Photo attribution: here
A lot of my therapeutic work of late has centered around addiction recovery. I’ve worked with clients with many different types of addiction–chemical, food, sexual, etc. Learning the steps to help individuals extricate themselves from addictive patterns and the shame that fuels addictive behavior has really opened my eyes to the help people sometimes need in overcoming these types of snares.
Recently my cousin and I were talking about addiction. He was asking how I advise people who are sexually addicted, and after I shared a few of the things I help clients do in order to heal, he said “yes, but what about the Atonement? Can’t it heal addiction?”
Having never struggled with addiction himself, he was asking an interesting question. It’s a question I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I’ve been trying to understand the far-reaching effects of the Atonement. Its enabling power. It’s power to heal. It’s power to change things for the better.
In the case of an addict, I think the answer gets muddy. There is a useful comparison when you juxtapose it to a physical ailment or injury. If your child was in a car accident, a mis-directed soul could argue “well, Christ has the power to heal all things. Thus, you don’t need a doctor to heal your child’s broken body. If you just believe and pray and read your scriptures, your child will be healed.” However, most people in our culture recognize that far more than simply believing and hoping and praying is necessary to heal that child. Most people recognize that even though it is through the power of Christ the child will be healed, it is not instead of proper care by those trained in the healing of human bodies, but instead in tandem with those actions.
The same idea can perhaps be applied to someone overcoming addiction. Yes the power of Christ to heal is infinite, but is it not also coupled with agency and the resources available to any individual? And just as a child won’t be miraculously healed from a car accident solely by the power of Christ when there is a hospital filled with doctors down the street, likewise can we not assume that a soul racked with addiction cannot be healed without first utilizing the capable professional care available to him or her in counselors and other professionals trained to help?
I have a very deep and personal knowledge of the power of the Atonement, and that although I don’t understand it perfectly, I can see its effects in my life in very clear ways. I want to understand it more deeply–it’s been a theme for me of late, which is where this post came from.
Here is the question I pose, and I’d love to hear people’s responses. If I have a client who is not LDS come to my office, I supply them with the materials and techniques that science has derived in order for him to recover from his addiction. Often times, when those tools are used, that man does recover. Without “closeness to the spirit” or praying or any such thing. Just diligent practice of certain techniques, and he finds recovery possible. Often this requires belief in a higher power, but even atheists I have worked with have found recovery in this way. Their marriages are healed. They recover. No ecclesiastical guidance. No scripture reading. No prayer. No interaction with a clergyman of any kind.
Given this phenomenon, what role does the Atonement have in the recovery from sexual addiction? Is the Atonement necessary for recovery from sexual addiction? If so, where does it begin, and the help from trained professionals end? And when and how is the Atonement activated in this process? And to what end?
I would really love to hear your thoughts.
First of all, Mormons do not have a corner on the market of righteousness nor access to the spirit, and not even the redemptive power of Christ. Remember that everyone will be judged based on their knowledge and opportunity for knowledge. Remember that it’s the atonement that provides us with our agency, and our ability to repent and to change. That atheist is still a beloved child of God, and as such, has access to the blessings of the atonement, including the power to choose and the power to change. I don’t believe that our Heavenly Father is just some watchmaker that set up the world and is now watching it run. He’s a parent that is intimately involved in the lives of His children and is trying to help them clean up their messes. That’s what parents do. If we look closely, we can see the hand of God in the lives of everyone around us; even the atheist addict.
Totally agree. So, what do you think about the idea, conversely, of a youth who is struggling with a pornography addiction who goes to see his bishop and is told that through prayer and the power of the Atonement (and no other type of intervention), he can be delivered from this evil?
I would say that if that is what the spirit confirms to both of them, then that will work because Christ knows what will work for each individual. The key is that the spirit is truly inspiring that. On the other hand, a completely different individual may need something more. Really only Christ knows what we all need and the key is relying on the spirit to understand what that may be (See my post below:)).
I remember hearing of a missionary who thought he could learn the language through study and prayer, without actually putting effort into the language lessons in the MTC. He thought his faith in the Lord would allow him to speak in tongues, I guess. Most people would agree that that was a foolish idea. I like what President Hinckley used to say, that we should pray like everything depended upon the Lord, and work like everything depended upon us. I think the “no other type of intervention” would be disregarding the advice of the Prophet.
