A wise man who used to attend AA meetings with me once shared how his sponsor taught him to work the steps in order. His sponsor said to him, "And for dummies like you, they're numbered." I can't overstate the value of sponsorship. I heard some say, "If you are having problems working a step, then go back and rework the one before it." The steps become a spiritual progression. One step builds upon another. There is usually a willingness step before the action step.
Steps Four and Five are related so it's not surprising to see them spoken of in the same verse in Mosiah chapter 4. Here are the variations of this step:
AA Step Five: "Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."
LDS Addiction Recovery Guide: "Admit to yourself, to your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, to proper priesthood authority, and to another person the exact nature of your wrongs."
King Benjamin: "And they had viewed themselves in their own carnal state, even less than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men" (Mosiah 4:2).
After the people had worked Step Four by taking their own personal, moral inventory, expressed in the Book of Mormon as "they had viewed themselves," they made an open, verbal confession aloud in the presence of God, each other, and their king. As the LDS Guide suggests, they make this confession in the name of Jesus Christ, and in the next chapter they will take His name upon themselves in a covenant relationship. King Benjamin gathers the people together as kings did anciently during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) as their king and priesthood leader. King Mosiah, who will be Benjamin's successor, will later give priesthood keys to Alma to establish churches (or wards and branches of the Church) throughout the land. The text says, "And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted unto Alma that he might establish churches throughout all the land of Zarahemla; and gave him power to ordain priests and teachers over every church" (Mosiah 25:19). So it's significant that this confession is made in the presence of their priesthood leader as well.
They had learned much about how to take this step from Step Four, as their inventory revealed the "exact nature" of their character defects. Their "living problem" (not drinking problem) was a result of their "carnal state" stemming back to the Fall, "the cause of all mankind becoming carnal, sensual, devilish" (Mosiah 16:3). And these people realize their only shot at recovery will come from the Atonement of Jesus Christ, allowing their hearts to be changed. With a changed heart, recovery becomes joyous, happy, and fulfilling, while just changing the behavior results in just another "dry drunk." They identify their Higher Power as Jesus Christ, and these people know and understand that their faith will activate His grace.
Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the guidance of these steps, the people will come away with an eternal vision, and "through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit," they will have "great views" of their own potential and that of their brothers and sisters in the gospel (see Mosiah 5:3).
I remember working Steps Four and Five for the first time. Several months of sobriety had only given me tunnel vision. I was so focused on just staying sober that I could hardly see anything else in my future life. One day my bishop called me into his office. He had a list of endowed members of his ward who did not hold temple recommends. He had seen my name on that list for years, and as he regularly prayed about it, he felt through the Spirit that the timing was not right. But on this day, he prayed and received a prompting that the time had come for me to start working on returning to the temple. As he shared this experience with me and challenged me to return to the temple, I responded, "Well bishop, I think that's impossible. I'm an alcoholic." I really expected him to say, "Oh well, in that case, thanks for your time," and then excuse me from his office. But he didn't do that. Instead, he laid out a plan for me to get temple blessings back into my life and gave me a timetable for all of this.
I will always be grateful for the help of sponsors and bishops in working this step. Future inventories revealed other character defects and addictions, and I had this experience several times of going back to the bishop. Each time, my bishop gave me plans and goals to help me overcome addictions and other problems. Being able to receive the blessings of the temple has blessed my life in so many ways.
On this Easter Day I wish to express praise and gratitude for all the tender mercies of our Savior Jesus Christ, as I know that "but for the grace of God, there go I." I know on that first Easter weekend, in an olive garden and on a cross, He purchased recovery for me and countless others at a staggering price.
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