Lessons on Freedom and Patriotism
Lesson No. Nineteen
The Bondage of Addiction
The Book of Mormon teaches that our spirit is to act and our body is to be acted upon: “For there is a God and he hath created all things…both things to act (our spirit) and things to be acted upon (our body)” (2 Nephi 2:14).
The Holy Spirit speaks to our spirits and entices us to do good and to choose eternal life. (See 2 Nephi 2: 28) If our spiritual nature is the actor we can be free from the bondage of addictions.
The devil entices us to evil through the appetites of the flesh. Choosing the flesh “gives the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom” (2 Nephi 2:29). If physical appetites dominate our spirits we become addicted.
In our lives there is a battle between the flesh and the spirit. Even prophets experience this conflict. Nephi exclaimed: “O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities….And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, who should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Awake my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul” (2 Nephi 4:17, 27-28).
People with addictions have let their physical body act and their spirits be acted upon. The bondage resulting from physical addictions to alcohol, drugs, sex and pornography, tobacco, anger, etc, are one of the great threats to individuals, families, and society.
As a chairman/vice-chairman of the Utah Alcohol Beverage Control Commission for ten years I saw the destruction caused by alcohol addiction. The most important thing that was accomplished during my tenure was securing permanent funding of $1,700,000 a year, which increases as alcohol sales increase, for educating the public on the high rate of alcohol addiction among youthful drinkers and the permanent damage caused by alcohol to adolescent brains. We placed descriptive pictures on city and county garbage trucks which then become moving billboards that alcohol is garbage that trashes young brains.
In the Word of Wisdom the Lord warned us about conspiring men and addiction. The Lord said: “In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you…by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation” (D&C 89:4).
There is a war going on in our society, and the greatest threat to our individual freedom is not over reaching government, terrorism, or some foreign power. Rather, it is wicked people who would bind us with the chains of addiction to the appetites of the flesh. This includes such things as alcohol, drugs, sex and pornography, tobacco, and anger,
Testimony - There are many people who don’t have the gospel and are not aware of the Word of Wisdom. There are others who choose to ignore this warning. Many of these are addicted and in bondage. The gospel provides the permanent way to be free from the bondage of addiction:
“It is through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts...Hence the explanation, 'It is by grace we are saved, after all we can do' (2 Nephi 25:23)" (Bible Dictionary, Grace).
We do all that we can and then the Lord, through grace, makes up the difference required to be free from the bondage of addiction. Remember, there is nothing too hard for the Lord.