Oh, gosh. I really think I might need your help, Josh. We recently discovered that our 15-year-old son had been struggling with a pornography addiction. I had had suspicions and had fasted and prayed in advance of putting a lot of planning into a family night designed to open lines of communication. It did come out that night, although not so much by a voluntary confession as by being rumbled. Our lovely bishop came over that very night to meet with us. He counselled with my son, with us, read scripture, lent him a book (the name of which elludes me right now), discussed a period of time during which he would not administer in or partake of the sacrament, and arranged another interview.
The book was an addiction recovery book and my son started to read it, but I’m not sure how long it continued. Bishop met with him since, and, having been assured by my son that everything was fine, restored all rights to him (sooner than had been planned).
I have tried to keep lines of communication open with my boy. He claims to have changed his habits. He recently attended EFY, for which he had a worthiness interview first. I guess (having read a lot about the subject) that I’m just suspicious of how easily he seems to have thrown of the shackles of something which I understand can be so pernicious and insidious.
All bishop seemed to do was what you have refered to, focus on the power of the atonement and exhort him to pray. There was also the book, but I think my son stopped with any programme fairly quickly saying that things were no longer a problem.
Am I right to consider other help? I don’t want to seem distrustful.
I’m a contributor to your blog by another name and I will message you in case you want to reply privately.
The book was called ‘He Did Deliver Me Out Of Bondage’.
Dear By Another Name:
Truly, I do hope your son is past his addiction with porn (or if it was early, maybe a flirtation?) An addiction is not so quickly easy to move past, as it typically becomes all-comsuming. Time will tell. I do wish he’d been willing to continue with a program. Most bishops are familiar, I hope, with the LDS Family Services Addiction Recovery manual. Where meetings aren’t available, many bishops are willing to have weekly meetings with a struggling member, going through the each step weekly, with discussion, prayer and encouragement to actively work the twelve steps of repentance. Hopefully, the focus of heart-felt prayer with open-hearted study of scripture will bring your son to a living, trusting, grateful, joyously close relationship with God. That would be his greatest strength. Hoping for the best for your family! You sound like an excellent and inspired parent.
Thank you for your kind words. I don’t feel very inspired or excellent.
My son suggested that he fell into this because of a spiritual and emotional ‘deadness’ in other areas of his life. He doesn’t really enjoy school and he was struggling to feel the spirit at church and at home. He cites that as a cause rather than a consequence. While this was what he was doing behind closed doors his public persona has never strayed from the path. He has never shown any reluctance to attend church, or gone off the rails in any visible public way. He completed his first year of seminary with good dedication and really enjoyed EFY (but possibly on more of a social level rather than a spiritual one).
I have been worried about his relationship with Heavenly Father. His prayers have never developed a maturity or a devotion that I would expect of a lad his age who had developed a personal relationship with his Father in Heaven. When he offers family prayers they seem quite rote and shallow. I’m not sure he prays in private at all. Tonight’s family night is going to be about prayer. (If anyone reads this in time and can recommend a good conference address or Mormon moment that would be great!)
I should point out that I have a friend who found the church, and after taking the discussions and feeling of the power of the spirit, decided then and there to stop smoking. He made the decision once and for all, and never looked back. So I know it’s possible to change behavior quickly. However, I also know people for whom that kind of change seems out of their reach. There has to be a decision to act, a decision to change, a decision to work and effort be expended, and for many people, they need help with that part. I don’t mean to say that everyone who has a problem with pornography needs professional help, but for some people it could sure be necessary. And for everybody, agency needs to be exercised.
Josh,
When I was fifteen, I was in the grip of a powerful sexual addiction that included lots of sexual activity with my peers. I was not active in the Church at the time. I had no interactions with priesthood leaders, therapists, or support groups. It was just me and the Lord. Many prayers, a habit I had thanks to my mother, were offered. One prayer in particular, was powerful and lengthy. In that prayer, I forged a covenant with God to cease all sex acts with males. Never returned to it.
