Recent convert broke WoW-should confess to the bishop?

[lastlily]

Hi, I'm a recent convert and I quit smoking and drinking coffee, among other things, when I joined the church.  After a few months, I picked up smoking again for a month or a month and a half and I've had maybe a dozen cups of coffee.  Now I am trying to quit smoking and coffee again.  Should I confess these things to my bishop? 

[Lakumi]

I would imagine so, that sort of stuff would come up in temple recommend interviews (I don't know the proper word for that), best of luck neither of those things are easy to give up.

[Just_A_Guy]

Hi, lastlily.

First off, welcome aboard--both to the church, and to this website.

The older I get, the less I like the phrase "have to confess." I'm not sure, for most situations, that it establishes quite the dynamic that's supposed to exist between church members and priesthood leaders.

But I would heartily encourage you to counsel with your bishop over this. I think you'll find the extra support helpful.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

I agree with Just-a-guy.  "Counsel with" your Bishop is a much better way to describe it.  

 

Fr. Thomas Keating, who is Catholic, said, "Repentance means change the direction your are looking for happiness."

 

I LOVE that.  Doesn't that make sense, you turn to cigarettes and coffee because in the moment you feel they will make you feel better...and maybe they do temporarily (at least that is how it goes with my unhealthy relationship with sugar! )  But in the long run, you know that cigarettes and coffee are not your friends.  They are not good for your body.

 

So counseling with your Bishop can help you get some support in changing the direction you are looking for happiness.  :)

[NeuroTypical]

As others are mentioning, this isn't really the Church-of-You-Did-Wrong-And-Must-Now-Be-Punished.  There's a guy sitting behind that desk in church, who would love to know about the struggles you're having kicking some addictions.  He may be able to be supportive and help with the spiritual end of things.  

[The Folk Prophet]

Letter of the law response: I do not believe word of wisdom issues require confession to the bishop as a requirement for repentance, unlike serious law of chastity issues and the like.

 

Spirit of the law response: Agree with JaG. Counsel with your bishop. There is no reason not to.

[Iggy]

The recent new members of our Branch have smoking and drug addictions. All of them have been unable to break their habits. Our Branch Presidents solution, to have the Addiction Recovery classes held here at our Branch mid-week. 

 

I know one Sister is doing great with this class/program. She is living with her unmarried daughter & live-in-boyfriend and her divorced sister- all of whom smoke. Makes it really difficult to quit smoking in this situation. She pays the rent and utilities and most of the groceries - so she told them all, when they smoke they have to go outside, and away from the house. 

 

As for drinking coffee, she switched from a cup of hot coffee to Starbucks bottles Coffee Frappuccino's. 

 

One thing about the AR Classes - it is NOT being limited to just the LDS members, they have included those in this area who are in need of the class. They also hold the class in the Chapel, rather than in the RS room - they are more reverent, and the classes seem to pack more of a punch.

 

So, lastlily, go council with your Bishop and ask him where the LDS Addiction Recovery classes are held, what day and what time. 

 

EDITED to ADD: Oh, btw - when I was inactive, I smoked, drank alcohol, coffee & tea. The alcohol was the easiest for me to quit. I just made up my mind that it was going to happen and it did. I used the 3 step patches (can not remember the product name) to quit smoking, BUT I couldn't afford them - I was in the process of coming back to full activity, and the Branch President helped me with the cost of the patches. The Church didn't pay the full amount. I paid what I could afford - gave the money to the BP and he went and bought the patches. At the end of the patches, the cost of them was the same as a carton of cigarettes - I smoked roll-you-own because they were way cheaper.

 

I did six weeks on step two - step one was WAY too strong for me - and then a co-worker gave me one box of step three with one patch missing. That is all it took for me. That was in June of 1999 that I started the patches. I have been smoke free since then. I quit alcohol in April of 1983. I no longer drink HOT coffee or tea. I do, however drink ICED Tea and coffee. Tell this to my Branch President and Stake President every time I get my recommend renewed. They sign my renewed recommend each time. 

 

I don't feel I am breaking the WOW - actually I don't drink any form of HOT drink. During my inactivity years I drank enough HOT drinks and ended up nearly boiling the taste buds right off my tongue. 

Edited May 19, 2014 by Iggy

[Blackmarch]

Hi, I'm a recent convert and I quit smoking and drinking coffee, among other things, when I joined the church.  After a few months, I picked up smoking again for a month or a month and a half and I've had maybe a dozen cups of coffee.  Now I am trying to quit smoking and coffee again.  Should I confess these things to my bishop? 

that would help.