Step 2: Hope

One of my favorite movie series is the Lord of the Rings. In this amazing adventure, a young halfing, Frodo, carries a dangerous and evil piece of jewelry - a ring. Frodo’s task is to cast the ring into a volcano known as the Fires of Mordor. During Frodo’s adventure, he is accompanied by his friend, Sam. During their travels, the weight of carrying the ring begins to press on Frodo. He changes from a loving, happy individual to an angry, depressed, and sad individual.

Finally, Frodo and Sam arrive at this volcano. Before entering, and during a moment of rest, Sam asks Frodo if he remembers certain things about their home and past. Frodo, with sadness, looks back at Sam and admits that he does not remember those things. All he can remember is the darkness this ring has brought. Sam, his lifelong friend, is also sad that this burden Frodo carries has caused him to remember so much.

The adventure continues for Frodo and Sam. They have a great fight and struggle to put the ring in the Fires of Mordor. Once the ring enters the fire, the volcano erupts. Luckily, Frodo and Sam avoid the lava flow and find some safety. It is at this point that Frodo looks at Sam and says he remembers their home, past events, and other things that made him happy.

I love this story because of how closely it resembles addiction recovery. In my own journey, carrying the burden of addiction is similar to Frodo carrying the ring. I chose to look at pornography the same way that Frodo volunteered to carry the ring. I soon forgot the little things that made me happy. It took a great deal of effort to find happiness and hush the pain of my addiction. Finally, I hit rock bottom.

Then something amazing happened. I finally turned to the door that Christ was knocking on (Revelation 3:20). When I opened that door, my sadness and grief were replaced by hope. Small things became enjoyable again. Simple conversations made me smile. Seeing the sunrise after a cloudy day made me smile. I started serving again. Most important to me is my ability to laugh returned. Similar to Frodo, I started to remember the things that made me happy.

This is what hope is all about. It requires that we trust the Savior, Jesus Christ. It requires that we will willingly provide a sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit (3 Nephi 9:20). In return, the Savior promises to forgive us of our sins and replace all that is wrong with all that is good. That is what hope is all about!

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