Where can I turn to?

A common question I had before I started my addiction recovery journey was where can I turn to for peace? I had landed in a place where all I wanted was peace, and I could not find it. I had learned to turn to the thing that was driving me to destruction. Pornography was not bringing me peace. It was leading me to absolute hell. I didn’t really know where to turn to.

What I didn’t realize was it wasn’t a question of where to turn to. It was a question of who can I turn to? One of my favorite hymns, “Where can I Turn for Peace?”, provides an answer to that question. In verse 2, we read, “Where, when my aching grows, Where, when I languish, Where, in my need to know, where can I run? Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish? Who, who can understand? He, only One.” The who that we can all turn to is Jesus Christ.

If you were like me, the thought of turning to Jesus Christ was daunting. The idea of getting support from Jesus Christ was scary. I honestly thought I was too far gone to be able to turn to Jesus Christ. This thought of being too far gone is absolutely false. That is when I came across this quote from Elder Jeffrey R Holland: “I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.” (The Laborers in the Vineyard, General Conference, April 2012)

I learned clearly that I was not too far gone to be saved. The Savior, Jesus Christ, supported me no matter where I was on my mortal journey. Jesus Christ wants to support me and help me return to the presence of God.

I would encourage you to remember that Jesus Christ wants to support you on your addiction recovery journey. He literally will be there for you the entire way!

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