Dear Reader,
Today I reflected on a simple but powerful promise from the Book of Mormon:
“But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.” — Mosiah 7:33
One word stood out to me: Bondage.
I remember when I first began drinking, how exhilarated and fearless I felt. I believed I was stronger, more confident, and ready to face anything the world put before me. Alcohol promised freedom.
Over time, that sense of freedom began to disappear. Opportunities faded, friends and family pulled away, and my world grew smaller. Eventually, I found myself alone in a studio apartment with only a bottle and loneliness for company. I was living like a prisoner without bars.
I kept telling myself that tomorrow would be different. Denial and self-deception kept repeating yesterday’s mistakes. The chains were often invisible to others but painfully real. Fear, shame, resentment, dishonesty, and self-centeredness became as confining as the addiction itself.
I now understand that any real change begins with the invitation to “turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart.” Both then and now, that turning requires faith and hope. I testify that as we begin to experience the power of our Higher Power, each day becomes a little lighter, our burdens a little easier to bear, and hope begins to replace despair.
Looking back, I now realize that my life began to change when I followed three simple suggestions found in the first three Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Step One calls us to admit our powerlessness. Step Two invites us to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us. Step Three asks us to turn our will and our lives over to God’s care.
The scripture then asks us to put our trust in Him. That trust may be one of recovery’s hardest lessons. Many of us trusted ourselves until our own judgment led us to despair. Learning to trust God one day at a time becomes an act of faith rather than certainty. We discover that surrender is not weakness—it is the beginning of strength.
The verse continues by inviting us to serve Him with all diligence of mind. Recovery is active, not passive. It is practiced through daily prayer, honest inventory, making amends, attending meetings, studying scripture, serving others, and living spiritual principles in every part of life. As both scripture and Alcoholics Anonymous remind us, “faith without works is dead.” Recovery requires both our hearts and our hands.
It was in learning to let go that I gradually discovered what the prophet meant. I wasn't simply putting down the bottle. The Lord was slowly delivering me from the bondage that had shaped my life.
Here is the promise: “He will… deliver you out of bondage.” Notice what the scripture does not promise. It does not promise an easy life. It does not promise freedom from trials. It does not promise immediate answers. It promises something greater: freedom from the chains that once controlled us.
Sometimes God changes our circumstances. More often, He changes us. The chains lose their power, one link at a time, until we find ourselves walking in a freedom we once thought impossible.
That deliverance rarely comes all at once. It arrives one prayer, one honest conversation, one meeting, one act of service, and one sober day at a time.
I have often been asked whether my recovery came through Alcoholics Anonymous or through Jesus Christ. My answer is simple: I believe the Lord used Alcoholics Anonymous to lead me to Him. The Steps gave me a path. The Savior gave me the power to walk it. I remain deeply grateful for both.
To me, that is one of recovery’s miracles. The bondage that once defined my life no longer determines my future.
May we continue turning toward the Lord with full purpose of heart, trusting that He who delivered countless souls in scripture still delivers men and women today.
One day at a time.
With gratitude,
Amen
🙏🧘♂️💕🤗☮️
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