I don’t think it happens that way with everyone. No matter how it happens, I think we can always attribute healing to God. Whether He does it dramatically as he did with me, or through clinical and somewhat secular ideas as with your atheist clients, God is the author of it. He is the author of all truth and the Holy Ghost is the revealer of all truth.
At the time I had my prayer experience, I didn’t have access to a bishop that I knew. Therapists didn’t understand sexual addiction. There wasn’t even a Sexaholics Anonymous then. I am grateful things exist now that didn’t then. Whatever in those things is true, it comes from God.
Great post, and thought-provoking.
I think that in the Church we often speak of the “enabling power of the Atonement” as an excuse not to take certain things seriously, for example addictions that one may not understand or the homosexual experience. “The Atonement is there, so I don’t need to struggle to understand people going through that. They can just access the Atonement and have it be okay.”
I think it’s wrong to implicitly use the Atonement as an excuse for not seeking to understand reality. I personally believe in the enabling power of the Atonement, but I tend to discount the type of “enabling power” that people posit when it is used hypocritically as described above.
So what is the enabling power? I really like the first responder’s take and his rightly considering agency as a product of the Atonement (which it clearly is) as well as “the ability to repent and change,” insofar as it is not applied hypocritically. Everyone regularly commits a multitude of sins, and many continuously repent, but despite this desire to change, they go on committing the same sins over and over. Does this put them in constant fear of their eternal salvation? Does it negate in their minds the power of the Atonement that brings “the ability to repent and change?” No, not usually. When it does is a sign to me that the “power” is being applied (or, rather, expected) selectively and hypocritically.
The scriptures make it abundantly clear that we all sin and that we will not be free of sin by ourselves in this life. But Christ saves us from our sin. As Mormons, we react negatively sometimes to the idea of “grace,” but, philosophically, I don’t see how we can possibly get around it. We have to do the best we can, but it will never be enough. We can’t even know what our “best” is, so all we can really do is trust the Lord. I think that is where the real power of the Atonement is, and that we can’t really access it that well until we stop expecting ourselves (but not trying, of course) to be perfect and just accept the grace of the Savior.
I would like to piggy back on both previous comments. Grace and Agency are both so fascinating. I recently read a book by James Farrell who gives an in depth look into grace. He pointed out the same thing that Trev just did; that we are all sinners. And really there’s not a “better” or “worse” sinner. Sin is sin. It separates us from God. And I think that the Atonement is a gift through grace. An active LDS man or woman that is living the commandments to their best ability is no more deserving of the Atonement than someone who drinks and cheats. Now as members of the church we do have a corner on the market in some areas like Priesthood and knowledge…but thats a comment for another day.
The point I’m trying to make is, I don’t think we ever “earn” access to the Atonement. It is always a gift. God knows what is best for us in life and provides us with experiences and opportunities that will help us grow. So I think blessings from the Atonement have more to do with God’s will, than it does our righteousness. Now I feel the need to be clear here, because this is easy to misunderstand what I’m saying. God wants us to be righteous, of course. He wants us to learn to be like Him. It’s commonly understood that we can never do it without the Atonement. Where I think we tend to get confused is when we either feel we are entitled to immediate blessings or relief from trial under the Atonement. Sometimes people who aren’t following Christ are healed, because it’s God’s will. Sometimes people who are trying with all their heart to be “perfect” and are not healed, because it’s God’s will. Neither is more “deserving” of healing. All are equal in God’s sight, and God’s love is not defined by blessings or circumstances.
Look at Christ himself. He wasn’t saved from Gethsemane. Joseph Smith suffered unbearable trials. And some are protected from trial. The woman with an issue of blood was healed. Jairius’ daughter was raised from the dead. So what do they all have in common? They simply served some purpose in God’s will.
For an interesting look at grace, check out this post:
http://true2thetruth.blogspot.com/2012/08/grace.html
I gave a talk not to long ago about the atonement and I had some interesting thoughts. First off, the atonement happens at many different levels. It happens on a day to day basis for everyone, whether we know it or not. IT’s not just about the healing and the getting rid of sin. It’s about our every day to day actions and it works because Christ knows exactly what we need to help us. If I am depressed, he knows what that feels like…and not just that he know what I personally need to be healed of that. It may just be that I need a friend to come over…so what does he do, he inspires my friend to come over. That is the atonement in action, because he suffered to know exactly what I need so that he could send me exactly what I need.
