I love it. I remember when I first started coming back to church I was from having conquered my drug addiction. But a voice said come anyway, I will help you. Today I don't use meth and love partaking of the sacrament and renewing my covenant, I love keeping the commandments and I love reading the BofM daily. I'm grateful I came any way and that I keep coming. The Temple is coming up next for me. Can't wait.
Awesome! We all are coming with our sins. Some are just not as outwardly noticeable. I love that quote from conference that said “the smell of cigarettes in church is proof someone is trying”❤
Thank you for sharing this man’s experience! Showing God that we will go to church even when we feel uncomfortable opens up power for Him to help us with our addictions.
The fact that it went on for years gives me so much hope in the Lords timing. I'm not dealing with anything like this, but ta certain situation with my family has been taking years to resolve. But I know the Atonement is infinite and eternal. A few years aren't that long and God has a plan.
I’m on a similar journey, but it’s with feeling the Spirit. When I was a kid, I took it for granted, and now I want to feel the Spirit like I could then so badly it physically hurts.
Though I’ve had smoked in the past, I tried vaping and found it too easy. So, I don’t smoke. I rarely drink. But, I love coffee! So, my issue is how those who are LGBTQ and in relationships supposed to go to church. I’ve had my share of lgbt issues that still haven’t gone away. They part of who I am. I had even cleaned my life up enough after a divorce that I got my temple recommend back when I used to live near downtown Salt Lake City. I would go to the Salt Lake Temple and pray a lot. I even was asked to help at the Recommend Desk. It was such an honor and privilege. I have much respect for the sacredness of the temple. I just feel like there are so many who are being left out and really need our love and support just because they are LGBTQ.
I recommend trying to do like Dennis Schleicher (author of "Is He Nuts?") and find peace in serving and continue being an active good example of such challenges. 💛
The closer that you come to Christ, the easier it will be to overcome the natural man. Heavenly Father loves us so much that he gave us his Only Begotten Son. His enabling power will help you. You show your love to him by giving up your sins with his help and grace and following him. You are making progress. He doesn't expect perfection overnight, but he does love your diligent effort.
I understand how hard it is to partake of the spiritually rich covenants and sacred spaces within the temple knowing that not everyone is afforded the same opportunity due to their gender identity or sexual orientation. God made you, their child, in His image and that is nothing to be ashamed of or a sin. We have a gay son and friends with LGBTQ children. We feel incomplete in the temple knowing our whole family can’t partake in all of these blessings. You are doing a great job. Keep pressing forward. Your relationship God is the most importantly thing. He will help you figure out the rest 😊
I'm glad you're on the journey. I'm glad for those who welcome me to be on the journey alongside you and all the others of us working on doing and being better even if we're struggling. I remember once hearing in conference about Church being the hospital where the Great Physician helps us all toward healing. And this video also reminded me of when Elder Uchtdorf talked about some feeling hypocritical if they would go to Church if they were not doing yet what they believe to be a better way to live. His address in October 2013 is titled "Come, Join with Us" and here is a little quote from it: "None of us is quite as Christlike as we know we should be. But we earnestly desire to overcome our faults and the tendency to sin. With our heart and soul we yearn to become better with the help of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. "If these are your desires, then regardless of your circumstances, your personal history, or the strength of your testimony, there is room for you in this Church. Come, join with us!"
In my opinion, the Church needs to start using the sacred tithing money to help people with addictions (by sending those who are willing and want to change but can’t pay for a rehab). I feel like we, here in America, get forgotten about. We need help too. I am grateful that people in 3rd world countries receive blessings, that is wonderful, but just because we live in a 1st world country does not mean we have all our needs met as well. Barely 10% of the members in America truly live the Gospel and truly serve one another… which is not enough. Anyways. Just a thought. It would be of great worth if the Church helped addicts get to a rehab and helped nursed them back to health.
@@holversonmusic3141 In addition Church Family Services have therapists. There's more that Christ's church does than people realize! 😃 @RyanHelpMeUnderstand, maybe something in addition to such a suggestion in comments to do would be help be a voice and promote such lesser known options that The Church provides. 🤷🙂
