To the Suffering Reader Seeking to Establish Sobriety:

4 hours sober. As your brother in recovery please know that I love you. I believe in you, and I am praying for you. We are stronger than we realize. We are more capable than we can imagine.

President Dieter F. Utchdorf once said: "I give you this promise in the name of the Lord: Rise up and follow in the footsteps of our Redeemer and Savior, and one day you will look back and be filled with eternal gratitude that you chose to trust the Atonement and its power to lift you up and give you strength.

...no matter how many times you have slipped or fallen, rise up! Your destiny is a glorious one! Stand tall and walk in the light of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ! You are stronger than you realize. You are more capable than you can imagine. You can do it now!"

I know for myself that President Utchdorf's testimony is true. Together, we can do what is seemingly impossible and we can do it now!

For several months, I've struggled to maintain white book sobriety. With all of my heart I desire to accept an honest and willing sobriety.

I recently made the decision to stop counting days. I've started counting hours. This has become a great stress reliever for me and has become a major boon for my recovery. It has allowed me to slow down and really focus on Christ by surrendering my powerlessness and unmanageability to him. I would encourage you to give it a try. I have faith that one by one, the hours will add up quickly.

I have a clock on my blog counting my clean and sober time up to the most recent millisecond. I have faith that this tool will motivate me to remain accountable to the people who read this blog, to the newcomer, to my family, to my friends, to my God and to my true nature. It will be a strong relapse deterrent for me. I have faith that it will remind me to think of others before I think of myself. To dedicate my time, my talents, my strength and hold nothing back in my war against lust. THE war against Lucifer and his angels. I testify that together, we never have to use again, we never have to act out again, our last relapse can really be our last. We can do it now.

I am willing to defend my peace of mind, and this hour I am willing to do whatever it takes, all that it takes, for as long as it takes to stay sober. Peace of mind and spirit are the greatest gifts God has given me in my recovery. I testify that the peace and freedom I long for can be mine when I vocally reach out to God and sincerely surrender my lust one hour at a time.

I have discovered that the keys to successful surrender for me are:

1) Deciding to make myself available to God. To reach out to Him as best I can and talk to Him out loud.

2) Deciding each hour and even sometimes moment by moment to be honest and open minded with God, and to willingly surrender my life and my will in his care and to the care of his son, Jesus Christ.

3) Deciding to continually admit my powerlessness and unmanageability to God, asking him earnestly for the capability to discern his will and to do it.

4) Repeat. repeat. repeat! Whatever it takes, all that it takes, for as long as it takes.

Elder Neal A Maxwell taught: “God does not begin by asking us about our ability {to stay sober}, but only about our availability {to talk to him}, and if we then prove our dependability {honestly and with constant surrender}, he will increase our capability {to recovery from our addiction and do all that we admit we cannot do alone}.”(The words in the brackets are mine. Not Elder Maxwell's.)

Wow! What an empowering promise!

What if the promise really were true? How could I know if it were really true? Would I be willing to put it to the test?

I testify that the Book of Mormon provides the answer through the ancient prophet, Moroni.

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.
~ Moroni 10:4-7

Remember Pesident Utchdorf's declaration? "You can do it NOW!"

Right now I commit to you my brother, my sister, my friend, my neighbor, that I will put Elder Maxwell's counsel to the test now. I surrender my life and my will to my Heavenly Father's care and to the care of his son, Jesus Christ. I will be honest, open minded and willing to recieve and follow their direction now. I earnestly plead with God for the capability to discern his will and faithfully do it now.

I invite you to join me and share with me your experience, strength, and hope when you test and receive the promised blessings from Elder Maxwell's counsel.

I testify that Jesus is the Christ and that his atonement is real. His prophets in ancient and latter days testify of him and speak his truth today. I testify that God lives and loves us. Through the atonement of his only begotten son we will be enabled with the ability to do what we know we cannot do alone.

I remember the words of Nephi:

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen. ~ 2 Nephi 31:19-21.

With unshaken faith in Christ, "relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save." We can do it now.

As we turn to him and surrender ourselves to his will, may God ease our suffering and enable us with the power to establish solid sobriety.

Please reach out and share your experience, strength and hope with me. I would love to read your shares and I invite you to play an active role in my recovery. I need your love and strength.

Keep coming back and go forward with faith! God is truly in charge!