Addiction Imagery in King Noah's Court

The entire Book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon deals with addiction and recovery, and we see a prime example in King Noah and his priests. The cycle of addiction begins with an "over-zealous" father (see Mosiah 7:21; 9:3) producing a rebellious son. I have listened to many an addict describe an over-zealous, fanatical style of parenting, and its contribution to rebellious, addicted children.

King Noah was a "wine-bibber" who "spent his time in riotous living" (Mosiah 11:14-15). I guess this was the politically correct term for alcoholic in his day. The reader is given a clue to the root of addiction as "he did walk after the desires of his own heart" (Mosiah 11:2). The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous would call this "self-will run riot."

We see the addiction progress as partying and reveling are replaced by the hallmark signs of advanced addiction. Let's examine the imagery later on.

"having searched in vain" (Mosiah 19:1)

Thankfully, one of King Noah's priests was paying attention to Abinadi, who comes to warn them of the inevitable bondage soon to occur. Alma was convinced of the words of Abinadi and flees into the wilderness, writes down the teachings of Abinadi, and goes about privately teaching the people until he has established a group of 450 followers (see Mosiah 18:35). Noah, enraged by this, sends an army after Alma and his followers, but "the army of the king returned, having searched in vain for the people of the Lord" (Mosiah 19:1).

As practicing addicts, our vain imagination and vain search of things to fill the empty place in the midst of our souls, lead us to alcohol, drugs, food, sex, gambling, and many other things, only to leave us hungrier, thirstier, and more in desperate want. In Twelve Step recovery this is often called "The God Hole." It is the emptiness only God can fill, while the depleted addict searches in vain.

"the forces of the king were small, having been reduced" (Mosiah 19:2)

In the beginning, alcohol was my liquid bravado. But over many years of hard drinking, the tables were turned, as it sapped my energy, depleted my drive, and just plain out made me sick and tired. I became unproductive and unmotivated, feeling a sense of defeat. I became "powerless over alcohol," having been reduced to a dependent drunk.

"there began to be a division" (Mosiah 19:2)

As addicts, we feel isolated from family, friends, and society. But it's almost like there's a division of the inner self. My body only craved my next fix, but my spirit held loftier aspirations. Alma would have a son (Alma the Younger) who expressed the turning point in his life by saying, "Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there" (Alma 36:22).

I have friends in recovery who have been spiritually starved. Now they can't get enough of the temple, enough of the scriptures, and enough of the gospel in their lives. But they do get filled up!

"And the lesser part began to breathe out threatenings . . . and there began to be a great contention" (Mosiah 19:3)

There's not a more selfish creature than the practicing addict. (Just ask my sweet wife.) The Big Book says we are like the director of a play, trying to control and manipulate the actors on the stage of life. We will stoop to begging, threatening, extortion, and any form of manipulation and control--just to get our way. I have heard it said in AA, "Alcoholics don't have relationships, they just take hostages." 

Contention is the result and the addict runs to his "drug of choice" to hide.

"swore in his wrath" (Mosiah 19:4)

The contention breeds wrath. In this Book of Mormon account, a righteous man named Gideon (his name means warrior or "one who cuts down") draws his sword on the king and swears in his wrath to slay him. But the anger cuts both ways. I remember my addiction robbing me of all the good emotions, but leaving fear, anger, and shame as my driving forces in life--not a good combination.

"when the king saw that he was about to overpower him, he fled and ran" (Mosiah 19:5)

We run away from anything challenging in life, however major or minor. In times of crisis, instead of turning to the Lord, we run to our drug of choice in an attempt to flee life.

"cried out in the anguish of his soul" 

This can be the turning point in recovery, as we cry out to God for help. Unfortunately in my case, I had to play a few games of "Let's Make A Deal" first as I pleaded with God to spare my life (what was left of it) and in exchange I would quit drinking. But then I remembered the truth of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" as he said, "You can't pray a lie."

"the king was not so much concerned about his people as he was about his own life" (Mosiah 19:8)

It's never about others. It's only about me. I once heard a wise friend in AA describe his spiritual growth in this way. I will call him "John" to protect his anonymity. He said something like, "Back in my drinking days I could only think about John. Now after many years of recovery, I can actually stop and think about what's best for my wife or my daughter, and I can do this for about three or four minutes. Then I have to start thinking about John again."

Alcoholism is a deadly disease. But it's not really the alcohol. It's the "ism" at the end of the word that gets us. It stands for "I, Self, Me."

"men should leave their wives and their children, and flee" (Mosiah 19:11)

This is what King Noah commanded his men to do. But it's also what the voices inside our heads tell us to do, whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not. The result is broken families, destroyed marriages, and torn relationships. It's a good thing Twelve Step recovery also has family support meetings to heal relationships.

