not abstract—it has a living
presence in Jesus Christ.
“There is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ.”
That word—saved—has taken on new meaning. Not just someday—but today:
Saved
From my fears.
From my patterns.
From the parts of myself I could not change alone.
We do not come to Him after we are fixed.
We come to Him to be fixed.
We do not come because we are strong.
We come because we are willing.
I
If there is one truth to hold onto, it is this:
The first principle of the gospel is not just that Christ exists.
It is that He is able.
Able to lift what feels too heavy.
Able to heal what feels too broken.
Able to redeem what feels too far gone.
So today, the question is not simply: Do I believe in Him?
But rather: Do I trust Him enough to let Him help me?
The door does not open when we understand everything.
It opens when we are willing to step forward.
And in that step—however small—we begin to discover something life-changing:
We are not just believing in a Savior.
We are being saved by Him.
Amen.
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