In terms of addiction, he knows what that feels like too. He suffered everything. He knows not just what it feels like, but what exactly I need to recover. So, there’s a few things he can do. Make it happen without any effort from me(which does happen), or he can inspire me to go to a certain therapist or use a certain method. It’s still about the atonement because he has given me, and inspired many involved to do certain things that will help me personally. This happens because he had suffered all and understands my personal needs. It’s all the atonement.
So when you talk about people who not religious, my bet is, that they are following the inklings of the spirit to do certain things (even if they don’t acknowledge them), and you too are following those same things. And it comes together to help all involved because of the atonement.
People can and still do refuse to listen those small promptings and they then can not receive the blessings that come from the atonement. It’s their choice. Hopefully, though, they do, and those small inklings become bigger and bigger until we are able to access the atonement to the greatest extent: to become like Christ and change our hearts to be able to live with him.
Hope that all makes sense:)
The atonement is necessary for us to regain our place with God. For every mistake a penance must be paid. Though we strive for perfection, the very essence of mortality requires us to make mistakes. We learn from them. We are mortal. It is our nature. Whether you are Christian or not, man is also a spiritual being. No matter what one chooses to call it, there is a connection between the next life and this one. Our minds and knowledge are meant to be utilized to the best of our ability. Anything less would be a waste of, I believe, God given talent. So—we are week and develop an addiction–the knowledge given man should be used for the betterment of man. Then after we have done all we know how to do–even if it falls short–God will do the rest. The recovery from addiction is just like the atonement. We are here making mistakes and striving to over come. It still isnt enough without Gods grace to take us the rest of the way. A therapist is helping someone with an addiction to be their best and overcome the weaknesses of the flesh and whether they acknowledge him or not, God is helping them be strong and if they truly want to change they will. He is a Loving Father in Heaven and loves all of his children whether they know him or not. He did not abandon us here on earth and he knows someones soul–we don’t.
I am sure that you pray for your clients in need. That makes you better at your work. There may be family and friends praying for them too. We will never know. Even though one does not believe in God, I can assure you God believes in them.
This is how I see it:
It is only through the power of the Atonement that our gift of agency is possible. The fact that someone can overcome anything–physical sickness, addiction, bad habits, neglect, depression, laziness, etc–with or without the aid of a professional (though in a lot of cases we need guided help because we simply lack the knowledge to change) and with or without calling specifically on the Atonement for extra support is possible because we have our agency and the power within ourselves to change. The Atonement makes that possible. It makes all healing, all changing, all progress possible. Whether or not we acknowledge it, whether or not we are religious, our agency and the power to change that it carries with it are gifts we were all given. It is one of Satan’s biggest lies, that we cannot do anything on our own. While our agency is a gift from Heavenly Father and a direct by-product of the Atonement it is a gift we have been given and it does come with power. We have the power within ourselves to become who we want, to change whatever we wish to change.
Again, that isn’t to underplay how difficult change can be, just to say that, in my opinion and in my limited understanding, this is how I see this overcoming possible, no matter how you go about or approach the changing process… the process is possible because we have agency which is a gift afforded us because of the Atonement.
Did I beat that horse to death yet?
I love the insightful comments I’ve read. You’re familiar with the LDS Family Services Addiction Recovery Program, Josh? And I hope you’re familiar with our recovery meetings, and the Twelve Step program that’s been adapted (with permission from A.A). It’s been spotlighted in church magazines from time to time. Addiction is a primarily a disease of the spirit and God is especially good with that. The Twelve Step Program is essentially the twelve essential steps of repentance, coming unto Christ for healing, and ultimately, discipleship. Until a few years ago, I was a missionary in that program for several years and witnessed the power of Christ’s atonement work miracles in many lives. I’ve heard some of the most heart-felt prayers and testimonies of Christ from those in recovery. I beg you to become more familiar with that program. There are groups for those in recovery of chemical substances, other groups for family and friends; meetings for sexual addiction including pornography, and a group for spouses. The manual is available through Mormon.Org.