"their fair daughters should stand forth and plead" (Mosiah 19:13)

Relationships become codependent. Often it is a spouse who feels a need to cover up or make excuses for the addict. I know of some who have called in sick on behalf of a spouse to preserve their jobs.

"spare their lives, and took them captives" (Mosiah 19:15)

Some are not so lucky. Some go into captivity and lose their lives. I remember my first Wednesday Night Old Timers Meeting as I looked at Step Three: "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him." That was the last thing I wanted to do. Yet I really didn't have much of a life to give up. This ended up being the best decision I ever made, and I have to keep making it every day. 

My Savior Jesus Christ gives me "newness of life" (see Romans 6:4).

"into the wilderness secretly" (Mosiah 19:18)

As we run to our drugs of choice, the secret wilderness carries us to shameful places and the darkest corners of the Internet. In AA we say, "You are only as sick as your secrets." I think the Big Book Chapter 5 entitled "How It Works" mentions honesty three times.

"they would seek revenge, and also perish with them" (Mosiah 19:19)

Addiction makes us vengeful and bitter with anyone who stands in the way. But it's a deadly game. I have seen many friends, both inside and outside of recovery, who have perished. It's so sad.

"caused that he should suffer, even unto death" (Mosiah 19:20)

Like many addicts, King Noah suffers death. And there is much suffering leading up to the final scene. But it doesn't have to end this way. You're probably sick of AA adages by now, but here's a final one. Alcoholism and addiction are like riding an elevator. You can get off at any floor. You don't have to hit rock bottom, although most of us do.

"made oath unto the King"

As sad as this story is, it doesn't have to end this way. There is recovery. I have taken the liberty to capitalize "King" and change the story. You really can make covenants with the King of kings, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In another Book of Mormon story an earthly king speaks for a Heavenly King as he proclaims, 

"And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

"And under this head ye are made free" (Mosiah 5:7-8).

It's a sweet deal. "Let go and let God." 

Crucifying the Flesh

The Prophet Joseph Smith's mission was prophesied by Joseph of Egypt, who foretold that one of the purposes of the Book of Mormon was for "the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them" (2 Nephi 3:11). Often in Latter-day Saint culture we think of the Bible to back up the Book of Mormon, but the inverse of this--the Book of Mormon to clarify, expand, and expound the Bible, is one of its main purposes.

Abinadi's commentary on an Isaiah Messianic prophecy is a prime example. I have found the abundance of pronouns in Isaiah 53 to be a real problem to understand what's going on. One verse particularly seems to have too many pronouns. The Isaiah verse reads,

"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand" (Isaiah 53:10).

Who is "the Lord" here? Is it Heavenly Father being "pleased" in His Beloved Son, as in other verses? It sounds like the Father in this context. And it is, but perhaps not in the same way as one might imagine. It is not Heavenly Father in the original Hebrew. It is Jehovah--the "Word made flesh" (John 1:14). Click here for a link to the original Hebrew. 

In this context, Jehovah is the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. The premortal Jehovah declared Himself as the Father and the Son to the brother of Jared. He said, "Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters" (Ether 3:14).

Abinadi explains this in the Book of Mormon:

"And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—

"The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—

"And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth" (Mosiah 15:2-4).

The concept of "one God" in this case doesn't merely mean being one in purpose. Abinadi is describing Jehovah as "the Eternal Father" and Jesus Christ as the Son. Yes, subjecting to the will of Heavenly Father is true and important, but Jesus Christ always subjected His own will to the will of His eternal role as Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament. Thus, Isaiah can speak in the past tense of the will of Jehovah as the eternal Father, as surely as if it had already occurred in the flesh. Or, in other words, it's already a done deal. Some LDS scholars call this tense "prophetic perfect."

Does this have an implication for us as mere mortals? If Jesus set the perfect example by always subjecting His will to his premortal divine purposes as Jehovah, what could have been our premortal will? And what is our mission here on earth?

The next verse makes another comparison. Abinadi teaches, "And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people" (Mosiah 15:5).

The Spirit becomes the Father and the flesh becomes the Son. As I was working through the steps of recovery, a wonderful bishop once counseled me that whenever the flesh wars against the Spirit, the Spirit should always win. I have been far from perfect in following his advice, but I can testify of the power of this principle. I know I am happier when I follow the Spirit.

The real clincher comes two verses later: "Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father" (Mosiah 15:7).

Not only was Jesus willing to lay down His life and suffer death for all mankind, He was equally willing to allow the will of the flesh to be "swallowed up" in every case. Thus, He "suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation."

