The Work of Salvation

one of my brothers just got home from his 2 year mission in brazil. i was lucky enough to come home to WA to be here for it. it's really been a great experience to be here with all of my brothers and family. as he was getting released, i thought about how much his service in the mission field might have had an affect on the experiences that i've been blessed to go through these last couple of years.

when my dad spoke he talked about some of the trials my brother wrote about in his emails and mentioned our newly adopted family motto which is a quote from Joseph B. Wirthlin: 

"Come what may and love it." 

we don't have control over what difficulties/trials/hardships we are faced with, but we do have control over our attitudes and that is where we can find true happiness. 

during the worldwide missionary broadcast The Work of Salvation there was a quote from President Joseph Fielding Smith: 

"To save the souls of those who have strayed from the fold is just as worthy and commendable and causes just as much rejoicing in heaven as to save souls in far away parts of the earth."

brazil is definitely a far away part of the earth and he was blessed with the opportunity to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to bring many people to the light and knowledge of the restored gospel. i then thought about how many people are affected by this addiction, how many of us there are that feel trapped and in bondage from the sin and guilt and hurt and pain and fear and doubt that this problem creates and how many there are that go to just my local ARP meetings. i don't have to go far to find many who have strayed from the fold (myself included). then the realization came to me that made this quote my new favorite quote for recovery:

recovery is missionary work!

i get to share my personal experiences, what works for me and what doesn't. i get to testify of the principles of the restored gospel and of Heavenly Father and of His son Jesus Christ. i get to test and practice and live what i study and learn for myself and i am blessed to receive inspiration and promptings from the Holy Ghost as i seek more light and knowledge on how to overcome this addiction. i've been blessed with the opportunity to be a missionary all the days of my life because i am committed to working recovery all the days of my life and recovery is missionary work. for this i am grateful because we all know how much the Lord blesses His missionaries!

one of those promised blessings was given by an apostle of the Lord, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland during this broadcast: 

"As you act upon the direction you will be given... you will feel Him guiding you and lifting you and directing you to do that which on your own is far beyond your capacity, but that with Him is always possible."

i of myself am powerless to overcome this addiction, but with Him there is nothing i can't do. as i continue to work and travel along this path of recovery i can be His missionary and an instrument in His hands to be there to lift up others who are in need of help finding the way back to Him.