As I rehearsed this scripture, this morning, I was instructed pertaining to this newly gifted abstinence I am experiencing. I see that it would be best if I were to keep the manner of it–the particular "way" I’m being given to live it, to myself–to not make a public deal out of it, but to let it be something that is sacred and private between God and myself. The results–the restoration to my true self–that is what I need to share publicly and the testimony that Christ is the one who has empowered this gift to come to me.

This is because everyone’s "fast," (abstinence, manner of consecration) is personal. In fact, it is one of the most personal things they will ever discover.

I see that each person’s weakness (addiction) and their discovering and embracing a way of living without that weakness is their own act of consecration–of consecrating their life and their will to God.

I see that by learning each other’s "way," we are running around looking in the wrong place for guidance as to how to work out our salvation (abstinence.) What we need to be doing is studying it out in our personal study and prayerfully seeking guidance from the Lord, trusting Him to bring us to the "way" that works best for us.

I see that the idea that we need to band together with other people with "our" weakness is not true, because it is not to them that we should be looking for answers or directions.

I see that it is good for us to come together to share the truth– that we all have challenges and that coming close to the Savior is the ultimate answer.

The Lord does work through other people. But we need to be aware of how easy it is to use this partial truth as the whole truth–or 99% of the truth–and never get around to seeking His Spirit and His Words directly to us. Support from other mortals is good–as far as it goes–and we should rejoice in having it. But we must never let it be a permanent end to our seeking guidance and solace. He–Only One. – C. H.

As I ventured into this step and began using the prayer, I felt strongly that I needed to let go of my job. I learned a lot about faith in this process. I was part of a miraculous orchestration that allowed me to move into a different career that has brought me so much happiness in my life. The career I had before was one I picked for myself, one I wanted, but one that drained me emotionally and left me little energy for my family. The career that God has picked for me is much more fulfilling, leaves me energized, and enhances my home life.

Turning my will and my life over was a step at a time, day at a time process. Learning the step three prayer was part of a gradual awakening and a transformation. A shift occurred from "my" will and "my" life, to God’s will and a life of much more fullness and completeness through Him. Before it was if I had a narrow view of life, one puzzle piece at a time, now I am seeing the bigger picture and the pieces coming together. It finally makes sense and I trust God’s omniscient wisdom so much more than my own ability to foresee and to know what is ultimately best for me. Cristy S.

Step Three Prayer
"God, I offer myself to Thee -
to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt.
Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will.
Take away my difficulties,
that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help
of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life.
May I do Thy will always!"

Alcoholics Anonymous, 1976, p.63

The information for this meeting is:
Boise — Thursday 7:00-8:30 pm
Call for location
Shirlene (208) 336-2777
<shell335@hotmail.com>

Welcome to our friends in Boise!!

Some of our best success stories are about teenagers! How many great people in our scriptures were teenagers! Think about it. From the Old Testament to the Book of Mormon, teenagers have played a very important part.

I have a concern about today’s teens. Are we doing enough to show them the right path? Do we really talk with them, or do we talk to them, without regard to their "so-called" immature thoughts and feelings!

We had a young lady (non-LDS) attend our meeting. Her mother heard about the meetings through a co-worker, and was in need of some help with her daughter who was an addict. This co-worker asked the mother to let her daughter stay with her family so that the young lady could attend our meeting. At first the daughter rebelled against this until she had a long quiet talk with a member of that meeting.

At first we thought the teenager was a statue! All she would do was sit there with a blank look on her face. To me she looked like the Mona Lisa, with that know-it-all smile. This went on for about two months.

One night the question was asked before the sharing part of the meeting: "Does anyone have a burning desire?" The young lady jumped up and said "Yes, I do! I want out of here. You all scare me!" You see, she thought that she was the biggest, baddest, "done everything" person in the room!! By her listening, she found out that there were people who had experienced things that she could not imagine.

After the meeting, she came up to me and asked me if we could have a talk. I told her we could, if there was someone else present. So to make a long story short, we got her mother involved and the people that she was staying with so that she could attend meetings. (This was during summer vacation.)

The young lady actually desired a clean and sober life, but if she went home, she would start all over again. Her so-called friends and the neighborhood she lived in made it easy to gain drugs. The mother wanted her to be a home and to gain employment after school to keep busy.

A promise was made to "keep in touch" by phone, which was soon broken because of one excuse or another, on both sides the young lady started her old habits again! Another meeting with the mother, and it was decided (with her daughter) that the daughter would live with her grandparents and attend school there. This way she would start off with a clean slate and not be labeled a druggie.

This young lady has been clean now for two years!! She does attend another meeting, twice a week. She says that she is ready to graduate from meetings about drugs to meetings about Christ.

She has found out that all through her struggle, she had the constant friendship of two people, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, who did not judge her and gave her the strength that she needed to fight the various addictions she had. These are her words, not mine.

You see, we talked with this young lady and tried, tried, and again tried to understand her. We did not talk down to her, we encouraged her with our love first, then our patience, then our support. In all aspects of her recovery, we made it a group effort. Notice the word Effort.

Out lives have been blessed by meeting and working with this young lady. We pray that she will stay on the straight and narrow path.

– Dennis M.

– C.H.

I long to put the experience of fifty years at once into your young lives, to give you at once the key to that treasure chamber every gem of which has cost me tears and struggles and prayers, but you must work for these inward treasures yourselves.
                                                – Harriet Beecher Stowe, letter to her twin daughters

There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt. And how do you know laughter if there is no pain to compare it with?
                                                – Erma Bombeck

Faith is the highest passion in a human being. Many in every generation may not come that far, but none comes further.
                                                – Ralph Waldo Emerson

When we hear of the singular events of marvelous revelations, which do truly come to many, according to the Lord’s purposes and designs–when a "shout" is needed and a whisper, for some reason will not do–we often become distracted by the lie that only that form of revelation is sufficient to bring us to know God. But that is far from true. God can work a Mighty Change in the human heart and mind, in fact He can instill a prophetic degree of knowledge in a person who is humble enough to receive it thus, by the consistent, persistent accumulation of "still, small, whispering" witnesses. This is the equivalent of the "educational variety of spiritual experience that is referred to on pp. 569-570 of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Here, in brilliant example, is the testimony of Joseph F. Smith, of his own spiritual journey of "recovery"–recovery of his pre-mortal assignment and spiritual reality:

"When I as a boy first started out in the ministry,"" he explained, "I would frequently go out and ask the Lord to show me some marvelous thing, in order that I might receive a testimony. But the Lord withheld marvels from me, and showed me the truth, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, until he made me to know the truth from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, and until doubt and fear had been absolutely purged from me. He did not have to send an angel from the heavens to do this, nor did he have to speak with the trump of an archangel. By the whisperings of the still small voice of the Spirit of the living God, he gave to me the testimony I possess. And by this principle and power he will give to all the children of men a knowledge of the truth that will stay with them, and it will make them to know the truth, as God knows it, and to do the will of the Father as Christ does it."

This is the endowment of Mighty Change that gave those early alcoholics the ability to walk free of alcohol once a day–day after day–and for all days–for the rest of their lives. It is a knowledge of the truth that stays with you.