Two verses of scripture and an apostolic quote come to mind. Paul taught this idea of crucifying the flesh, or the natural man or woman, on at least two occasions. He spoke of baptism as a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ and the baptismal font being in similitude to the grave.

In Romans he said, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. . . Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin" (Romans 6:4,6). The "old man" of flesh is dead in the water.

Previously, Paul taught the Galatians about the "works of the flesh" and the "fruit of the Spirit." He said, 

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

"Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

"Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like . . .

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

"Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

"And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Galatians 5:19-24).

Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, "One of the best ways we can put 'off the natural man' is to starve him (Mosiah 3:19). Weakened, he is more easily dislodged. Otherwise, he insists on getting his ticket punched at every stop on the temptation train" (Neal A. Maxwell, "The Seventh Commandment: A Shield," Oct. 2001).

"That Ye May Stand As Witnesses For Me Hereafter"

They say time flies when you're having fun, so I must have had a blast this past month as I see it's been a good month since I last posted. Work has been crazy and weekends short. I don't know about fun but I did have a birthday celebration on Monday July 31--a day that marks 28 years since my last drink of alcohol or use of drugs.

A loving God seems to have orchestrated my recovery from the beginning. The coincidental events of stumbling across the Twelve Steps in a drunken stupor, leading to two more years of "research" in a failed attempt of "moral inventory," to hitting rock bottom, to that fateful drive home, passing the same Alano Club, triggering the three words, "powerless over alcohol" from Step One, as my car swerved off the road into the parking lot, only to find the Monday Night Beginners' Meeting was ten minutes away. And the first person to greet me in that room, as I sat in solitary confinement, was a dear man now passed to the other side of the veil. But just weeks ago and nearly 28 years later, I was privileged to handle his Big Book at an LDS Twelve Step Meeting where his son now serves as our group facilitator.

Thirteen years of hard drinking and complete devotion to Satan's cycle of compulsion had stripped me of anything worthy or honorable. Seven years without a single sober day had left me destitute and wanting. Yet as those looming Steps stared me in the face, I recoiled in horror at the thought of returning to my Maker. I planned my negotiation strategy accordingly, trading real serenity for "half measures" and looked for the "easier, softer way." 

Instead, the terms of God's contract meant turning my will and my life over to the very Being I had spent thirteen years running away from. Yet one meeting was enough evidence and flicker of hope as we held hands in a circle, citing the Serenity Prayer: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Then there was the chant: "Keep coming back. It works!" Does it? Will it? One gaze into their eyes told me they had something so much missing in my shattered life.

On the second day, God put a sponsor into my life. But I had to think why does he care if I'm drunk or sober? Another dear man on the other side of the veil, but on this day he said, "Brad, it's a simple program--90 meetings in 90 days and don't drink between meetings. Then after 90 days, if you don't like what you have, we'll refund your misery." Wow, a misery-back guarantee! Again, I could only do half of it. I could only go to a meeting every day.

They say, "A gut full of booze and a gut full of AA don't mix." So on July 31, 1989 I went home with the ultimate decision of either getting out of AA, or getting serious about the Steps and God's offer of a new life.

In my bedroom in solitary confinement, I learned of the reality of Satan with his quiver of lies like, "It's too late for you. You've gone too far. There's no hope for you now." Perhaps you've heard them. But it was my last shot.

Battle-torn, run down, and beaten up, this drunk fell down and somehow asked for the big one--one day of sobriety. It was such a long shot.

Immediately I felt a rush of sweet peacefulness and tranquility. But how is this possible? No, there was no voice, just a calming assurance that everything would work out.

Fast forward 28 years--July 31, 2017. Another "manic Monday" (Sorry, Bangles), but this time on the other side of the spectrum. Beginning with an extended version of the Serenity Prayer, this time praying for a sweet wife, a wonderful son, and a dear daughter serving as a missionary in Canada, spreading the news of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I boarded the train for work, while catching the morning sunrise with crimson-lined clouds, displaying pink-cloud sobriety and a happy birthday wish. The train halted in South Jordan just long enough to see a beautiful temple and memories of a day there as I knelt at an altar across from my sweetheart. The ordinance performed there would last a couple of minutes, but transcend eternity.  

Time to exit at Salt Lake Central with the music playing in my ear, sounding like God speaking through the voice of Bob Dylan:

"How does it feel, how does it feel?
To be on your own, with no direction home
A complete unknown, like a rolling stone."

That was me 28 years ago. But on this Monday morning it feels real good. I remembered a verse:

"And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions" (Mosiah 24:14).