King Benjamin Teaches Step Nine

In Step Eight we became willing to make amends to all persons we had harmed. Now again in Step Nine the rubber meets the road as we begin to make restitution and offer sincere apologies for the wreckage of the past.

AA Step Nine: "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others."

LDS Addiction Recovery Step Nine: "Wherever possible, make direct restitution to all persons you have harmed."

LDS Step Nine Key Principle: Restitution and Reconciliation

King Benjamin: "And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due" (Mosiah 4:13).

The first part of this verse in Mosiah is about Step Eight. Because we do not want to harm others, and realizing our actions in the past caused great harm, we become willing to make amends. The last part of this verse is about the actual process of making restitution where possible. Since the first part of the verse is about avoiding injury to others, of necessity, the last part about rendering to every man (or woman) according to that which is his due, must deal with settling the score. We need to offer apologies, make restitution, and become reconciled if it's due. If we owe someone an apology, we render according to his or her due.

Not much later in the Book of Mormon we see an actual Step Nine in action as Alma the younger and the sons of Mosiah went about "zealously striving to repair all the injuries which they had done to the church" (Mosiah 27:35).

In my early recovery I considered Step Nine to be the most challenging for me. It was especially hard to make apologies to those closest to me, like my parents. There were many broken promises and insincere apologies from the past, and these haunted me. I kept waiting until I had enough sobriety to back up my apologies. But as time went on, it just became harder.

I mentioned adding BYU to my list to make amends. I had had conversations on the bus with a man who became a good friend. After I discovered he worked in the Honor Code Office the Spirit kept nagging me to go work a Step Nine with the university.

One morning on the bus I asked if I could meet with him. He invited me to meet with him in his office. I confessed that while I was a student there I had violated the Honor Code almost daily with my drinking. Part of the Honor Code was an agreement to abide by the Word of Wisdom. Of course my friend was a professional counselor. He said, "Do you feel like you need to make restitution?" Without thinking, the words popped out of my mouth, "I do." I immediately wondered what I had gotten myself into. I thought he might give me a service project on campus, like picking up litter or something. Instead he said if I would stay active in Twelve Step recovery and try to carry the message and help other addicts, that on behalf of the university he was authorized to wipe the slate clean. I would be forgiven by the university.

Later he actually referred students to me who were grasped by the clutches of addiction and alcoholism. When I was a student there, I thought I was the only alcoholic on campus. By attempting to work Step Nine I was also working Step Twelve as I tried to carry the message to others.

Thus, it was like killing two birds with one stone.

Steps Five and Nine are very difficult. It's not easy to confess and it's not easy to make amends. But the reward is a burden of guilt lifted off one's shoulders. I testify it is very liberating. It heals and cleanses the soul. I also testify of the Lord's grace in working all these steps. Doors are opened and opportunities are presented allowing us to do what we are not able by ourselves.