- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
Make Brown wrote a really good post on By Common Consent about repentance. I am providing the link – and an excerpt from one of my favorite commenters, Thomas Parkin (#7): http://bycommonconsent.com/2012/11/19/what-alcoholics-anonymous-taught-me-about-repentance/ Quote:One of the great things about seeing ourselves as fundamentally broken is that it relieves us of the guilt of being fundamentally broken. It relieves us of the need to engage in a cover-up. I like to emphasize my own sinfulness not to weigh myself or anyone else down, but in an attempt to relieve myself of the unnatural spot in relation to truth – and therefore connection – I find myself in when attempting a cover-up.
We have a number of AA members in the Stake, and I don’t mean “Automobile Association”. The two main principles of the organization, as far as I can understand, apart from admitting the help of a Higher Power, are a) clean house (i.e. sort your business out) and b) apologize and make amends to others for the wrong you have done, if possible.
Then move on to helping others.
Church members could benefit from such principles. Humility is one of them.
A couple of us here are well acquainted with AA. In my own personal Journey, AA figured in very significantly. I was addicted to how guilt destroys lives, and AA completely roved guilt and focused on powerlessness as a way to radically transform my life. It works if you work it. As well, having had a spiritual awakening as the result of the steps, I found that LDS repentance, based as it is in the threat of church discipline, is entirely wrong.
I am well aquainted with AA too. One thing Mark said was:
Quote:…I have been impressed, over and over again, by the way they don’t allow themselves any rationalization. They stand up in front of everybody and acknowledge that they are a complete mess, at rock bottom and there are no excuses. This sense of brokenness, of being thoroughly fallen, is a useful insight for me and maybe it also is for other latter-day saints. We don’t like to think of ourselves as gross sinners; we are people who make unwise choices, or who have “imperfections”.
When we stand in the group we have complete confidence that our stories will remain confidential. We could never do that in Church.
“This sense of brokenness” is very profound in the beginning of our journey. Assuming that we are honest about our circumstances & experiences.
Gradually, overtime, it gets better & we gain confidence that the “Program” works. At that point we are in a position to help others. Our sobriety
will only grow & mature when we help others. Along the way, we can never forget where we came from.
It saves my life “one day at a time” if I let it & don’t drink.
Actually I’ve no doubt that non-addicts could benefit from much of the AA/ARP type program too.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.