Meaning no disrespect, but no, I do not believe it’s needful for addicts to receive therapy with capable professionals, although for some, it might be helpful. Of course, a person’s desire for recovery is key, as is their use of agency. Addiction is one of the adversary’s greatest tools to diminish and destroy personal agency. Without free use of free will and agency, an addict is in spiritual bondage. Only the power of Christ’s Atonement can restore it. And it’s not reserved for only those who believe in Him. God is willing to work through the inspiration of a good therapist.
My son’s long struggle with addiction, my brother’s, my niece’s, nephews’ (it goes on and on) who all received professional therapy, received multitudes of prescription drugs to supposedly “help” them. Very counterproductive since nearly all their addictions are to prescription substances, anyway. None have recovered, and none have been willing to turn to God. A therapist who specializes in addiction recovery told me, she doesn’t get adequately paid by insurance for appointments unless it’s been “needful” to “adjust” a patient’s medications. So, I’ve come to believe that in many instances those medications are more to the advantage of the therapist than the addict. (Being blunt here, I agree…..)
My clear and absolute answer……my clear and absolute testimony is that YES!! Jesus Christ has power to restore addicts to free and proper use of their agency, to free them from the bondage of shame and addiction, to heal and restore broken relationships that were shattered by addiction…….the most important one being with Himself, with the Holy Spirit, and our Heavenly Father. While He never intrudes upon agency, He is perfectly capable of defending and restoring it, and of setting us free from the bondage of having lost it. God willingly shares His power if we truly seek Him. Repentance is key, but God will aid our repentance. Like Amulek’s answer to Zeezrom, we are not saved “in” our sins, but “from” our sins. Without repentance Christ would be an enabler of sin. Seeking Christ’s atoning power in repentance gives us new life in Him. Through Jesus Christ, there is hope of all good things. He can turn even our adversities into blessings. By His suffering in Gethsemene and by His death and resurrection, Jesus, our Savior has won power over every trial, suffering, affliction, sin, sorrow, and death that has come upon every living being as a result of the Fall. We can trust Him.
I hypothesize that some day when we better understand the human mind and addictions, there will continue to be more and more “specialties” like there are in other branches of medicine. We have Chiropractors, Physical Therapists, Neurologists, Endocrinologists, etc… There are all sorts of different “methods” and styles of therapy; and one might work for a certain individual, while proving ineffective to another. When I go to my Chiropractor, he naturally seems to think things that are wrong with me relate to his field of experience. It takes time to find a therapist and or medication that is right for you; but just because one or two, or even more haven’t worked doesn’t mean the entire practice doesn’t work. You just need to find a therapist who “specializes” in what you need. Someone whose methods and style match with your personality and/or issues.
I’ve been to a handful of different therapists and even tried alternative medicine. I’ve had some bad experiences with both prescription drugs, and therapists. I had one therapist that just seemed to want me to live a homosexual lifestyle. If I had left that as my conclusion that therapists are bad…I would have missed out on the immense growth that came with the next therapist I went to.
I’m saying this because it would be sad to me if people drew conclusions that medication or therapy is harmful. Are there medications that don’t work? Yes. Are there therapists that lead people astray, or do unethical things? Yes. But someone who has chronic headaches, might find relief in being treated for sleep apnea, spine adjustments, or stress relief.
I think the Lord expects us to be open minded and to use the resources he has so generously gave to us.
I just saw an article in the September issue of the Ensign about this very topic. It did say that sometimes professional help is needed.
I’m not a therapist, but my guess is it would depend on the severity of the addiction, how long the person has struggled with it, and possibly other factors which are individual.
I love the church’s Addiction Recovery Progam! I am familiar with it. I think in the cases where professional help is needed, the two could work hand in hand.
The difference between justification and sanctification comes to mind here. Both are empowered by the atonement. Justification makes up for the sins. Sanctification makes us a person less likely to sin again.
Could the same be true about overcoming addiction? The fellow who does it without belief in God, just with help from therapies and methods, is drawing on the “justification” level of the atonement, the “free gift” to all who seek to overcome the natural man in any way.
The believer who includes prayer and faith in his recovery is moving on to the “sanctification” level of the atonement, drawing on the Lord’s power to help him become more Christlike.